Patent ID: 8793383

Claim:
In a communication service that establishes communication sessions between users communicatively coupled to the service, a method for transferring a communication session, the method comprising: establishing a processor-implemented real-time communication session between a second user and a first user both communicatively coupled to the service, the second user having a second handle and the first user having a first handle; receiving at least one message from the second user for delivery to the first user; delivering the at least one message from the second user to the first user; receiving a transfer request from the first user to transfer the communication session to a third user communicatively coupled to the communication service but not enabled to review ongoing communications between the first user and the second user; transferring at least a partial history of the communication session to the third user; establishing, responsive to receipt of the transfer request and prior to submission of an acceptance indicator by the third user, a connection between the third user and the communication session, the connection enabling the third user to review ongoing communications between the first user and the second user; receiving, via an instant messaging protocol, the acceptance indicator from the third user; and transferring, responsive to receiving the acceptance indicator from the third user, the communication session from the first user to the third user, the transferring comprising: reconfiguring the connection between the third user and the communication session to enable communications between the second user and the third user via the communications session; and disconnecting the first user from the communication session.