Abstract:
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for facilitating real-time instant messaging among a group of people. In one embodiment, the instant messages are clustered around a theme, such as a picture, a graphic or even bit mapped data. The common theme acts as a marker, and messages are accumulated around that marker for distribution to a group of people associated with that marker. In one embodiment, the messages are transient in nature and thus have no permanency in any database.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is related to concurrently filed, co-pending, and commonly-assigned: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/690,582, filed Mar. 23, 2007 and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING APPLICATION UPDATES ACROSS A WIRELESS INTERFACE”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/690,591, filed Mar. 23, 2007 and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COORDINATING THE UPDATING OF APPLICATIONS ON A COMPUTING DEVICE;” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to electronic messaging systems and more particularly to systems and methods for controlling group messaging. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the widespread availability of electronic networks came the advent of electronic mail (e-mail). Communication phenomenon in the digital world has gone from e-mail to instant messaging to chat. Text messaging, especially among mobile device users, is now extremely popular. Messaging formats tend to be point to point and sequential in nature. Thus, when a soccer coach needs to inform the team that a game is delayed an hour, the coach must either use an e-mail system where he/she has a pre-defined list or must text message each player individually. 
     The problem is compounded when a group of people are trying to decide on a movie or where to meet for dinner. Each has an idea of what he/she would like to see, and it would be nice if each could see the comments of the others without resorting to e-mail accounts. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to systems and methods for facilitating real-time instant messaging among a group of people. In one embodiment, the instant messages are clustered around a theme, such as a picture, a graphic or even bit mapped data. The common theme acts as a marker, and messages are accumulated around that marker for distribution to a group of people associated with that marker. In one embodiment, the messages are transient in nature and thus have no permanency in any database. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a system for controlling the association of a common theme with messages for delivery to devices; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a user&#39;s display showing a message tile in preparation for sending; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a user&#39;s display showing the arrival of a message, all in accordance with one aspect of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows one embodiment  10  of a system for controlling the association of information with messages for delivery to devices, such as to devices  13 - 1  to  13 -N. Devices  13 - 1  to  13 N can be any type of device capable of handling electronic communication whether wireline or wireless. In one embodiment, these devices can be cellular telephones interacting with server  11 . 
     Server  11  maintains a number of message queues,  12 - 1  to  12 N that correspond to messages that are to be delivered to or which have come from a particular device. As shown, the messages in queue  12 - 1  are associated with device  13 - 1 , etc. The message queue is in one embodiment, a directory, or directories, on a file server, stored, for example, in memory  11 - 2  under control of processor  11 - 1 . The server runs an application (not shown) which controls the addressing. Thus, when a message is sent from device  13 - 1  to any other device (such as to device  13 - 2  or  13 -N), the server will copy that message into the appropriate message queue for the proper recipient. For example, if a message is sent from device  13 - 1  to device  13 - 2  and to device  13 -N, the server will take that message and copy the message into the message queue for devices  13 - 2  and  13 -N. Message queues  12 - 1  through  12 -N represent messages in transit and when they are received by the respective device, they are then taken out of the queue and only then exist on the respective devices. Thus, these messages are not persistent. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment  20  of a user&#39;s display showing a message tile, such as tile  21  in preparation for sending a message. Tile  21  is a visual image of something; a picture, a graphic, a video, anything that can be displayed. In the example, tile  21  carries the fanciful image of a crown. This image then becomes the marker around which messages can become temporarily associated. When the user selects tile  21 , perhaps by pressing button S ( 21 - 1 ) on the top of the display, the tile zooms or enlarges as shown by tile  201 . 
     In the expanded view of tile  201 , there is now shown (in association with the image of the crown) a TO: box  201 - 1  and a MESSAGE: box  201 - 2  and a SEND button  201 - 3 . The user would enter the intended message recipients by either phone numbers or a special ID (called herein the ZZID). The user then adds, by typing, voice activation, pasting of a file, etc, a message. When the message is entered, send button  201 - 3  becomes enabled. 
     When the user presses the send button, a snapshot of the image of tile  21  is taken. The snapshot, together with the attached message is sent to server  11 , together with the list of desired recipients. As discussed with respect to  FIG. 1 , the message is then copied into the corresponding in-box for the desired recipients. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment  30  of a user&#39;s display, such as display  130  on device  13 - 2  showing the arrival of a message, all in accordance with one aspect of the invention. When the message tile arrives, the user is notified, for example, by flashing receive light  301 - 2 . When the user touches that light (or otherwise signals that he/she desires to see the available messages) the message display expands, as shown by display  31 , such that all available messages are listed, each associated with a marker image. In this example, image  31 - 1  shows that the crown marker has arrived. This then tells the user that the chain of messages associated with the crown has a new message for the user. By touching the image (or otherwise signifying that the user desires to see the message) message  31 - 1  expands as shown by image  21 ′ and message  302  is visible. 
     Note that in view  31  of  FIG. 3  several message threads appear, each associated with a different marker. Each marker can have a different group of users associated therewith, and this user set changes with each message chain that is created. If desired, some markers can have permanent users assigned, such that, for example, a soccer ball can have only the soccer team associated therewith. 
     Note that while we have been discussing the marker as a picture, etc, the marker can be an application. Thus, when the marker arrives, the application associated with the marker also arrives and is then usable by the recipient device. Thus, the code that arrives with the message can be loaded onto the recipient device under control of the recipient user. Note that the code could be music, a file, or an application usable from the device. These applications then can be easily exchanged between users. 
     Each of the recipient users then could reply to the message and the reply would go back to server  11  and then copied for delivery to each of the other users and to any new user added by any of the original recipient users. 
     In some situations, a designated recipient might not have the facility on his/her device to handle the messaging. In such a case, server  11  would know this and could, if desired, either download, or offer to download, the application so that the recipient is able to open and respond to his/her group messages. In one embodiment, the operations in the device are controlled by machine executable code running under control of, for example, processor  11 - 1 . 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.