Patent ID: 7596599
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for handling instant message (IM) communications within a communications network, the plurality of instant message communications associated with a plurality of network implementations, the method comprising: receiving, at a computer system, wherein the computer system communicates with the communications network and is configured to proxy instant message communications within the communications network between instant message clients of the same network implementation unmodified in each of the plurality of network implementations, a plurality of policies for each network implementation in the plurality of network implementations that are applicable to characteristics of instant message communications associated with the corresponding network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, each policy received at the computer system defining: a set of characteristics pertaining to at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations or content of one or more instant message communications in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations, and an action to be performed by the computer system when one or more characteristics of at least one of the instant message communications handled by the computer system satisfy the set of characteristics defined for the policy, wherein the computer system maintains the at least one of the instant message communications handled by the computer system unmodified in the at least one network implementation in the plurality of network implementations between the instant message clients for the at least one network implementation by performance of the action defined in the policy; receiving, at the computer system, an instant message communication in a network implementation of one of the plurality of network implementations; determining, within the computer system, a policy from the plurality of policies that are applicable to characteristics of instant message communications in the network implementation based on one or more characteristics pertaining to the network implementation of the instant message communication or to content of the instant message communication in the network implementation; filtering the instant message communication using the computer system into a format specific to the computer system from the network implementation of the instant message communication, where the format specific to the computer system is different from the format of the network implementation; and performing, using the computer system, an action defined by the policy that is determined to be applicable to the characteristics of the instant message communication such that the network implementation of the instant message communication as received at the computer system remains unchanged by performance of the action, wherein the action is performed at the computer system using the format specific to the computer system that is different from the format of the network implementation, and wherein one or more portions of the instant message communication are filtered at the computer system after performance of the action from the format specific to the computer system into the same instant message communication in the network implementation associated with the instant message communication.