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) lookup 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.

1 . A method of enabling communications between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the method comprising:
 providing first contact information at the first mobile device, the first contact information being associable with a member profile that is associated with the second mobile device;   sending a request from the first mobile device, the request comprising an indication of the first contact information;   receiving a reply in response to the request, the reply comprising second contact information, the second contact information comprising information for communicating with the second mobile device using an instant messaging application; and   enabling instant messaging at the first mobile device with the second mobile device using the second contact information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the member profile is associated with a first communication application and wherein the first communication application is an email application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding an entry to a contact list, the entry comprising at least a part of the first contact information and at least part of the second contact information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising prior to adding the entry to the contact list, requesting an indication of consent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the adding is done automatically pursuant to receiving the reply. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first contact information is further associable with a second member profile associated with a third mobile device and wherein the reply further comprises a third contact information, the third contact information comprising information for communicating with the third mobile device using the instant messaging application. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein an entry is added to a contact list for each of the second contact information and third contact information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the contact list is an instant messaging contact list. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second contact information includes an address of the second mobile device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising starting an instant message conversation between the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the second contact information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending an instant message from the first mobile device to the second mobile device using the second contact information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the instant message comprises an invitation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the invitation comprises additional data for obtaining an instant messaging application. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in a trusted group. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the request is sent to a host system and the reply is received from the host system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the host system comprises a contact server. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the host system is a communication server that maintains a listing of contact information associated with mobile devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the host system maintains information associating a first type of contact information related to a first communication application with a second type of contact information related to a second communication application. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first communication application is a phone application and the second application is the instant messaging application. 
     
     
         20 . A method of enabling communication between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving a request comprising first contact information for communicating in a first communication application;   associating the first contact information with a member profile, the member profile comprising first communication information for communicating in the first communication application and second communication information for communicating in a second communication application, the associating based on the first contact information corresponding to the first communication information of the member profile; and   sending a response comprising second contact information, the second contact information being associated with the received contact information.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first communication application is a telephone application and the second communication application is an instant messaging application. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the first contact information comprises a telephone number and the second contact information comprises instant messaging information. 
     
     
         23 . A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling communications between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:
 providing first contact information at the first mobile device, the first contact information being associable with a member profile that is associated with the second mobile device;   sending a request from the first mobile device, the request comprising an indication of the first contact information;   receiving a reply in response to the request, the reply comprising second contact information, the second contact information comprising information for communicating with the second mobile device using an instant messaging application; and   enabling instant messaging at the first mobile device with the second mobile device using the second contact information.   
     
     
         24 . A first mobile device configured to communication with a second mobile device, the first mobile device comprising:
 a processor; and   at least one memory comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor operate the first mobile device to:
 provide first contact information at the first mobile device, the first contact information being associable with a member profile that is associated with the second mobile device; 
 send a request from the first mobile device, the request comprising an indication of the first contact information; 
 receive a reply in response to the request, the reply comprising second contact information, the second contact information comprising information for communicating with the second mobile device using an instant messaging application; and 
 enable instant messaging at the first mobile device with the second mobile device using the second contact information. 
   
     
     
         25 . A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling communications between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:
 receiving a request comprising first contact information for communicating in a first communication application;   associating the first contact information with a member profile, the member profile comprising first communication information for communicating in the first communication application and second communication information for communicating in a second communication application, the associating based on the first contact information corresponding to the first communication information of the member profile; and   sending a response comprising second contact information, the second contact information being associated with the received contact information.   
     
     
         26 . A first mobile device configured to communication with a second mobile device, the first mobile device comprising:
 a processor; and   at least one memory comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor operate the first mobile device to:
 receive a request comprising first contact information for communicating in a first communication application; 
 associate the first contact information with a member profile, the member profile comprising first communication information for communicating in the first communication application and second communication information for communicating in a second communication application, the associating based on the first contact information corresponding to the first communication information of the member profile; and 
 send a response comprising second contact information, the second contact information being associated with the received contact information.