Patent ID: 7363344

Claim:
A method for post delivery instant message redirection when logged onto an instant messaging (IM) system from a first device having a first media access control address and subsequently logging onto the IM system from a second device having a second media access control address, the method comprising: transmitting an instant message from a sender to a recipient at the first media access control (MAC) address of the recipient, such that the instant message has been delivered to the first MAC address; determining if the instant message transmitted from the sender to the recipient is received by the recipient, wherein the determination comprises at least one of: receiving a notification that the recipient is typing in a chat window; and receiving a notification, that the chat window of the recipient has been closed; recognizing that: the second device of the recipient is logged onto the IM system, no notification has been received indicating that the recipient is typing in the chat window, and no notification has been received indicating that the chat window of the recipient has been closed; retransmitting the instant message to the second MAC address of the recipient in response to receiving a notification of a change in the first MAC address of the recipient to the second MAC address of the recipient before the notification that the recipient is typing in the chat window and before the notification that the chat window has been closed; wherein the retransmitting step comprises resending the instant message from the first device of the recipient to the second device of the recipient in response to the recognizing step; wherein the first device is automatically logged off in response to the second device being logged onto the IM system; and wherein the instant message is not read on the first device before the first device is logged off the IM system.