Video messaging

Abstract

Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 maintaining, at a server device and for a first user of an electronic messaging system, a contact list comprising a plurality of co-users associated with the first user, the contact list including a second user;   detecting that a first client device associated with the first user provides a first communication capability and a second communication capability;   detecting, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the first communication capability and the second communication capability, that a second client device associated with the second user provides the first communication capability and the second communication capability; and   providing, within a graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that comprises:
 a first graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a first communication medium associated with the first communication capability; and 
 a second graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a second communication medium associated with the second communication capability. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first client device associated with the first user based on the first user selecting the second graphical element associated with the second user, a request for the first user to communicate with the second user via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability; and   facilitating, in response to the request, a communication session between the first client device and the second client device via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first communication capability is associated with instant messaging; and   the second communication capability is associated with video messaging.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , further comprising verifying transfer preferences of the first user for the second user before providing the second graphical element associated with the second user within the graphical user interface of the contact list of the first user. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting that the first client device associated with the first user provides a third communication capability;   detecting, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the third communication capability, that the second client device associated with the second user provides the third communication capability; and   providing, within the graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that further comprises a third graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a third communication medium associated with the third communication capability.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the third communication capability is associated with voice instant messaging. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the second user switches to a third client device;   detecting that the second client device associated with the second user provides the first communication capability and not the second communication capability; and   providing an update to the contact list within the graphical user interface on the first client device to remove the second graphical element indicating that the second user is available to communicate via the second communication capability.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first client device is a mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the first communication capability and the second communication capability, that a third client device associated with a third user of the plurality of co-users provides the first communication capability and not the second communication; and   providing, within the graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that further comprises the first graphical element associated with the third user, and wherein the contact list does not comprise the second graphical element associated with the third user.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 maintain, at a server device and for a first user of an electronic messaging system, a contact list comprising a plurality of co-users associated with the first user, the contact list including a second user; 
 detect that a first client device associated with the first user provides a first communication capability and a second communication capability; 
 detect, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the first communication capability and the second communication capability, that a second client device associated with the second user provides the first communication capability and the second communication capability; and 
 provide, within a graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that comprises:
 a first graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a first communication medium associated with the first communication capability; and 
 a second graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a second communication medium associated with the second communication capability. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 receive, from the first client device associated with the first user based on the first user selecting the second graphical element associated with the second user, a request for the first user to communicate with the second user via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability; and   facilitate, in response to the request, a communication session between the first client device and the second client device via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first communication capability is associated with instant messaging; and   the second communication capability is associated with video messaging.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to verify transfer preferences of the first user for the second user before providing the second graphical element associated with the second user within the graphical user interface of the contact list of the first user. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 detect that the first client device associated with the first user provides a third communication capability;   detect, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the third communication capability, that the second client device associated with the second user provides the third communication capability; and   provide, within the graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that further comprises a third graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a third communication medium associated with the third communication capability.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to:
 maintain, at a server device and for a first user of an electronic messaging system, a contact list comprising a plurality of co-users associated with the first user, the contact list including a second user;   detect that a first client device associated with the first user provides a first communication capability and a second communication capability;   detect, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the first communication capability and the second communication capability, that a second client device associated with the second user provides the first communication capability and the second communication capability; and   provide, within a graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that comprises:
 a first graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a first communication medium associated with the first communication capability; and 
 a second graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a second communication medium associated with the second communication capability. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:
 receive, from the first client device associated with the first user based on the first user selecting the second graphical element associated with the second user, a request for the first user to communicate with the second user via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability; and   facilitate, in response to the request, a communication session between the first client device and the second client device via the second communication medium associated with the second communication capability.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first communication capability is associated with instant messaging; and   the second communication capability is associated with video messaging.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to verify transfer preferences of the first user for the second user before providing the second graphical element associated with the second user within the graphical user interface of the contact list of the first user. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:
 detect that the first client device associated with the first user provides a third communication capability;   detect, based on the first client device associated with the first user providing the third communication capability, that the second client device associated with the second user provides the third communication capability; and   provide, within the graphical user interface on the first client device associated with the first user, the contact list that further comprises a third graphical element associated with the second user indicating that the second user is available to communicate with the first user via a third communication medium associated with the third communication capability.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:
 determine that the second user switches to a third client device;   detect that the second client device associated with the second user provides the first communication capability and not the second communication capability; and   provide an update to the contact list within the graphical user interface on the first client device to remove the second graphical element indicating that the second user is available to communicate via the second communication capability.