Instant messaging (IM) internet chat capability from displayed email messages

• US 8,037,141 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Glenton B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fritz; Bradford F
• Application Number:
  US11/405,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment an email window is configured to display an email message, the email message including a plurality of intended recipients, wherein the email window is also configured to display information about the plurality of intended recipients. At least one embodiment also includes an instant messaging (IM) option configured to begin an instant messaging session with at least two intended recipients having information displayed in the email window.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory component that stores at least the following;

first logic for providing an email compose window configured to display, to a sender, an email message being composed, the email message including a plurality of intended email recipients, wherein the email window is also configured to display information about the plurality of intended email recipients, the email compose window further configured to provide a plurality of instant messaging presence icons in the email compose window, the instant messaging presence icon configured to provide an indication regarding whether each of the intended email recipients is currently present and active on an instant messaging account;

second logic for providing an instant messaging option in the email compose window, the instant messaging option configured to automatically begin a multi-party instant messaging session with the sender and at least two of the plurality of intended email recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window,

wherein the at least two of the plurality of intended email recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window are indicated as being currently present and active based on the instant messaging presence icon of the respective intended email recipients, and wherein the instant messaging option in the email compose window comprises a default option to launch the multi-party instant messaging session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account;

third logic for providing a first delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is present and active on the instant messaging account; and

fourth logic for providing a second delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is not present and not active on the instant messaging account.

2. The system of claim 1, the memory component further storing third logic configured to provide an instant messaging participant window configured to determine at least one participant of the instant messaging session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of intended recipients includes at least one intended recipient of a blind courtesy copy of the email and wherein the intended recipient of the blind courtesy copy is provided read-only instant messaging functionality.

4. The system of claim 1, the memory component further storing third logic configured to provide a web conferencing option configured to begin a web conference with at least two of the plurality of intended recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the default option comprises a default setting to launch the multi-party communications session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account and listed in the To address field of the email message being composed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the default option comprises a default setting to launch the multi-party communications session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account and listed in the Courtesy Copy address field of the email message being composed.

7. A method comprising:

a message from a sender in a first communications protocol in a message write window, the message including a plurality of intended email recipients, the message write window being configured to display information about the at least one of the plurality of intended email recipients, the message write window further configured to provide an instant messaging presence icon in the message write window, the instant messaging presence icon configured to provide an indication regarding whether each of the intended email recipients is currently present and active on an instant messaging account;

providing a second communication protocol option configured to automatically begin a multi-party communications session with the sender and at least two intended email recipients from the message write window in a second protocol,

wherein the at least two intended email recipients that have information displayed in the message write window are indicated as being currently present and active based on the instant messaging presence icon of the respective intended email recipients, and wherein the second communication protocol option in the message write window comprises a default option to launch the multi-party communications session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account;

providing a first delay delivery option via the message write window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is present and active on the instant messaging account; and

providing a second delay delivery option via the message write window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is not present and not active on the instant messaging account.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first communications protocol includes an email protocol.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second communications protocol includes at least one of the following:

an instant messaging protocol and a web conferencing protocol.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the second communication protocol option is provided to a message sender.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining current instant messaging availability related to at least one of the plurality of intended recipients.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining at least one participant of the instant messaging session.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of intended recipients includes at least one intended recipient of a blind courtesy copy of the message and wherein the at least one intended recipient of the blind courtesy copy is provided read-only functionality in the communications session.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining at least one participant of the communications session includes setting a current participant configuration as a default configuration.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to:

display, in an email compose window, an email message from a sender, the email message including a plurality of intended email recipients, the email compose window configured to provide an instant messaging presence icon in the email compose window, the instant messaging presence icon configured to provide an indication regarding whether each of the intended email recipients is currently present and active on an instant messaging account;

display information related to the plurality of intended email recipients; and

provide a communications session option configured to automatically begin a multiparty communications session with the sender and at least two of the plurality of intended email recipients with information displayed in the email compose window,

wherein the at least two intended email recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window are indicated as being currently present and active based on the instant messaging presence icon of the respective intended email recipients, and

wherein the communications session option in the email compose window comprises a default option to launch the multi-party communications session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account;

provide a first delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is present and active on the instant messaging account; and

provide a second delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is not present and not active on the instant messaging account.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the email window includes a compose email window for sending an email.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein communications session includes at least one of the following:

an instant messaging session and a web conference.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to determine current instant messaging availability related to at least one of the plurality of intended recipients.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to determine at least one participant of the communications session.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of intended recipients includes at least one intended recipient of a blind courtesy copy of the email and wherein the at least one intended recipient of the blind courtesy copy is provided read-only instant messaging functionality.