Patent Application
20090150499
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to communication via electronic devices, and more particularly to a method for sharing information over instant messaging networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instant messaging has become a central feature of modern life, and users have come to expect to receive electronic instant messages at any time and in virtually any place. For example, during the course of one day of travel, a user may receive instant messages at a home desktop computer in the early morning, an office desktop computer in midmorning, via a cell phone or personal digital assistant in a taxi on the way to the airport, on a laptop computer via a wireless local area network while waiting in the airport lounge, via an in-flight telephone on the airplane, and in a hotel room via a high-speed Internet connection provided by the hotel at the end of the day. The ease of use of instant messaging (IM) has led to the usage of IM for nearly any type of correspondence, file and application sharing and collaboration.
Embodiments of the present invention include a method for sharing information in applications via instant messaging (IM), wherein the method includes: receiving a representation of an item in a first IM window on a sending device; recording metadata associated with the item with a sending plugin; sending the item and the associated recorded metadata to one or more receiving devices; receiving the item and the associated recorded metadata in a second IM window at the one or more receiving devices; opening the item with a receiving plugin; and wherein in response to the associated metadata the receiving plugin determines how to position and display information from the item; wherein the item is one or more of the following: a uniform resource locator (URL) and files generated with application software; and wherein the application software comprises word processors, spreadsheets, planning and scheduling, presentation, drawing, financial, statistical, and gaming.
Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with advantages and features, refer to the description and to the drawings.
As a result of the summarized invention, a solution is technically achieved for a method and system for sharing information over instant messaging networks. Application sharing is accomplished with a file transfer mechanism and software plugins to coordinate document navigation and highlighting.
The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Existing instant messaging (IM) systems allow for the sharing of information between remote users over a network. The following three scenarios for sharing information are commonly found on IM systems with a first user (User1) and a second user (User2) engaged in an IM conversation, interaction, or session. In this patent the term ‘IM window’ refers to the IM application window that is used to display a conversation between two or more users.
In a first example scenario of an existing IM interaction, User1 is sharing an Internet web page with receiving user User2. User1 selects the uniform resource locator (URL) of the web page in their browser, and copies the URL to their clipboard. User1 subsequently pastes the URL into their IM window, and clicks on the send button to send the IM to User2. Upon receiving the IM, User2 double-clicks on the URL in their IM window to display the web page. A web browser is launched, if it is not already running, and sends a request to the URL to display the web page. However in this scenario, User1 has to separately describe to User2 which part of the web page User1 is looking at.
In a second example scenario of an existing IM interaction, User1 wants to share a portable document format (PDF) item with receiving User2. User1 finds the PDF in their file system, selects the file and drags the file onto their IM window with User2, and sends the IM to User2. Subsequently, User2 accepts the file transfer to save the file on User2's file system. User2 finds the PDF file on their file system, and double-clicks on the file to start application software to display the file. However, in this scenario User1 is required to tell User2 which page they are looking at for User2 to find the same page.
Similarly in a third example scenario, User1 wants to share a spreadsheet with User2, and would have to refer to which worksheet and cell they are looking at in order for User2 to look at that particular part of the spreadsheet.
In each of the previous existing example scenarios, the originating user (User1) is required to complete multiple steps. If the file has not been saved (scenario 3 for example), the originating user would have to save the file first (even if they didn't want to) before they could send the file in an IM. In addition, positional information related to the information content, such as how far down the web page, which page in a PDF, which cell in a spreadsheet, etc., must be transmitted independently and manually by the originating user. Finally, if the originating user wants to share information with a group of people, the originating user has to repeat the aforementioned steps for each person in the group. Embodiments of the disclosed invention both reduce the number of steps involved, and also eliminate the disadvantages outlined above.
Employing embodiments of the invention, the three previously described tasks may be carried out as follows. In each scenario, the application of User1 (the originating user) is assumed to have some form of icon, which may be dragged over the IM window that displays the current IM conversation between User1 and the intended recipient, User2. In the event User1 is not already engaged in a conversation with User2, User1 can choose to drag the icon over a name or icon that represents User2 in User1's IM system.
