Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080307322 | PRESENTING TEXT MESSAGES - In an instant messaging application, a message container (e.g., a stylized text bubble) is provided for indicating that an activity has occurred in a non-foreground chat. The message container can be displayed in the chat where the activity occurred. The message container can contain a portion of the message (e.g., the beginning of the message). The message container can contain a summary of the message. The message container can have an arbitrary shape or appearance. The user can define or select the appearance of the message container. | 12-11-2008 |
20090089710 | PROCESSING AN ANIMATION FILE TO PROVIDE AN ANIMATED ICON - A method for processing an animation file to provide an animated icon to an instant messaging environment is presented. An animation file is reformatted to generate the animated icon to satisfy a pre-defined size requirement of the instant messaging environment. The animated icon is stored for distribution to the instant messaging environment. | 04-02-2009 |
20100125580 | AUTOMATIC BUDDY MANAGEMENT - Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to provide automatic buddy management are described. One or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IM) network are determined. One or more groups are organized based on the one or more tags associated with the user. The one or more tags associated with the user are communicated to the IM network. The one or more groups associated with the user may be displayed on a display. One or more tags associated with one or more other users on the IM network may be received. The one or more other users may be included into the one or more groups. One or more new groups may be created based on the one or more tags associated with one or more other users. | 05-20-2010 |
20110055735 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INITIATING AND MANAGING CHAT SESSIONS - Method and apparatus for initiating and managing a chat session are described herein. According to one embodiment, user activities with respect to the data processing system are monitored, including user activities that are unrelated to chat services. In response to a request to initiate a chat session between a local user and a remote user, a first chat service account is selected from a list of chat service accounts associated with the remote user based on the monitored user activities. A chat session is initiated using the selected first chat service account of the remote user and a second chat service account selected for the local user. Certain information is displayed within a chat window indicating that the chat session is conducted between the first and second chat service accounts. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. | 03-03-2011 |
20110250909 | REGISTERING CLIENT COMPUTING DEVICES FOR ONLINE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS - Registering a client computing device for online communication sessions. A registration server receives a message that has a push token that is unique to the client computing device and a phone number of the client computing device from an SMS (Short Message Service) transit device, which received an SMS message having the push token from the client computing device and determined the phone number of the client computing device from that SMS message. The registration server associates the push token and the phone number and stores it in a registration data store, which is used for inviting users for online communication sessions. | 10-13-2011 |
20110252146 | ESTABLISHING ONLINE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS BETWEEN CLIENT COMPUTING DEVICES - A method and apparatus for assisting in establishing an online communication session between client computing devices. An online communication session invite request message is received from an initiating client computing device, the message includes connection data of the initiating computing device and an online communication session endpoint identifier for an intended recipient. A set of one or more push tokens that are associated with the identifier is determined, where each of the push tokens identifies a client computing device. An online communication session invite message that includes the connection data of the initiating client computing device is transmitted to a set of intended recipient client computing devices that correspond with the set of push tokens. An invite accepted message is received from at least one of the set of intended recipient client computing devices that includes connection data of that computing device. An invite accepted message is transmitted to the initiating computing device that includes the connection data of each accepting computing device to allow the initiating computing device and each accepting computing device to establish a direct peer-to-peer online communication session. | 10-13-2011 |
20120117250 | MULTIPLE CLIENT COMPUTING DEVICE INVITATIONS FOR ONLINE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS - An online communication session invitation request message for an online communication session is received from an initiating client computing device. The invitation request message includes connection data of the initiating client computing device and an online communication session endpoint identifier of an intended participant of the online communication session. The session endpoint identifier is associated with a plurality of push tokens that correspond to a plurality of recipient client computing devices respectively. An invitation request message is sent in the form of a push notification message to each of the plurality of recipient client computing devices using the corresponding push tokens. Each invitation request message includes the connection data of the initiating client computing device. | 05-10-2012 |
20120185542 | REGISTERING EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR ONLINE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS - A client computing device registers an email address as an identifier for online communication sessions. An email validation request message is received from the client computing device to validate an email address that includes the email address and an online communication session profile identifier that identifies an online communication session profile of a user of the client computing device. Responsive to determining that the email address has been validated, an email validated success message is sent to the client computing device. An activated email address request message is received from the client computing device that includes the email address and the online communication session profile identifier. The email address is then activated as an identifier associated with the online communication session profile to be used for online communication sessions. | 07-19-2012 |
20130231146 | REGISTERING CLIENT COMPUTING DEVICES FOR ONLINE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS - Registering a client computing device for online communication sessions. A registration server receives a message that has a push token that is unique to the client computing device and a phone number of the client computing device from an SMS (Short Message Service) transit device, which received an SMS message having the push token from the client computing device and determined the phone number of the client computing device from that SMS message. The registration server associates the push token and the phone number and stores it in a registration data store, which is used for inviting users for online communication sessions. | 09-05-2013 |
