Abstract:
A method of communication via instant messaging that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables instant messaging clients to function as an intercom, in which one user can cause audio signals, such as speech, to be output from a second user&#39;s instant messaging client without any action on the part of the second user. This is in direct contrast to a traditional telephone call in which the second user must take some action to “answer” the call before the first user&#39;s voice is heard. Such an instant messaging intercom capability will be especially useful for secretaries and others who collaborate on work.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to instant messaging. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Instant messaging is form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed by data processing systems (e.g., computers, personal digital assistants, Blackberrys, etc.) over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. 
         [0003]    Instant messaging offers real-time communication and allows easy collaboration, which might be considered more akin to genuine conversation than e-mail&#39;s store and forward/retrieve mechanism. In contrast to e-mail, the Instant Messaging parties know whether the peer is available via a Presence Service that is inherent in the Instant Messaging system. Most Instant Messaging systems allow the user to set an online status or away message so peers are notified when the user is available, busy, or away from the computer or do so automatically based on the user&#39;s activity level on their computer or activity within the Instant Messaging system itself. In most cases, the user is allowed to manually override the automated presence state. On the other hand, recipients of instant messages do not necessarily have to respond immediately to incoming messages. For this reason, users consider communication via instant messaging to be less intrusive than communication via telephone. However, some systems allow the sending of messages to people not currently logged on (offline messages), thus removing much of the difference between instant messaging and email. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a method of communication via instant messaging that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables instant messaging clients to function as an intercom, in which one user can cause audio signals, such as speech, to be output from a second user&#39;s instant messaging client without any action on the part of the second user. This is in direct contrast to a traditional telephone call in which the second user must take some action to “answer” the call before the first user&#39;s voice is heard. Such an instant messaging intercom capability will be especially useful for secretaries and others who collaborate on work. 
         [0005]    The illustrative embodiment comprises: transmitting an electro-magnetic signal representing audio from a first instant messaging client on a first data processing system to a second instant messaging client on a second data processing system; and receiving the electro-magnetic signal at the second instant messaging client on the second data processing system; CHARACTERIZED BY: outputting an acoustic signal based on the electro-magnetic signal from the second data processing system without any action by a user of the second data processing system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of data processing system  102 - i.    
           [0008]      FIG. 3  depicts a flow chart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Telecommunications system  100  comprises: the Internet  101  and data processing systems  102 - 1  through  102 - 3 , interconnected as shown. 
         [0010]    Although the illustrative embodiment depicts three data processing systems, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that use any number of data processing systems. 
         [0011]    The Internet  101  is the ubiquitous packet network and it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to extend and use the Internet. Although the illustrative embodiment uses the Internet as the communications network through with the data processing systems communicate, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that use any telecommunications network (e.g., the Public Switched Telephone Network, a wireless network, an IBM SNA network, etc.). 
         [0012]    Data processing system  102 - i , wherein i is a member of the set { 1 ,  2 ,  3 }, comprises hardware and software for performing the tasks described below and in the accompanying figures. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, each of data processing systems  102 - 1 ,  102 - 2 , and  102 - 3  are connected to the Internet  101  via a wireline connection, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which any or all of the data processing systems are connected to the Internet  101  via a wireless connection. 
         [0013]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, each of data processing systems  102 - 1 ,  102 - 2 , and  102 - 3  are identical, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which any or all of the data processing systems are not identical. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of data processing system  102 - i , which comprises: processor  201 - i , memory  202 - i , instant messaging client  203 - i , graphical user interface  204 - i , microphone  205 - i , and speaker  206 - i , interconnected as shown. 
         [0015]    Processor  201 - i  is hardware, as is well known in the prior art, for executing commands in memory  202 - i , for storing into and retrieving data from memory  202 - i , for transmitting packets to and receiving packets from the Internet, and for interfacing with graphical user interface  204 - i , microphone  205 - i , and speaker  206 - i . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use processor  201 - i.    
         [0016]    Memory  202 - i  is a non-volatile storage, as is well known in the prior art, for storing programs and data, including instant messaging client  203 - i . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use memory  202 - i.    
         [0017]    Instant messaging client  203 - i  is a program that transmits text and audio in accordance with the instant messaging protocol and in the manner described in detail below and in the accompanying figure. 
         [0018]    Graphical user interface  204 - i  comprises a display, keyboard, and pointing device for enabling a user of data processing system  102 - i  to control data processing system  102 - i  in general and instant messaging client  203 - i  in particular. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use graphical user interface  204 - i.    
         [0019]    Microphone  205 - i  is an electro-acoustic transducer for converting an acoustic signal (e.g., speech, etc.) into an electro-magnetic representation of that acoustic signal. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use microphone  205 - i.    
         [0020]    Speaker  206 - i  is an electro-acoustic transducer for converting an electro-magnetic signal into an acoustic representation of that electro-magnetic signal. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use speaker  206 - i.    
         [0021]      FIG. 3  depicts a flow chart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0022]    At task  301 , data processing system  102 - 1 —running instant messaging client  203 - 1 —receives an acoustic signal via microphone  205 - 1 , which converts the acoustic signal into an electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal. As part of task  301 , data processing system  102 - 1  and instant messaging client  203 - 1  also receive an instruction from a user of data processing system  102 - 1  to:
       (1) transmit the electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal to data processing system  102 - 2  and output an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal to a user of data processing system  102 - 2  without requiring any action on the part of the user of data processing system  102 - 2 , and   (2) transmit the electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal to data processing system  102 - 3  and output an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal to a user of data processing system  102 - 3  without requiring any action on the part of the user of data processing system  102 - 3 .
 
