Granted Patent B2

US 7,085,258 · App. 09/910,187 · Granted Aug 1, 2006

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. An instant message (IM) communication method comprising the steps of:

inserting in an IM a voice communications identifier;

embedding computer program code in said IM, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a voice communications link with a sender of said IM;

transmitting said IM to a recipient;

displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier; and,

responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a voice communications link between said recipient and said sender of said IM by executing said embedded computer program code.

2. The IM communication method of claim 1 , wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of inserting in said IM a selectable symbol denoting voice communications availability.

3. The IM communication method of claim 1 , wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of

inserting in said IM a reference to said sender of said IM.

4. The IM communication method of claim 3 , wherein said establishing step comprises the steps of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, determining a link address for said sender based on said reference, and executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

5. The IM communication method of claim 4 , wherein said link address is a telephone number.

6. The IM communication method of claim 4 , wherein said link address is an IP address.

7. The IM communication method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

8. The IM communication method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

9. An instant message (IM) communication method comprising the steps of:

detecting a voice communications identifier in an IM transmitted by a sender;

responsive to detecting said voice communications identifier, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier;

responsive to a selection of said icon, extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish a voice communications link with said sender; and

establishing a voice communications link with said sender by executing said embedded computer program code extracted from said IM.

10. The IM communication method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of extracting an embedded reference to said sender from said IM.

11. The IM communication method of claim 10 , wherein said executing step further comprises the steps of:

determining a link address for said sender based on said extracted reference; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

12. The IM communication method of claim 11 , wherein said link address is a telephone number.

13. The IM communication method of claim 11 , wherein said link address is an IP address.

14. The IM communications method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:

a recipient of the IM extracting from said IM embedded references to said sender and at least one other recipient of said IM; and,

displaying a corresponding selectable icon for each of said at least one other recipients.

15. The IM communication method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of one of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient and determining a link address for said corresponding recipient based on said extracted reference; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said corresponding recipient according to said determined link address.

16. The IM communication method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of two or more of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient for each selected icon and determining a link address for said corresponding recipients based on said extracted references; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a conference call with said corresponding recipients according to said determined link addresses.

17. The IM communication method of claim 9 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

18. The IM communication method of claim 9 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

19. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

inserting in an instant message (IM) a voice communications identifier;

embedding computer program code in said IM, wherein said computer program code is configured to establish a voice communications link with a sender of said IM;

transmitting said IM to a recipient;

displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communications identifier; and,

responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a voice communications link between said recipient and said sender of said IM by executing said embedded computer program code.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19 , wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of inserting in said IM a selectable symbol denoting voice communications availability.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 19 , wherein said inserting step further comprises the step of:

inserting in said IM a reference to said sender of said IM.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 21 , wherein said establishing step comprises the steps of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, determining a link address for said sender based on said reference, and executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 22 , wherein said link address is a telephone number.

24. The machine readable storage of claim 22 , wherein said link address is an IP address.

25. The machine readable storage of claim 19 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice over IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

26. The machine readable storage of claim 19 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to said recipient selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

27. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

detecting a voice communications identifier in an instant message (IM) transmitted by a sender;

responsive to detecting said voice communications identifier, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communication identifier;

responsive to a selection of said icon, extracting from said IM embedded computer program code configured to establish a voice communications link with said sender; and

establishing a voice communications link with said sender by executing said embedded computer program code extracted from said IM.

28. The machine readable storage of claim 27 , further comprising the step of extracting an embedded reference to said sender from said IM.

29. The machine readable storage of claim 28 , wherein said executing step further comprises the steps of:

determining a link address for said sender based on said extracted reference; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said sender according to said determined link address.

30. The machine readable storage of claim 29 , wherein said link address is a telephone number.

31. The machine readable storage of claim 29 , wherein said link address is an IP address.

32. The machine readable storage of claim 28 , further comprising the steps of:

a recipient of the IM extracting from said IM embedded references to said sender and at least one other recipient of said IM; and,

displaying a corresponding selectable icon for each of said at least one other recipients.

33. The machine readable storage of claim 32 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of one of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient and determining a link address for said corresponding recipient based on said extracted reference; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a voice communications link with said corresponding recipient according to said determined link address.

34. The machine readable storage of claim 32 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a selection of two or more of said selectable icons, identifying a corresponding recipient for each selected icon and determining a link address for said corresponding recipients based on said extracted references; and,

executing said embedded computer program code in order to establish a conference call with said corresponding recipients according to said determined link addresses.

35. The machine readable storage of claim 27 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a Voice aver IP (VoIP) based voice communications link with said recipient.

36. The machine readable storage of claim 27 , wherein said establishing step comprises the step of responsive to a recipient of the IM selecting said voice communications identifier, establishing a telephony-based voice communications link with said recipient over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

37. An instant message (IM)/Chat session client comprising:

a conventional IM processor, said conventional IM processor extracting and displaying message text encapsulated in a received IM; and,

a voice conversation processor, said voice conversation processor identifying a voice communications link identifier encapsulated in said received IM, displaying a selectable icon associated with said voice communications link identifier in response to detecting said voice communications link identifier and, responsive to a selection of said selectable icon, establishing a voice communications link with a sender of said received IM by executing computer program code embedded in said received IM, said computer program code being configured to establish the voice communications link.

Assignments (6)