Patent ID: 7590699

Claim:
A method implemented by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, wherein each computing device of the plurality of computing devices comprises a processor and memory, the method comprising: receiving, by the first client of a plurality of clients that participate in an instant messaging session, a search query from a second client of the plurality of clients that participate in the instant messaging session; upon receipt of the search query, displaying of a notification to a user of the first client, the notification indicating that the search query has been requested and permitting the user to accept or decline execution of a search; presenting search options via a pop-up menu that is displayed in response to a right-click input, wherein the search options comprise: (i) searching near a location of at least one of a plurality of clients that participate in the instant messaging session; (ii) searching near another client location that participates in the instant messaging session; (iii) searching between the a location of at least one of the plurality of the clients that participate in the instant messaging session and another client location that participates in the instant messaging session; and (iv) searching near a particular location that is specified by the at least one of the plurality of the clients that participate in the instant messaging session or another client that participates in the instant messaging session; if the user of the first client permits execution of the search, executing the search using the search query and a selected search option; receiving a search result for output by at least one of the plurality of clients during the instant messaging session.