Patent ID: 8041768

Claim:
A communications method comprising: establishing a text instant messaging communication session between a sender and a recipient through an instant messaging host; facilitating a text instant message to be sent from the sender to the recipient during the session, the text instant message including message text inputted by the sender; enabling presentation of a first text instant messaging graphical user interface to the recipient that includes a display of the message text and an icon, the presentation of the first text instant messaging graphical user interface being conditioned on communication of the text instant message between the sender and the recipient; determining voice communication capabilities of the recipient at the instant messaging host; reporting the voice communication capabilities of the recipient to the sender; enabling manipulation by the recipient of the icon to invoke voice communication between the sender and the recipient through the instant messaging host based on voice communication capabilities of the recipient; and presenting a second text instant messaging interface to the sender that varies according to the capabilities of the recipient.