In the first scenario for sharing a web page that was outlined above, User1 drags the icon from their web browser onto their IM window, or an IM icon that represents the recipient (User2) in the event User1 is not already engaged in a conversation with User2. Subsequently, User2 is prompted by their IM browser whether they want to see User1's URL. In response to User2 acceptance (clicking OK), the URL is displayed in their web browser. In addition, with embodiments of the invention User2's displayed web page is automatically scrolled to the same point as the web page of User1
In the second scenario for sharing a PDF, with embodiments of the current invention, User1 drags an icon from the PDF generating application onto the IM window, or an IM icon that represents the recipient (User2) in the event User1 is not already engaged in a conversation with User2. Subsequently, User2 is prompted by their IM browser whether they want to see User1's PDF. In response to User2 acceptance, a PDF viewer application is launched (if not already running) and the PDF originating from User1 is displayed and advanced to the same page as User1 has open at the time of the IM was sent.
In a similar fashion in the third scenario, the transferred spreadsheet is made available to the recipient (User2) of the IM with the same worksheet and cells highlighted as the originating sender (User1) was viewing at the time of sending the IM. It is noted that if User1 has already saved the spreadsheet, and has subsequently modified the spreadsheet without resaving prior to the IM to User2, the spreadsheet is sent as a temporary copy to User2, and User1 is not required to resave the spreadsheet. The same principle applies to any editable documents that are sent by IM with embodiments of the invention.
Embodiments of the invention provide a method for dragging a representation of the currently open document or item onto an IM window. The representation may be a draggable icon or, for example, a set of tabs in a web browser if the user wants to send more then one URL. Embodiments of the invention provide a means for recording the current position of an open document, and for saving a temporary copy of an open editable document. In addition, embodiments of the invention provide a sending plugin for an IM system that is configured to store the positional information of a document, and transmits the positional information (metadata) along with the document in the IM, and a receiving plugin that interprets the positional information, launches the appropriate application and provides the application with the positional information. Once an open document has been transmitted by the sending user, if the sending user transmits the open document again (assuming no changes have occurred to the editable item), only the positional metadata is transferred to update the receiving user's view of the same item. It is noted that if a plugin has not been written for a particular application, the receiving portion of the IM system, in embodiments of the invention, in response to the sending IM opens the application associated with a recognized file extension and supplies the application with the transferred file or content.
In embodiments of the invention, in circumstances where the sending and receiving users use different applications to perform an activity, such as spreadsheet generation, or document generation, as long as the file formats are compatible, and both applications conform to the same IM plugin application programming interface (API), the receiving IM is able to exchange both the file and positional information contained in the sending IM. An API is a source code interface that an operating system or library (sub-programs) provides to support requests for services made of the operating system or library by computer programs.
The IM system, according to embodiments of the invention, provide a basket or trolley feature where the sending user may drag multiple items, possibly from different applications, into the same basket and have them all sent to a receiving user all at once. A receiving user may then decide which of the transmitted items or files they wish to receive, and the corresponding applications are opened on the receiving computing device in order to display the items or files.
In addition, embodiments of the invention are configured for a sending user to drag an item (or items) onto an IM icon representing a group of users, to have the item(s) sent to all the users in the group. The sending user does not have to already be in an IM conversation with each of the users in the group (list of IM users).
The plugins (108, 112) are written for the applications (106, 110), and are configured to allow the applications (106, 110) to communicate with the sending IM system 116. A plug-in for an application may make a special icon available in the hosting application. When the sending user clicks and holds on this icon and then drags it to an IM window displaying a conversation with someone else, the sending user is indicating to the plug-in that they want to send a copy of the document to that user when the mouse button is released. In the event the sending user does not have an IM window open with the intended recipient, the sending user can instead release hold of the icon representing the item to be sent over an icon representing the intended recipient. The storage systems 114 and 120 may be a file system, database, and various forms of memory. A sending IM system 116 interacts with a receiving IM system 118 of computer 2 (104) to send a copy of a document or other information via an intranet, Internet, or other known networks (that are symbolized by dashed line 130). Application plugins (122, 126) open associated applications (124, 128) in the receiving computer 2 (104). The system 100 is bidirectional, wherein computer 2 (104) may also act as the sender, and computer 1 (102) acts as a receiver of an IM. The plugins (108, 112, 122, 126) send and interpret positional metadata, as well as providing hints to the receiving computer on which application to open to display an item or content.
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The capabilities of the present invention can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware or some combination thereof.
As one example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer usable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately.
Additionally, at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided.
The flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples. There may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention.
While the preferred embodiments to the invention has been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.
