US 2009/0215476 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING INSTANT MESSAGES TO BE EXCHANGED BETWEEN MOBILE DEVICES

Abstract

A system and method are provided for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between mobile devices, in particular where a mobile device has access to information pertaining to another mobile device. The system enables an instant messaging application to communicate directly with the other mobile device, without requiring an initial email exchange. New contacts can be added automatically and access to other data such provided by having a mobile device access information for another mobile device. The information can be made available through a contact server of the host system common to both mobile devices thereby providing a trusted mechanism to establish the new contacts. In one example, in a PIN-to-PIN based messaging system, a global address list (GAL) look-up can be incorporated into an option for adding a new contact so that the PIN for the invitee is obtained directly and the invitation sent immediately in a PIN-to-PIN message thus not requiring an email invitation.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, said method comprising;

providing a first option on said first mobile device for initiating an instant messaging session with said second mobile device;
upon sensing selection of said first option, enabling entry of one or more characters for identifying said second mobile device;
providing a second option on said first mobile device for initiating a lookup to using said one or more characters;
upon sensing selection of said second option, providing said one or more characters in performance of said lookup;
obtaining a result list for said lookup indicating selected ones of said plurality of mobile devices being chosen according to said one or more characters and including information pertaining to said selected ones of said plurality of mobile devices, said information comprising data used to send said instant messages;
if said second mobile device is in said result list, enabling selection of said second mobile device from said result list and obtaining said data for said second mobile device;
and
sending an instant message to said second mobile device using said data.

5 more elements

A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, said computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

providing a first option on said first mobile device for initiating an instant messaging session with said second mobile device;
upon sensing selection of said first option, enabling entry of one or more characters for identifying said second mobile device;
providing a second option on said first mobile device for initiating a lookup to using said one or more characters;
upon sensing selection of said second option, providing said one or more characters in performance of said lookup;
obtaining a result list for said lookup indicating selected ones of said plurality of mobile devices being chosen according to said one or more characters and including information pertaining to said selected ones of said plurality of mobile devices, said information comprising data used to send said instant messages;
if said second mobile device is in said result list, enabling selection of said second mobile device from said result list and obtaining said data for said second mobile device;
and
sending an instant message to said second mobile device using said data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between mobile devices

Life of this patent

System and method for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between mobile devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24