Picture provisioning system and method

• US 8,700,713 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBuddy Technologies B.V.
• Original Assignee: eBuddy Holding B.V. (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Paulo, Rueb, Jan-Joost, Bakker, Onno
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/637,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,682 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A technique for image provisioning in an instant messaging (IM) environment involves storing images on a web server. The images may be made available to a low level IM client that receives instant messages from a high level IM client. The images may be, for example, avatar images, custom emoticons, or other images.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a high level IM server including an image provisioning engine, wherein, in operation, the high level IM server is coupled to a plurality of low level IM servers comprising a first low level IM server associated with a first messaging service provider and a second low level IM server associated with a second messaging service provider;

a profile database coupled to the high level IM server, the profile database storing an aggregated messaging profile compatible with the first messaging service provider and the second messaging service provider;

a web server coupled to the high level IM server, wherein the web server includes one or more images;

wherein, in operation, the web server serves an image to the first low level IM server in response to an image provisioning stimulus;

wherein the image provisioning stimulus is responsive to a change of a presence state associated with a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server;

an internal timer located inside the image provisioning engine, the internal timer providing a notification at a time interval;

wherein the image provisioning engine obtains the notification from the internal timer and generates the image provisioning stimulus based on the notification.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile database is embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, coupled to the high level IM server, wherein, in operation, a high level IM client is represented in the profile database when the high level IM client is connected to the high level IM server.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a program picture server that includes a plurality of avatars associated with an IM client, wherein, in operation, the image provisioning engine provides a first avatar of the plurality of avatars for display on a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server in response to a first image provisioning stimulus, and the image provisioning engine provides a second avatar of the plurality of avatars for display on the low level IM client in response to a second image provisioning stimulus.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a program picture server that includes one or more emoticons associated with an IM client, wherein, in operation, the image provisioning engine provides an emoticon of the one or more emoticons for display on a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server in response to an image provisioning stimulus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the image provisioning stimulus is provided through the first low level IM server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image provisioning stimulus is provided through a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image provisioning stimulus is provided from a profile database connected to the high level IM server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the high level IM server comprises an application server configured to provide the image provisioning stimulus.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image provisioning stimulus is responsive to a change of a presence state associated with a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image provisioning stimulus is responsive to a character string received from a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server, the low level IM client having a client characteristic;

wherein the profile database stores the client characteristic;

wherein the image provisioning engine obtains the client characteristic from the profile database and generates the image provisioning stimulus based on the client characteristic.

12. A method comprising:

configuring a connection to a first low level IM server associated with a first messaging service provider;

configuring another connection to a second low level IM server associated with a second messaging service provider;

adapting a computer readable medium to receive a plurality of images from a web server;

adapting the computer readable medium to access an aggregated messaging profile compatible with the first messaging service provider and the second messaging service provider;

configuring, in response to an image provisioning stimulus, the connection to the first low level IM server to send one of the plurality of images;

wherein the image provisioning stimulus is responsive to a change of a presence state associated with a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server;

providing a notification at a time interval;

generating the image provisioning stimulus based on the notification.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the image provisioning stimulus comprises a location of a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a character string from a low level IM client connected to the first low level IM server;

generating the image provisioning stimulus based on the character string.