From task  301 , control passes to task  302 .
       
 
         [0025]    At task  302 , data processing system  102 - 1  transmits:
       (1) the electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal to data processing system  102 - 2  and an instruction to data processing system  102 - 2  to output the acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 2 , and   (2) the electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal to data processing system  102 - 2  and an instruction to data processing system  102 - 2  to output the acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 2 .
 
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the electro-magnetic representation of the acoustic signal is transmitted in a voice-over-internet-protocol format, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention. From task  302 , control spawns both tasks  303  and  304 , which run concurrently and independently.
       
 
         [0028]    At task  303 , data processing system  102 - 2 —running instant messaging client  203 - 2 —receives the electro-magnetic signal from data processing system  102 - 1  and the instruction to output an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 2 . From Task  303 , control passes to task  305 . 
         [0029]    At task  304 , data processing system  102 - 3 —running instant messaging client  203 - 3 —receives the electro-magnetic signal from data processing system  102 - 1  and the instruction to output an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 3 . From Task  304 , control passes to task  307 . 
         [0030]    At task  305 , data processing system  102 - 2  determines if a user of instant messaging client  203 - 2  has set a “do not disturb” mode, which prevents instant messaging client  203 - 2  from outputting an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 2 . If the do-not-disturb mode is set, data processing system  102 - 1  is informed that the user of instant messaging client  203 - 2  cannot be disturbed and control does not proceed to task  306 ; otherwise control proceeds to task  306 . 
         [0031]    At task  306 , instant messaging client  203 - 2  directs data processing system  102 - 2  to output the acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action by a user of data processing system  102 - 2 . 
         [0032]    At task  307 , data processing system  102 - 3  determines if a user of instant messaging client  203 - 3  has set a “do not disturb” mode, which prevents instant messaging client  203 - 3  from outputting an acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action on the part of a user of data processing system  102 - 3 . If the do-not-disturb mode is set, data processing system  102 - 1  is informed that the user of instant messaging client  203 - 3  cannot be disturbed and control does not proceed to task  308 ; otherwise control proceeds to task  308 . 
         [0033]    At task  308 , instant messaging client  203 - 3  directs data processing system  102 - 3  to output the acoustic representation of the electro-magnetic signal without any action by a user of data processing system  102 - 3 . 
         [0034]    It is to be understood that the disclosure teaches just one example of the illustrative embodiment and that many variations of the invention can easily be devised by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure and that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the following claims.