20130244614 | EMBODIMENTS OF A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURELY MANAGING MULTIPLE USER HANDLES ACROSS MULTIPLE DATA PROCESSING DEVICES - A system and method for are described for securely linking a phone number and user identification code in a directory database. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a first request from a first user device to register with a first service, the request identifying a phone number of the user device and including a fingerprint code uniquely identifying the first user device; registering the phone number in a directory service; receiving a second request from the first user device to register with a second service, the request including a user identification code which is not a phone number and the fingerprint code; registering the user identification code in the directory service; detecting that the first request and second request are from the same mobile device using the fingerprint code; and responsively linking the phone number and the user identification code in the directory database. | 09-19-2013 |
20140052774 | Managing Power Consumption in Mobile Devices - Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems for managing power consumption in mobile devices are described. A mobile computer system executes a first computer application configured to receive data from a server system over a network, and a second computer application configured to periodically search for a connection to the network at a first time interval. In response to executing the second computer application, the mobile computer system determines that a strength of the connection is below a threshold strength. In response to determining that the strength of the connection is below the threshold strength, the mobile computer system executes the first computer application to delay requesting data from the server system until the connection to the network is detected. | 02-20-2014 |
20140362768 | Non-Waking Push Notifications - In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to monitor environmental, system and user events. The occurrence of one or more events can trigger adjustments to system settings. In some implementations, the mobile device can be configured to keep frequently invoked applications up to date based on a forecast of predicted invocations by the user. In some implementations, the mobile device can receive push notifications associated with applications that indicate that new content is available for the applications to download. The mobile device can launch the applications associated with the push notifications in the background and download the new content. In some implementations, before running an application or accessing a network interface, the mobile device can be configured to check energy and data budgets and environmental conditions of the mobile device to preserve a high quality user experience. | 12-11-2014 |
20140364104 | Push Notification Initiated Background Updates - In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to monitor environmental, system and user events. The occurrence of one or more events can trigger adjustments to system settings. In some implementations, the mobile device can be configured to keep frequently invoked applications up to date based on a forecast of predicted invocations by the user. In some implementations, the mobile device can receive push notifications associated with applications that indicate that new content is available for the applications to download. The mobile device can launch the applications associated with the push notifications in the background and download the new content. In some implementations, before running an application or accessing a network interface, the mobile device can be configured to check energy and data budgets and environmental conditions of the mobile device to preserve a high quality user experience. | 12-11-2014 |
20140365569 | MANAGING NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS MULTIPLE DEVICES - Modifying a notification on one client device can trigger the generation and transmission of a silent notification to another client device that is associated with the same user account. The silent notification can include instructions to query for and modify a similar notification, if present, on the other client device. Silent notifications that are undeliverable can be stored in offline storage and delivery can be reattempted at a later point in time. | 12-11-2014 |
20140365642 | Smart Management of Background Network Connections Based on Historical Data - In some implementations, a network daemon can manage access to a mobile device's network interface. The network daemon (e.g., network connection managing process) can monitor the condition of the mobile device's network connection on one or more interfaces. The network daemon can monitor many conditions on the mobile device. The network daemon can receive background networking requests from network clients (e.g., processes, applications) that specify criteria for initiating a network connection. The network daemon can then smartly manage network connections taking into account network conditions, mobile device conditions and/or client criteria received in the client request. This can help reduce battery life impact, memory usage, likelihood of call drops, data usage cost, and load on network operators. | 12-11-2014 |
20140365673 | Smart Management of Background Network Connections - In some implementations, a network daemon can manage access to a mobile device's network interface. The network daemon (e.g., network connection managing process) can monitor the condition of the mobile device's network connection on one or more interfaces. The network daemon can monitor many conditions on the mobile device. The network daemon can receive background networking requests from network clients (e.g., processes, applications) that specify criteria for initiating a network connection. The network daemon can then smartly manage network connections taking into account network conditions, mobile device conditions and/or client criteria received in the client request. This can help reduce battery life impact, memory usage, likelihood of call drops, data usage cost, and load on network operators. | 12-11-2014 |
20140365901 | PUSHING MAP INFORMATION FROM A DEVICE TO OTHER DEVICES - A method of sending map related information from a device to a set of associated devices is provided. The method displays a map on a display screen of a first device. The method receives a request to share map information with other associated devices. The method displays a list of a set of devices associated with the first device. The method receives a selection of one or more devices in the set of devices. The method identifies the map information to share based on a set of criteria. The method sends the identified map information from the first device to the identified devices. | 12-11-2014 |