Patent ID: 7290041
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In an instant messaging (IM) system comprising: an IM server having a plurality of clients, one or more of the clients with IM client applications of the same types and one or more of the clients with IM client applications of different types, a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) server to which at least one of the clients is connected, a computer network interconnecting the IM server and the SMSC server to provide IM communications therebetween, wherein the SMSC server utilizes a sequential message handshaking protocol for transmitting and receiving messages to and from the IM server, whereby a confirmation of the successful transmission or receipt of a message is required to be received or sent by said SMSC server before a subsequent message is able to be transmitted or received, and wherein that portion of the computer network interfaced with the IM server is prone to latency and instability; the computer network including: a buffer server configured to store and transmit messages between the SMSC server and the IM server, the buffer server interconnected with the SMSC server using a sequential message handshaking protocol corresponding to that used by the SMSC server, wherein the interconnection provides for the communication of messages between the buffer server and the SMSC server in steady, timed flows with minimal latency and connection disruptions; said buffer server also being interconnected with the IM server using a protocol compatible therewith in a manner where message handshaking is not required to be performed sequentially and thus accommodate higher latency and instability problems with the computer network therebetween.