Patent Publication Number: US-2007124386-A1

Title: Method for regulating instant messaging traffic

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      1. Field  
      The subject matter hereof relates generally to a messaging solution for stationary computers such as PCs and mobile stations such as cell phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, handheld computers, laptop computers, and other mobile electronic devices (such stationary computers and mobile stations sometimes collectively referred to herein as computing devices), and more particularly, to a method for regulating message traffic in an instant messaging system utilized by computing devices, particularly mobile stations.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Instant messaging (IM) is a service (typically subscription based) that alerts computer (such as a PC) or mobile station users when another individual, such as a friend or colleague, running a compatible instant messaging application is online (meaning they are logged in to the service and using the instant messaging application) and allows them to send messages to each other in real time, without the store-and-forward delays inherent in an electronic mail solution. With instant messaging, each user creates a list of other users, commonly referred to as a contact list or a buddy list, with whom he or she wishes to communicate. An instant messaging server keeps track of the online status of each of its subscribed users (often referred to as presence information), and when a user is online and someone from a user&#39;s contact list is also online, the server alerts that user and enables immediate contact with the other user.  
      In an instant messaging system, each user has a client application that resides on his or her computer or mobile station. When a user desires to engage in instant messaging, he or she activates the instant messaging client application. The client application then establishes a connection to the instant messaging server, at which time the user must log in by providing identification and password information. Once logged in (meaning the server has verified the identification and password information), the client application sends to the instant messaging server connection information for the computing device being used (including the IP address of the device and the port assigned to the instant messaging client application) and the names of the other users on the user&#39;s contact list. The instant messaging server then creates a temporary file for the user that includes the connection and contact list information, and checks whether any of the other users on the user&#39;s contact list are currently logged in. If the instant messaging server determines that any of the contacts on the list are currently logged in, it sends a message back to the user&#39;s client application that includes the connection information for each contact that is logged in (informing the user that those contacts are online or “present”). The instant messaging server also sends a message to each of the user&#39;s contacts that are logged in that includes the user&#39;s connection information (thereby informing those contacts that the user is now online or “present”). The user is now able to send “instant messages” to and receive “instant messages” from each logged in contact from their contact list through the instant messaging server. In addition, because all of the logged in user&#39;s have each other&#39;s connection information, files may be exchanged directly between users, without going through the instant messaging server.  
      During the time that any user is logged in to the instant messaging service, the user will receive a message from the instant messaging server any time that a contact on the user&#39;s contact list that was previously offline logs in. Similarly, whenever a user logs off, the user&#39;s instant messaging client application sends a message to the instant messaging server to terminate the session. The instant messaging server then sends a message to each of the logged in contacts on the user&#39;s contact list to inform them that the user is no longer online (“not present”). Also, the user, while logged in, will receive a message from the instant messaging server each time a contact that was logged in logs off.  
      Thus, in an instant messaging system, presence information is constantly being updated and exchanged by way of frequent messages between the server and each of the users. These frequent messages, which increase network traffic, are problematic for wireless networks because the bandwidth of a wireless network is very limited and the cost of data exchange is very high. This problem is further compounded by the reduction of mobile station battery life resulting from the frequent transmission messages to keep track of presence information, contact lists and contact status. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      A full understanding can be gained from the following Description of the Preferred Embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an instant messaging system;  
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing a method of regulating messaging traffic according to a preferred embodiment; and  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing a method of regulating messaging traffic according to an alternative embodiment.  
    
    
      Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Provided is a method of regulating message traffic in an instant messaging system having a plurality of users that reduces message traffic and helps mobile stations to conserve battery power. The method includes determining whether an event prompting an instant messaging related message for one of the users has occurred, and determining whether an information send trigger has occurred if it is determined that the event has occurred. The method further includes updating a store of accumulated instant messaging related information, such as presence information for the other users on the user&#39;s contact list, for that user based on the event if it is determined that the information send trigger has not occurred, and updating the store of accumulated instant messaging related information for the user based on the event and sending a message based on the updated store of accumulated instant messaging related information to the user if it is determined that the information send trigger has occurred. In one embodiment, the information send trigger will be determined to have occurred when the user is not in an idle state and will be determined to have not occurred when the user is in an idle state. In another embodiment, the information send trigger will be determined to have occurred when a transmission timer has reached an established threshold and will be determined to have not occurred if the transmission timer is below the established threshold. Preferably, the method further includes clearing the store of accumulated instant messaging related information each time the user logs in to the instant messaging system. As a result, instant messaging traffic is reduced because messages are sent to users only when they are not idle. The reduction in traffic is especially advantageous for wireless networks, as they have limited bandwidth.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an instant messaging system  5  described herein. System  5  includes a plurality of mobiles stations  10 , such as mobile stations  10 A and  10 B shown in  FIG. 1 , which may be any type of wireless mobile electronic communications device such as a cell phone, PDA, pager, handheld computer, or laptop computer, to name a few. As is known, each mobile station  10  may be provided with various applications, including, without limitation, one or more communications applications, such as a wireless telephone application, an email application, or a short message service (SMS) application. In addition, each mobile station  10  is provided with an instant messaging client application that enables the user to engage in instant messaging sessions with other similarly equipped users as described above. The term “application” as used herein shall include one or more programs, routines, subroutines, function calls or other type of software or firmware and the like, alone or in combination.  
