Forwarding un-responded to instant messages to electronic mail

• US 10,356,019 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kao, Titus, Portner, Eric S., Weir, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US14/634,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method of forwarding an instant message to electronic mail can begin with determining availability of an instant messaging client for a recipient. The method can continue with sending the instant message to the instant messaging client for the recipient. The method can include not receiving a reply to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time. The method can further include sending an electronic mail message including the instant message to the recipient upon reaching the pre-defined period of time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of forwarding an instant message in an electronic mail message, comprising:

sending the instant message to an instant messaging client of a intended recipient of the instant message;

not receiving a reply, from the instant messaging client, to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time; and

sending to the intended recipient, upon the pre-defined period of time being reached, the electronic mail message that includes the instant message, wherein

the criterion is that the instant message is not a salutation message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the sending of the electronic mail message is conditional upon the instant message satisfying a criterion for forwarding the instant message within the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

querying a user for an approval to send the electronic mail message;

and

receiving the approval from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the pre-defined period of time is user-selectable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the electronic mail message includes:

a time the instant message was sent to the intended recipient and

a notice that an instant message client of a sender did not receive a reply within the pre-defined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the electronic mail message includes an instant message transcript.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining that the intended recipient is not on a do-not-forward list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the sending of the electronic mail message is initiated by a sending instant messaging client that sent the instant message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the sending of the electronic mail message is initiated by an instant messaging server that sent the instant message.

10. A computer hardware system configured to forward an instant message in an electronic mail message, comprising:

at least one hardware processor, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to initiate and/or perform;

sending the instant message to an instant messaging client of a intended recipient of the instant message;

not receiving a reply, from the instant messaging client, to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time; and

sending to the intended recipient, upon the pre-defined period of time being reached, the electronic mail message that includes the instant message, wherein

the criterion is that the instant message is not a salutation message.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein

the sending of the electronic mail message is conditional upon the instant message satisfying a criterion for forwarding the instant message within the electronic mail message.

12. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage device having stored therein computer readable program code for forwarding an instant message in an electronic mail message,

the computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform;

sending the instant message to an instant messaging client of a intended recipient of the instant message;

not receiving a reply, from the instant messaging client, to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time; and

sending to the intended recipient, upon the pre-defined period of time being reached, the electronic mail message that includes the instant message, wherein

the criterion is that the instant message is not a salutation message.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein

the sending of the electronic mail message is conditional upon the instant message satisfying a criterion for forwarding the instant message within the electronic mail message.