Apple Patent Application: Universal Instant Messaging

Apple Patent Application: Universal Instant Messaging. Apple apparently has plans for a universal instant messaging application. A newly published patent application outlines an IM application that looks much like the current SMS text message application.

In normal use, users would continue to use the same bubble chat interface as with today's phone, complete with the ability to start new messages by searching through the contact list or typing the first few letters of someone's name.

Users can also see a past chat history and remove individual conversations from the list. In one view, the IM application works just like the current SMS application. The other view, however, changes things up by replacing the text-input box with word-suggestions and placing the typed text in a bubble next to the conversation bubbles. Suggestions for the word being typed appear above the keyboard and offers more flexibility than the current predictive text (which does an amazing job, by the way) method.

The planned IM application will likely run in the background. iPhone SDK limitations restricted third-party applications from running while the iPhone was busy or turned off, but this patent application hints at the possibility of an always-on IM client - allowing you to receive IM's even when the iPhone is turned off. There's also mention of MMS and video messaging in the patent application.

(source)