      System  5  also includes wireless network  15 , which may be any wireless communications network or combination of interconnected networks, including, without limitation, Mobiltex™, DataTAC™, AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, GSM/GPRS, PCS, EDGE, UMTS or CDPD. As is known, wireless network  15  includes a plurality of base stations that perform radio frequency (RF) protocols to support data and voice exchanges with, for example, other mobile stations  10 . In turn, wireless network  15  is connected to communications network  20  such as the Internet, thereby enabling communication between mobile stations  10  and other devices that are also connected to communications network  20 .  
      As seen in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of other computing devices, such as stationary PCs  25 A and  25 B, are also connected to communications network  20 . Like mobile stations  10 A and  10 B, each stationary PC  25  is provided with an instant messaging client application that enables the user to engage in instant messaging sessions with other similarly equipped users as described above.  
      IM server  30 , which may be any type of known instant messaging hardware/software server system, is also connected to communications network  20 . Each mobile station  10  and PC  25  is able to communicate electronically with IM server  30  and with one another through communications network  20  in a known manner. Thus, instant messaging system  5  enables any one mobile station  10  or PC  25  to engage in instant messaging with any other mobile station  10  or PC  25  utilizing the service provided by IM server  30 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart is provided that shows a method of regulating the flow of message traffic in instant messaging system  5  according to a preferred embodiment. This method, as described in greater detail below, reduces wireless traffic resulting from instant messaging and helps to preserve battery power for mobile stations such as mobile stations  10 . IM server  30  is provided with and executes one or more routines for implementing the method shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      The method begins at step  100 , where an instant messaging user (preferably a user of a mobile station  10 , but also possibly a user of a PC  25  or any other computing device connected to communications network  20 ) establishes a connection to the IM server  30  and logs in by providing identification and password information. The user&#39;s instant messaging client application also sends the user&#39;s connection and contact list information to the IM server  30 . IM server  30  then performs various log in related functions. Specifically, IM server  30  creates a temporary file for the user that includes the connection and contact list information, and checks whether any of the other users on the user&#39;s contact list are currently logged in. If the IM server  30  determines that any of the contacts on the list are currently logged in, it sends a message back to the user&#39;s client application, through communications network  20  and possibly wireless network  15 , which includes the connection information for each contact that is logged in. The IM server  30  also sends a message that includes the user&#39;s connection information to each of the logged in contacts through communications network  20  and possibly wireless network  15 .  
      Under certain circumstances, described below, IM server  30 , according to one aspect, is adapted to accumulate and store, in an associated memory, certain instant messaging related information for the users that are registered with IM server  30  (rather than transmit such information to the users as would be the normal procedure). Such instant messaging related information may include, without limitation, the presence status (online or offline) of the contacts (other users) that are on the user&#39;s contact list. As is known, the presence status may include specific messages that describe what the other users are doing (e.g., busy, out to lunch, listening to a particular song, and other manually entered descriptions).  
