Patent ID: 7263545
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of supporting real-time communication activities, comprising the steps of: in a first obtaining step, obtaining on-line presence information from an external instant messaging system regarding at least one user, wherein said first obtaining step includes intercepting input and output data from at least one network socket data stream associated with a software process, said software process being associated with said external instant messaging system and identifying on-line presence information regarding said at least one user within said input and output data associated with said software process, wherein said software process associated with said external instant messaging system comprises a client software process associated with said external instant messaging system, and wherein said input and output data associated with said software process comprise data communicated between said client software process associated with said external instant messaging system and a server associated with said external instant messaging system; determining whether said intercepted input and output data contain said on-line presence information; in a second obtaining step, in the event said intercepted input and output data does not contain said on-line presence information, injecting a request message into said at least one network socket data stream associated with said software process to request said on-line presence information from said external instant messaging system, and receiving said on-line presence information in response to said request message; determining an availability status of said at least one user responsive to said on-line presence information obtained from said external instant messaging system in one of said first and second obtaining steps; and establishing a real-time communication activity including said at least one user responsive to said availability status of said at least one user.