Host state-sensing for message interruption

• US 10,554,609 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Michael, Gruen, Daniel M., Chen, Daniel Q., Li, Chuang, Raven, Mary E., Gu, Xu Guang, Zhou, Yu Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US15/236,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,269 Days
• Field of Search: 709207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to managing interrupting requests to engage in a collaborative session and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for host state sensing for message interruptions. In one embodiment of the invention, a data processing system configured for host sensing for message interruption can include a messenger disposed is a host computing platform, prioritization logic including program code enabled to assign priorities to incoming messages, and host state sensing logic coupled to the host computing platform. The host state sensing logic can include program code enabled to adjust a threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the threshold value.

Claims

1. A data processing system configured for host sensing for message interruption, the system comprising:

a processor coupled to memory elements through a system bus;

a messenger disposed in a host computing platform and receiving messages corresponding to a particular end user;

prioritization logic comprising program code and executing by the processor so as to be enabled to, for each one of the received messages, determining a corresponding source of the one of the received messages, determine a position in a relationship hierarchy, that grades or ranks sources of messages, for the corresponding source relative to the particular end user, and assign a priority value to the one of the received messages based upon the position in the relationship hierarchy;

the messenger, for each one of the received messages, in response to the receipt of the one of the received messages, comparing the priority value assigned to the one of the received messages to a pre-configured threshold value and permitting a message interruption for the one of the received messages prompting the particular end user to establish a collaborative session with a corresponding source of the one of the received messages only on condition that the priority value exceeds the pre-configured threshold value; and

, host state sensing logic comprising program code enabled to respond to an activation of a particular application pre-specified by the end user by dynamically adjusting the threshold value such that for subsequently received messages, a different priority value when compared to the dynamically adjusted threshold value permits the message interruption.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the messenger is an instant messenger.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the messenger is a chat client.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code of the host state sensing logic enabled to adjust the threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the threshold value comprises program code to adjust the threshold value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code of the host state sensing logic enabled to adjust the pre-configured threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the pre-configured threshold value further comprises program code to adjust the pre-configured threshold value which fall below the pre-configured threshold value.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code of the host state sensing logic enabled to adjust the pre-configured threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the pre-configured threshold value further comprises program code to lower the pre-configured threshold value upon determining the activation of the particular application indicates a desirability for collaboration.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code of the host state sensing logic enabled to adjust the pre-configured threshold value for permitting message interruptions for messages having assigned priorities beyond the pre-configured threshold value further comprises program code to raise the pre-configured threshold value upon determining an interruption is undesirable based upon at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device.

6. A host state sensing method for message interruption, the method comprising:

receiving messages in a messaging system executing in memory of a computer corresponding to a particular end user;

for each one of the received messages, determining a corresponding source of the one of the received messages, determining a position in a relationship hierarchy, that grades or ranks sources of messages, for the corresponding source relative to the particular end user, and assigning a priority value to the one of the received messages based upon the position in the relationship hierarchy;

for each one of the received messages, in response to the receipt of the one of the received messages, comparing the priority value assigned to the one of the received messages to a pre-configured threshold value and permitting a message interruption for the one of the received messages prompting the particular end user to establish a collaborative session with a corresponding source of the one of the received messages only on condition that the priority value exceeds the a-pre-configured threshold value; and

, responding to an activation of a particular application pre-specified by the end user by dynamically adjusting the threshold value such that for subsequently received messages, a different priority value when compared to the dynamically adjusted threshold value permits the message interruption.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value, comprises:

comparing the corresponding assigned priority to the pre-configured threshold value; and

,

permitting an interruption for the message when the corresponding assigned priority crosses the pre-configured threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value comprises permitting the interruption for the ones of the received messages when the assigned priority exceeds the pre-configured threshold value.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value comprises permitting the interruption for the ones of the received messages when the assigned priority falls below the pre-configured threshold value.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein periodically adjusting the pre-configured threshold value responsive to detecting at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device in the host computing platform for the messaging system, further comprises lowering the pre-configured threshold value upon determining the activation of the particular application in the host computing platform that indicates a desirability for collaboration.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the computer usable program code for periodically adjusting the pre-configured threshold value responsive to detecting at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device further comprises computer usable program code for raising the pre-configured threshold value upon determining an interruption is undesirable based upon at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code for host state sensing for message interruption, the computer program product including:

computer usable program code for receiving messages in a messaging system executing in memory of a computer corresponding to a particular end user;

computer usable program code for determining for each one of the received messages, a corresponding source of the one of the received messages, determining a position in a relationship hierarchy, that grades or ranks sources of messages, for the corresponding source relative to the particular end user, and assigning a priority value to the one of the received messages based upon the position in the a relationship hierarchy;

computer usable program code for comparing for each one of the received messages, in response to the receipt of the one of the received messages, the priority value assigned to the one of the received messages to a pre-configured threshold value and permitting a message interruption for the one of the received messages prompting the particular end user to establish a collaborative session with a corresponding source of the one of the received messages only on condition that the priority value exceeds the a pre-configured threshold value; and

, computer usable program code for responding to an activation of a particular application pre-specified by the end user by dynamically adjusting the threshold value such that for subsequently received messages, a different priority value when compared to the dynamically adjusted threshold value permits the message interruption.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code for permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value, comprises:

computer usable program code for comparing the corresponding assigned priority to the pre-configured threshold value; and

,

computer usable program code for permitting an interruption for the message when the corresponding assigned priority crosses the pre-configured threshold value.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code for permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value comprises computer usable program code for permitting the interruption for the ones of the received messages when the assigned priority exceeds the pre-configured threshold value.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code for permitting a message interruption only for ones of the received messages having a corresponding assigned priority which exceeds the pre-configured threshold value comprises computer usable program code for permitting the interruption for the ones of the received messages when the assigned priority falls below the pre-configured threshold value.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code for periodically adjusting the pre-configured threshold value responsive to detecting at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of a particular peripheral device in the host computing platform for the messaging system, comprises computer usable program code for lowering the pre-configured threshold value upon determining the activation of the particular application in the host computing platform that indicates a desirability for collaboration.

19. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein periodically adjusting the pre-configured threshold value responsive to detecting at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device further comprises raising the pre-configured threshold value upon determining an interruption is undesirable based upon at least one of the activation of the particular application and the use of the particular peripheral device.