Abstract:
A method of enabling a user of an instant messaging client to forward an audio recording to another person via his or her instant messaging client is disclosed. The recipient&#39;s instant messaging client then inquires whether the recipient would like to hear the audio recording immediately. If the recipient answers yes, then the audio recording is played for the recipient through the instant messaging client. In contrast, if the user answers no, or is “unavailable,” or does not answer at all, the instant messaging client forwards the audio recording a voice mailbox associated with the recipient for later retrieval in well-known fashion via a telephone. This invention is particularly advantageous when the recipient is engaged in a telephone call when the audio recording arrives because it enables the recipient to hear the message immediately and without having to access the voice mail system while engaged in call.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to instant messaging and voice mail systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     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. 
     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 
     The present invention provides a method of integrating instant messaging clients and voice mail systems without some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. For example, the illustrative embodiment enables a user of an instant messaging client to forward an audio recording such as a voice memo to another person via his or her instant messaging client. The recipient&#39;s instant messaging client then inquires whether the recipient would like to hear the audio recording immediately much in the way that an instant messaging client can prompt a user to accept a file that is being sent to them. If the recipient accepts, then the audio recording is downloaded and played for the recipient through a plug-in user interface in the instant messaging client. In contrast, if the user declines, or is “unavailable,” or does not respond, the instant messaging client forwards the audio recording to the voice mailbox associated with the recipient for later retrieval in a well-known fashion via a telephone or other voicemail user interface. This invention is particularly advantageous when the recipient is engaged in a telephone call when the audio recording arrives because it enables the recipient to hear the message immediately and without having to access the voice mail system while engaged in call. 
     The illustrative embodiment comprises: recording an audio recording on the first data processing system; initiating a telephone call between a second user and a third user via the Public Switched Telephone System; transmitting the audio recording via the first instant messaging client on the first data processing system to the second user via a second instant messaging client on the second data processing system; and playing the audio recording for the second user via the second data processing system while the second user is engaged with the telephone call with the third user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
         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. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a flow chart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of task  302 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of the salient components of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Telecommunications system  100  comprises: the users  101 - 1  through  101 - 3 , data processing systems  102 - 1  through  102 - 3 , telephones  103 - 1  through  103 - 3 , voice mail system  104 , the Internet  110 , and the Public Switched Telephone Network  111 , interconnected as shown. 
     Although the illustrative embodiment depicts three users, three data processing systems, and three telephones 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 users, data processing systems, and telephones. 
     User  101 -i, wherein i is a member of the set { 1 ,  2 ,  3 }, is a natural person and a user of data processing system  102 -i and telephone  103 -i. 
     Data processing system  102 -i comprises hardware and software for performing the tasks described in detail 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  110  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  110  via a wireless connection. 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. 
     Telephone  103 -i comprises hardware and software for performing the tasks described in detail below and in the accompanying figures. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, each of telephones  103 - 1 ,  103 - 2 , and  103 - 3  are connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network  111  via a wireline connection using the tip-ring protocol, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which any or all of telephones are connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network via a wireless connection or a different protocol. 
     Voice mail system  104  comprises hardware and software for receiving, storing, forwarding, and playing voice mail messages as described below and in the accompanying figures. It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use voice mail system  104 . 
     The Internet  110  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 and voice mail system  104  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.) to connected the data processing systems and voice mail system  104 . 
     The Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”)  111  is the ubiquitous circuit-switched telephone network and it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to extend and use the Public Switched Telephone Network. Although the illustrative embodiment uses the Public Switched Telephone Network as the communications network through which the telephones and voice mail system  104  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 Internet, a wireless network, an IBM SNA network, etc.) to connected the data processing systems and voice mail system  104 . 
       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. 
     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. 
     Memory  202 -i is a non-volatile storage, as is well known in the 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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, tasks  301  and  302  are performed concurrently, 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 either task  301  or task  302  is performed first. 
     At task  301 , user  101 - 2  initiates a telephone call with user  101 - 3  via telephones  103 - 2  and  103 - 3  and Public Switched Telephone Network  111 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to perform task  301 . 
     At task  302 , user  101 - 1  records an audio recording and transmits it to users  101 - 2  and  101 - 3 . Task  302  is described in detail below and in the accompanying figure. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a flow chart of the salient tasks associated with the performance of task  302 . 
     At task  401 , user  101 - 1 , who is using data processing system  102 - 1  and instant messaging client  203 - 1 , records an audio recording in well-known fashion. 
     At task  402 , user  101 - 1 , uses instant messaging client  203 - 1  to transmit the audio recording via the Internet  110  to instant messaging client  203 - 2  on data processing system  102 - 2  and to instant messaging client  203 - 3  on data processing system  102 - 3 . 
     At task  403 - 1 , instant messaging client  203 - 2  receives the audio recording from instant messaging client  203 - 1 , and at task  403 - 2 , instant messaging client  203 - 3  receives the audio recording from instant messaging client  203 - 1 . 
     At task  404 - 1 , instant messaging client  203 - 2  notifies user  101 - 2  of the arrival of the audio recording and user  101 - 2  decides whether or not to accept the audio recording. When user  101 - 2  accepts the audio recording—meaning that user  101 - 2  desires to hear the audio recording immediately—control passes to task  405 - 1 . In contrast, when user  101 - 2  does not accept the audio recording—either because he or she explicitly denies it, or because he or she does not respond in a timely manner to the inquiry—control passes to task  406 - 1 . Because user  101 - 2  is engaged in the telephone call with user  101 - 3 , it is likely that user  101 - 2  will not accept the audio recording. 
     At task  404 - 2 , instant messaging client  203 - 3  notifies user  101 - 3  of the arrival of the audio recording and user  101 - 3  decides whether or not to accept the audio recording. When user  101 - 3  accepts the audio recording—meaning that user  101 - 3  desires to hear the audio recording immediately—control passes to task  405 - 2 . In contrast, when user  101 - 3  does not accept the audio recording—either because he or she explicitly denies it, or because he or she does not respond in a timely manner to the inquiry—control passes to task  406 - 2 . Because user  101 - 3  is engaged in the telephone call with user  101 - 2 , it is likely that user  101 - 3  will not accept the audio recording. 
     At task  405 - 1 , instant messaging client  203 - 2 , using data processing system  102 - 2 , plays the audio recording for user  101 - 2 . At task  405 - 2 , instant messaging client  203 - 3 , using data processing system  102 - 3 , plays the audio recording for user  101 - 3 . 
     At task  406 - 1 , instant messaging client  203 - 2  sends the audio recording to voice mail system  104  for storage in a voice mailbox associated with user  101 - 2 . At task  406 - 2 , instant messaging client  203 - 3  sends the audio recording to voice mail system  104  for storage in a voice mailbox associated with user  101 - 3 . 
     At task  407 - 1 , user  101 - 2 , using telephone  103 - 2  and Public Switched Telephone Network  111 , retrieves the audio recording from voice mail system  104  and plays the audio recording, in well-known fashion. At task  407 - 2 , user  101 - 3 , using telephone  103 - 3  and Public Switched Telephone Network  111 , retrieves the audio recording from voice mail system  104  and plays the audio recording, in well-known fashion. 
     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.