Controlling throughput of message requests in a messaging system

• US 20030055908A1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boston, Stephen B, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, system, and program for controlling throughput of message requests in a messaging system is provided. A message request is received from a sending user. A priority requirement is determined for the message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom the message request is intended. Output of the message request to the receiving user is adjusted according to whether the message request meets the priority requirement, such that throughput of the message request to the receiving user is controlled. In addition, output of a message indicating that the receiving user is available is adjusted according to said priority requirement.

Claims

1. A method for controlling throughput of a message request in a messaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message request from a sending user;

determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user according to whether said message request meets said priority requirement, such that throughput of said message request to said receiving user is controlled.

2. The method for controlling throughput of a message request according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said message request at a message server communicatively connected via a network to at least a sending user client messaging system and a receiving user client messaging system.

3. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said message request at a receiving user client messaging system communicatively connected via a network to said sending user client messaging system.

4. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

comparing said priority value with said priority requirement to determine if said message request meets said priority requirement.

5. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 4, said method further comprising the step of:

adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

6. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 4, said method further comprising the step of:

converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

7. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said step of determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising the step of:

determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

8. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said step of determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising the step of:

determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.

9. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said step of adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user according to whether said message request meets said priority requirement further comprising the step of:

controlling output of said message request according to a window treatment associated with said priority requirement, wherein said window treatment specifies at least one of a size, a position, and a selection of parts of a message request.

10. The method for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

specifying an away message for said sending user according to said priority requirement for said message request; and

transmitting said away message to said sending user.

11. A system for controlling throughput of a message request in a messaging system, said system comprising:

a server system communicatively connected to a network;

said server system further comprising;

means for receiving a message request from a sending user;

means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

means for adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user according to whether said message request meets said priority requirement, such that throughput of said message request to said receiving user is controlled.

12. The system for controlling throughput of a message request according to claim 11, wherein said server system is communicatively connected to at lease one receiving user client messaging system.

13. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 11, said server system further comprising:

means for receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

means for comparing said priority value with said priority requirement to determine if said message request meets said priority requirement.

14. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 13, said server system further comprising:

means for adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

15. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 13, said server system further comprising:

means for converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

16. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 11, said means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

17. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 11, said means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.

18. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 11, said means for adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user according to whether said message request meets said priority requirement further comprising:

means for controlling output of said message request according to a window treatment associated with said priority requirement, wherein said window treatment specifies at least one of a size, a position, and a selection of parts of a message request.

19. The system for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 11, said server system further comprising:

means for specifying an away message for said sending user according to said priority requirement for said message request; and

means for transmitting said away message to said sending user.

20. A program for controlling throughput of a message request in a messaging program, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving a message request from a sending user;

means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

means for adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user according to whether said message request meets said priority requirement.

21. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 20, said program further comprising:

means for receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

means for comparing said priority value with said priority requirement to determine if said message request meets said priority requirement.

22. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 21, said program further comprising:

means for adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

23. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 21, said program further comprising:

means for converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

24. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 20, said program further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

25. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 20, said program further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.

26. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 20, said program further comprising:

means for controlling output of said message request according to a window treatment associated with said priority requirement, wherein said window treatment specifies at least one of a size, a position, and a selection of parts of a message request.

27. The program for controlling throughput of a messaging request according to claim 20, said program further comprising:

means for specifying an away message for said sending user according to said priority requirement for said message request; and

means for transmitting said away message to said sending user.

28. A method for controlling a response to a message request in a messaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message request from a sending user;

determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

adjusting output of a response to said sending user according to said priority requirement to indicate that said receiving user is unavailable, such that said response to said messaging request is automatically specified.

29. The method for controlling a response to a message request according to claim 28, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said message request at a message server communicatively connected via a network to at least a sending user client messaging system and a receiving user client messaging system.

30. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 28, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said message request at a receiving user client messaging system communicatively connected via a network to said sending user client messaging system.

31. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 28, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

adjusting said output of said response according to said priority value.

32. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 31, said method further comprising the step of:

adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

33. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 31, said method further comprising the step of:

converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

34. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 28, said step of determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising the step of:

determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

35. The method for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 28, said step of determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising the step of:

determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.

36. A system for controlling a response to a message request in a messaging system, said system comprising:

a server system communicatively connected to a network;

said server system further comprising;

means for receiving a message request from a sending user;

means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

means for adjusting output of a response to said sending user according to said priority requirement to indicate that said receiving user is unavailable, such that said response to said messaging request is automatically specified.

37. The system for controlling a response to a message request according to claim 36, wherein said server system is communicatively connected via said network to at least one receiving user client messaging system.

38. The system for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 36, said server system further comprising:

means for receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

means for adjusting said output of said response according to said priority value.

39. The system for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 38, said server system further comprising:

means for adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

40. The system for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 38, said server system further comprising:

means for converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

41. The system for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 36, said means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

42. The system for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 36, said means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.

43. A program for controlling a response to a message request in a messaging system, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving a message request from a sending user;

means for determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by a receiving user for whom said message request is intended; and

means for adjusting output of a response to said sending user according to said priority requirement to indicate that said receiving user is unavailable, such that said response to said messaging request is automatically specified.

44. The program for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 43, said program further comprising:

means for receiving a message request comprising a priority value assigned by said sending user; and

means for adjusting said output of said response according to said priority value.

45. The program for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 44, said program further comprising:

means for adjusting said priority value according to a bonus priority associated with said message request according to priority settings for said receiving user.

46. The program for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 44, said program further comprising:

means for converting said priority value to a preferred scale.

47. The program for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 43, said program further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one from a general priority setting, a user specified priority setting, a subject specified priority setting, and a time specified priority setting.

48. The program for controlling a response to a messaging request according to claim 43, said program further comprising:

means for determining a priority requirement for said messaging request according to at least one scheduled event from an electronic calendar for said receiving user with a priority setting associated with said at least one scheduled event.