      Referring again to  FIG. 2 , at step  105 , IM server  30  resets (clears) the store of accumulated instant messaging related information for the user that just logged in, in effect providing a clean slate for the user for the current session. Next, at step  110 , the IM server  30  determines whether an event has occurred that would, according to the instant messaging protocol being utilized, normally prompt an IM related message for the user. For example, if a contact on the user&#39;s contact list changes his or her presence status (i.e., logs in and is thus online or logs off and is thus offline), a message is normally sent to the user&#39;s client application through communications network  20  and possibly wireless network  15  notifying the user of this status change. If the answer at step  110  is no, meaning no such event has occurred, then the method returns to step  110  (to in effect continuously monitor the occurrence of events prompting an IM related message for the user). If, however, the answer at step  110  is yes, then, at step  115 , IM server  30  determines whether the user is currently in an idle state, meaning that the user is not actively using the mobile station  10  or PC  25 . In particular, the client application provided on each mobile station  10  and PC  25 . In particular, the client application provided on each mobile station  10  and PC  25  monitors the length of time during which a user is not actively using the keyboard, keypad or other input device of the mobile station  10  or PC  25 , and if that time exceeds a threshold amount, the client application causes a message to be sent to the IM Server  30  indicating that the user is in an idle state. The IM server  30  stores the user&#39;s state as being idle until such time that a signal is received from the client application indicating that the user is no longer idle (i.e., has started to actively use the device again). If the answer is yes, meaning that the user is currently idle, then, at step  120 , the accumulated and stored IM related information for the user is updated based on the event from step  110  to further include information relating thereto (i.e., the information that normally would be sent to the user). As will be appreciated, the initial update will be to a reset (empty) store of accumulated information. Note that, according to one aspect, the event based IM related information is not, at this point, sent to the user since the user was determined to be idle. Instead, it is accumulated for later transmission to the user as described below. The method then returns to step  110 . If, however, the answer at step  115  is no, meaning the user is not idle, then, at step  125 , the store of accumulated IM related information for the user is updated based on the event from step  110  to further include information relating thereto, and, at step  130 , a message based on same or the entirety of the store of accumulated IM related information (as just updated) is sent to the user&#39;s instant messaging client application. For example, during the period in which the user is idle, one of the contacts on the user&#39;s contact list may change presence status a number of times (e.g., go from online to offline to online). In such a case, only the latest presence status need be sent to the user when the user is no longer idle. As will be appreciated, this may be implemented in Step  125 , wherein the updating step includes replacing existing presence status information for a contact with new status information for the contact when a status change occurs.  
      Thus, instead of repeatedly sending instant messaging related information, such as presence information, to each user regardless of whether the user is idle, such information is accumulated by IM server  30  if the user is in an idle state, and is not delivered to the user until the user is no longer idle. As such, this greatly reduces IM related network traffic and helps to conserve battery power in the case of mobile stations  10 . As will be appreciated, during the time that a user is idle, one of the user&#39;s contacts may change presence status several times (i.e., move form online to offline to online again), and there is reason that the user needs to know this while idle. In the prior art, a message would be sent to the user upon each state change, even if the user is idle, which creates unnecessary network traffic. The preferred embodiment herein avoids the creation of unnecessary network traffic by only sending messages when they are meaningful to the user (i.e., when they are not idle).  
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart that shows a method of regulating the flow of message traffic in instant messaging system  5  according to an alternative embodiment. The method shown in  FIG. 3  differs from the method shown in  FIG. 2  in that, instead of accumulating IM information while the user is idle and then providing accumulated IM information to the user when the user is no longer idle ( FIG. 2 ), the method in  FIG. 3  accumulates and stores IM information for predetermined periods of time and then sends accumulated IM information to the user periodically to cut down on message traffic in the system  5 . Thus,  FIG. 3  differs from  FIG. 2  in that steps  105 ′,  115 ′ and  130 ′ have replaced steps  105 ,  115 ,  130 . Specifically, step  105 ′ further includes resetting a transmission timer, step  115 ′ includes determining whether the transmission timer has reached an established threshold value (the desired time for accumulating messages), and step  130 ′ includes resetting the transmission timer each time that IM information is sent to the user.  
       FIGS. 2 and 3  thus provide methods that reduce message traffic by accumulating IM information until such time that it is determined that an information send trigger has occurred. In  FIG. 2 , that trigger is the user being in a non-idle state, and in  FIG. 3 , that trigger is the passage of a predetermined amount of time since the last transmission. Other information send triggers are also possible without departing from the scope hereof  
      Alternative embodiments of the system  5  shown in  FIG. 1  may include one or more additional servers to provide additional functionality. For example, an intermediate server may be provided between the wireless network  15  and the IM server  30  to convert the protocol to a protocol suitable for wireless. An intermediate server may also be provided between any client (a mobile station  10  or a PC  25 ) and the IM server  30  to log or audit traffic. It should be understood that the methods shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  may be implemented in any such intermediate server instead of the IM server  30 .  
      While specific embodiments have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to scope, which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.