Patent US20040189698A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.

US20040189698A1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Instant messaging to service bureau

Assignee: Nortel Networks Ltd

•

Filing: 2003-03-26

•

Granted: —

•

Expires: 2023-03-26

📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to facilitating instant messaging with an information service bureau, such as an operator or information service bureau or customer support center that has multiple information agents capable of responding to instant messages sent to a common address associated with the information service bureau. The incoming instant messages are received from users at a central location and routed to an appropriate information agent, preferably after being queued and upon an information agent becoming available. Any necessary address translation to forward the instant message to the appropriate information agent is provided at the central location. Responses to the instant message can be sent back through the central location or directly to the user; however, the instant message responses are either created or modified such that they appear to the user as coming from the central address, and not from the address of the particular servicing information agent.

Inventors

👤 Bruce Bokish

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction US

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 04:45

CPC Classifications

H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M7/00; H04M7/0024; H04M7/0042; H04M7/0045; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/04; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 34

Claim 1

Independent Claim 65 words

1 . A method facilitating instant messaging with an information service bureau having a plurality of information agents, the method comprising: a) receiving first instant messages directed to a common address from a plurality of users, the common address to be used by the plurality of users seeking information from the information service bureau; and b) routing the first instant messages to selected information agents.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 65 words

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: a) placing the first instant messages in a queue; b) determining when ones of the information agents become available; and c) sending the first instant messages to selected ones of the information agents as they become available.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 43 words

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of users are associated with a plurality of priority levels and each of the first instant messages is placed in the queue based on a corresponding one of the plurality of priority levels.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 56 words

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein for at least one of the first instant messages, further comprising identifying a desired one of the plurality of information agents from the one of the first instant messages and routing the one of the first instant messages to the desired one of the plurality of information agents.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 62 words

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein for at least one of the first instant messages, further comprising determining a type of information being sought from the one of the first instant messages and routing the one of the first instant messages to one of the plurality of information agents, which is capable of providing the type of information being sought.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 85 words

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising for each of the first instant messages: a) creating a session associated with a corresponding user, which is one of the plurality of users, wherein the first instant message was routed to a select information agent, which is one of the plurality of information agents; b) receiving subsequent messages directed to the common address from the user; c) associating the subsequent messages with the session; and d) routing the subsequent messages to the select information agent.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein when each of the first instant messages are queued prior to being routed to the select information agent, the subsequent messages are routed to the select information agent without being queued.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

8 . The method of claim 6 further comprising terminating the session, wherein after the session is terminated, a subsequent message from the user triggers creation of a new session.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the session is terminated after a defined period of time.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a terminate session message from the select information agent, wherein the session is terminated upon receiving the terminate session message.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 34 words

11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the addressing of the first instant messages to facilitate routing of the first instant messages to the plurality of information agents using instant messaging.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving second messages from the information agents in response to the first messages and sending the second messages to the respective plurality of users.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 38 words

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein second instant messages to the respective plurality of users from the information agents in response to the first messages are sent directly to the plurality of users using instant messaging.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein subsequent instant messages sent from the plurality of users after the first instant messages are sent directly to the information agents.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

15 . The method of claim 13 further comprising: a) receiving subsequent messages directed to the common address from the plurality of users; and b) routing the subsequent messages to the information agents.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 38 words

16 . The method of claim 1 further comprising sending objects to the plurality of users, each object adapted to modify messages received from the information agents to appear as if they were sent from the common address.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 90 words

17 . A system facilitating instant messaging with an information service bureau having a plurality of information agents, the method comprising: a) at least one interface facilitating instant messaging; and b) at least one control system associated with the at least one interface and adapted to: i) receive first instant messages directed to a common address from a plurality of users, the common address to be used by the plurality of users seeking information from the information service bureau; and ii) route the first instant messages to selected information agents.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 90 words

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 54 words

18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to: a) place the first instant messages in a queue; b) determine when ones of the information agents become available; and c) send the first instant messages to selected ones of the information agents as they become available.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 43 words

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the plurality of users are associated with a plurality of priority levels and each of the first instant messages is placed in the queue based on a corresponding one of the plurality of priority levels.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 63 words

20 . The system of claim 17 wherein for at least one of the first instant messages, the at least one control system is adapted to identify a desired one of the plurality of information agents from the one of the first instant messages and route the one of the first instant messages to the desired one of the plurality of information agents.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 69 words

21 . The system of claim 17 wherein for at least one of the first instant messages, the at least one control system is adapted to determine a type of information being sought from the one of the first instant messages and route the one of the first instant messages to one of the plurality of information agents, which is capable of providing the type of information being sought.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 93 words

22 . The system of claim 17 wherein for each of the first instant messages, the at least one control system is adapted to: a) create a session associated with a corresponding user, which is one of the plurality of users, wherein the first instant message was routed to a select information agent, which is one of the plurality of information agents; b) receive subsequent messages directed to the common address from the user; c) associate the subsequent messages with the session; and d) route the subsequent messages to the select information agent.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 39 words

23 . The system of claim 22 wherein when each of the first instant messages are queued prior to being routing to the select information agent, the subsequent messages are routed to the select information agent without being queued.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 39 words

24 . The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to terminate the session, such that after the session is terminated, a subsequent message from the user triggers creation of a new session.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 18 words

25 . The system of claim 24 wherein the session is terminated after a defined period of time.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 39 words

26 . The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to receive a terminate session message from the select information agent, such that the session is terminated upon receiving the terminate session message.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 41 words

27 . The system.of claim 17 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to modify the addressing of the first instant messages to facilitate routing of the first instant messages to the plurality of information agents using instant messaging.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 41 words

28 . The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to receive second messages from the information agents in response to the first messages and send the second messages to the respective plurality of users.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 38 words

29 . The system of claim 17 wherein second instant messages to the respective plurality of users from the information agents in response to the first messages are sent directly to the plurality of users using instant messaging.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 29 words

30 . The system of claim 29 wherein subsequent instant messages sent from the plurality of users after the first instant messages are sent directly to the information agents.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 41 words

31 . The system of claim 29 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to: a) receive subsequent messages directed to the common address from the plurality of users; and b) route the subsequent messages to the information agents.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 46 words

32 . The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one control system is adapted to send objects to the plurality of users, each object adapted to modify messages received from the information agents to appear as if they were sent from the common address.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US6650747B1 Cited

US20020131399A1 Cited

US6801520B2 Cited

US6934379B2 Cited

US6654459B1 Cited

US6301609B1 Cited

US6691162B1 Cited

US6956941B1 Cited

US6822945B2 Cited

US20020055975A1 Cited

US7032007B2 Cited

US7072643B2 Cited

US20040064512A1 Cited

US7050566B2 Cited

US7062031B2 Cited

US7085367B1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag

Select Category

Notes (Optional)