Patent ID: 7953844

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a device that is connected to a network, the computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for: facilitating discovery of the device by a control point that is also connected to the network; transmitting a device description associated with the device to the control point, wherein the device description comprises a pointer to a description of an instant messaging remote control service; and transmitting the description of the instant messaging remote control service to the control point, wherein: the instant messaging remote control service permits a user of the control point to send instant messages from the control point via a software instant messaging client using an instant messaging account of the user, the control point does not include any part of the instant messaging client, the remote control instant messaging service and the instant messaging client are both on the device and not the control point, the description of the instant messaging remote control service defines an action for remotely controlling the instant messaging client and an evented state variable that models a state of the instant messaging client, wherein: the description of the instant messaging remote control service is an XML file, the XML file comprises an <actionList> element and a <serviceStateTable> element, the <actionList> element comprises a plurality of <action> elements that define actions to be performed by the instant messaging client, the plurality of <action> elements comprise a login action, a logoff action, a send message action, and a set status action, the <serviceStateTable> element comprises a plurality of <stateVariable> elements, and the plurality of <stateVariable> elements comprise state, username, password, send status, recipient, message, status, and received message, the instant messaging client on the device permits a user to send instant messages from the device by accessing the instant messaging client without using the instant messaging remote control service.