Real-time notifications of concurrent email thread replies

• US 10,225,213 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gal-Tzur, Zeev, Nachum, Gili, Zapler, Itai
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US15/086,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging

Abstract

In an embodiment of the present invention, a first message is determined. The first message is associated with two or more users. The two or more users include a sender of the first message and one or more recipients of the first message. In response to determining that a first user of the two or more users is currently generating a second message, which is a response to the first message, it is determined whether a second user of the two or more users of the first message is currently generating a third message, which is a response to the first message. In response to determining that the second user is currently generating the third message, the first user is notified that the second user is currently generating the third message, and the second user is notified that the first user is currently generating the second message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first message, by one or more processors, where the first message includes an electronic communication content and a plurality of participants including at least a first participant and a second participant;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first participant is generating a second message, where the second message is a response to the first message and the second message includes at least the second participant as a recipient;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a first participant privacy information data set including a selection to share information indicative of the first participant status of currently generating a message with recipients of messages from the first participant;

responsive to the determination that the first participant is generating the second message, notifying, by the one or more processors, the second participant that the first participant is generating a message directed to the second participant based, at least in part, on the first participant privacy information; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the second participant a real-time communication option between the second participant and at least the first participant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, a thread identifier associated with the first message, the thread identifier including a list of past and present participants; and

responsive to the determination that the first participant is generating the second message, assigning, by the one or more processors, the thread identifier to the second message and the real-time communication option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the assigning the thread identifier to the second message, adding, by the one or more processors, the second participant to the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the second participant is not responding to the second message; and

responsive to the determination that the second participant is not responding, removing, by the one or more processors, the second participant from the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication option includes at least one of the following:

(i) an instant messaging application, (ii) telephone, or (iii) video messaging.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory machine readable storage device; and

computer code stored on the non-transitory machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing one or more processors to perform operations including the following;

receiving a first message, by the one or more processors, where the first message includes an electronic communication content and a plurality of participants including at least a first participant and a second participant;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first participant is generating a second message, where the second message is a response to the first message and the second message includes at least the second participant as a recipient;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a first participant privacy information data set including a selection to share information indicative of the first participant status of currently generating a message with recipients of messages from the first participant;

responsive to the determination that the first participant is generating the second message, notifying, by the one or more processors, the second participant that the first participant is generating a message directed to the second participant based, at least in part, on the first participant privacy information; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the second participant a real-time communication option between the second participant and at least the first participant.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

determining, by the one or more processors, a thread identifier associated with the first message, the thread identifier including a list of past and present participants; and

responsive to the determination that the first participant is generating the second message, assigning, by the one or more processors, the thread identifier to the second message and the real-time communication option.

7. The product of claim 6, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

responsive to the assigning the thread identifier to the second message, adding, by the one or more processors, the second participant to the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the second participant is not responding to the second message; and

responsive to the determination that the second participant is not responding, removing, by the one or more processors, the second participant from the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier.

8. The product of claim 5, wherein the real-time communication option includes at least one of the following:

(i) an instant messaging application, (ii) telephone, or (iii) video messaging.

9. The product of claim 5 comprising:

the one or more processors; and

wherein the computer program product is in the form of a computer system.

10. The computer program product in the form of a computer system of claim 9, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

determining, by the one or more processors, a thread identifier associated with the first message, the thread identifier including a list of past and present participants; and

responsive to the determination that the first participant is generating the second message, assigning, by the one or more processors, the thread identifier to the second message and the real-time communication option.

11. The computer program product in the form of a computer system of claim 10, wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

responsive to the assigning the thread identifier to the second message, adding, by the one or more processors, the second participant to the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the second participant is not responding to the second message; and

responsive to the determination that the second participant is not responding, removing, by the one or more processors, the second participant from the list of past and present participants of the thread identifier.

12. The computer program product in the form of a computer system of claim 9, wherein the real-time communication option includes at least one of the following:

(i) an instant messaging application, (ii) telephone, or (iii) video messaging.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device of a first individual, a notification including information indicating that a second device of a second individual is working on a first email communication that lists the first individual as one of a recipient set including one or more recipients, with the first email communication being a communication designed to be sent to email inboxes of the recipient set and presented to a respective recipient only when the recipient provides user input selecting that communication in an email inbox of that recipient on a device of that recipient;

responsive to receipt of the notification, receiving, from the first individual, through a user interface and by the first device, first user input indicating that the first individual wants to engage in a chat session including the second individual;

responsive to the receipt of the first input, initiating, at least in part by the first device, a chat session including at least the first and second devices; and

participating, by the first device, in the chat session, with the chat session being characterized by automatic presentation of chat messages to chat participants as chat messages are entered by chat participants.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the initiation of the chat session includes:

sending, by the first device and to the second device, a chat request;

accepting, by the second device, the chat request; and

initiating, by a set of one or more chat servers the chat session including, as participants, the first device and the second device.