Providing advanced instant messaging (IM) notification

• US 20040078441A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W., Daniell, W. Todd, Daigle, Brian K., Watts, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing advanced instant messaging (IM) notification are provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an event message, which is received prior sending of an initial message by a user, is used to generate a notification to a contact. The notification indicates to the contact that the user is preparing to initiate a chat session prior to opening a chat window.

Claims

1. In an instant messaging (IM) system in which a user at a user instant messaging (IM) client initiates an IM chat session with a contact at a contact IM client, a method comprising:

receiving an event message at the contact IM client, the event message being received prior to opening an IM chat window at the contact IM client, the event message being indicative of typing by the user at the user IM client;

determining a status of the user in response to receiving the event message, the status of the user being one selected from a group consisting of;

blocked;

not-blocked; and

query-for-further-options;

generating a reply message in response to determining that the status of the user is blocked, the reply message indicating that the contact IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the user at the user IM client;

establishing an IM chat session with the user IM client in response to determining that the status of the user is not-blocked;

generating a typing notification message in response to determining that the status of the user is query-for-further-options, the typing notification message being indicative of typing by the user at the user IM client, the typing notification message providing an option, the option being one selected from a group consisting of;

an option to ignore IM chat messages from the user at the user IM client; and

an option to establish an IM chat session with the user IM client; and

displaying the generated typing notification message at the contact IM client.

2. A method comprising:

receiving an event message at a first instant messaging (IM) client, the event message being responsive to a designation of a potential chat session with the first IM client; and

displaying a notification message at the first IM client in response to-receiving the event message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the event message is indicative of typing at a second IM client.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the event message is indicative of a chat window being opened at a second IM client.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the event message is indicative of designating a contact for an IM session, the contact being logged on at the first IM client.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the event message includes contact information of a contact, the contact initiating a chat session at a second IM client.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification message is a text message.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification message includes contact information of a contact, the contact initiating a chat session at a second IM client.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the contact information is a name.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the contact information is an IM address.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying the notification message comprises:

providing an option to ignore messages from the second IM client.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a reply message in response to the selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to receiving no selection of the option for the predefined time interval.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

generating a reply message in response to receiving no selection of the option, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying the notification message comprises:

providing an option to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to the selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to receiving no selection of the option for the predefined time interval.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

generating a reply message in response to receiving no selection of the option, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

21. A method comprising:

receiving an event message at a first instant messaging (IM) client, the event message being received prior to opening a IM chat window at the first IM client, the event message being indicative of typing by a user at a second IM client; and

determining a status of the user at the second IM client in response to receiving the event message, the status of the user at the second IM client being selected from a status list, the status list comprising;

a blocked status;

a not-blocked status; and

a query-for-further-options status; and

displaying a notification message at the first IM client in response to determining that the status of the user at the second IM client is a query-for-further-options status, the notification message being displayed prior to opening the IM chat window.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a reply message in response to determining that the status of the user at the second IM client is a blocked status, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the user at the second IM client.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to determining that the status of the user at the second IM client is a not-blocked status.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the displaying the notification message comprises:

providing an option from an option list, the option list comprising;

an option to ignore messages from the second IM client; and

an option to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the option in response to providing the option, the selection of the option being one selected from a group consisting of;

a selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client;

a selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating a reply message in response to the selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to the selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

establishing an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to receiving no selection of the option for the predefined time interval.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving no selection of the option for a predefined time interval; and

generating a reply message in response to receiving no selection of the option, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

30. A first instant messaging (IM) client comprising:

means for receiving an event message at a first instant messaging (IM) client, the event message being responsive to a designation of a potential chat session with the first IM client; and

means for displaying a notification message at the first IM client in response to receiving the event message.

31. A first instant messaging (IM) client comprising:

logic adapted to receive an event message at a first instant messaging (IM) client, the event message being responsive to a designation of a potential chat session with the first IM client; and

logic adapted to display a notification message at the first IM client in response to receiving the event message.

32. The first IM client of claim 31, the logic adapted to display the notification message comprises:

logic adapted to display the typing notification message prior to opening the IM chat window.

33. The first IM client of claim 31, wherein the logic adapted to display the notification message comprises:

logic adapted to provide an option from an option list, the option list comprising;

an option to ignore messages from the second IM client; and

an option to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client.

34. The first IM client of claim 33, further comprising:

logic adapted to receive a selection of the option in response to providing the option, the selection of the option being one selected from a group consisting of;

a selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client;

a selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

35. The first IM client of claim 34, further comprising:

logic adapted to generate a reply message in response to the selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

36. The first IM client of claim 34, further comprising:

logic adapted to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to the selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

37. The first IM client of claim 33, further comprising:

logic adapted to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to receiving no selection of the option for the predefined time interval.

38. The first IM client of claim 33, further comprising:

logic adapted to generate a reply message in response to receiving no selection of the option, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

39. A first IM client comprising:

logic adapted to receive an event message, the event message being received prior to opening an IM chat window at the first IM client, the event message being indicative of typing by a user at a second IM client; and

logic adapted to determine a status of the user at the second IM client in response to a received event message, the status of the user at the second IM client being selected from a status list, the status list comprising;

a blocked status;

a not-blocked status; and

a query-for-further-options status; and

logic adapted to display a notification message at the first IM client in response to determining that the status of the user at the second IM client is a query-for-further-options status.

40. The first IM client of claim 39, wherein the logic adapted to display the typing notification message comprises:

logic adapted to display the typing notification message prior to opening the IM chat window.

41. The first IM client of claim 39, further comprising:

logic adapted to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to determining that the status of the user is a not-blocked status.

42. The first IM client of claim 39, further comprising:

logic adapted to generate a reply message in response to determining that the status of the user is a blocked status, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the user at the second IM client.

43. The first IM client of claim 39, wherein the logic adapted to display the typing notification message comprises:

logic adapted to provide an option from an option list, the option list comprising;

an option to ignore messages from the second IM client; and

an option to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client.

44. The first IM client of claim 43, further comprising:

logic adapted to receive a selection of the option in response to providing the option, the selection of the option being one selected from a group consisting of;

a selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client;

a selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

45. The first IM client of claim 44, further comprising:

logic adapted to generate a reply message in response to the selection of the option to ignore messages from the second IM client, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.

46. The first IM client of claim 44, further comprising:

logic adapted to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to the selection of the option to establish an IM chat with the second IM client.

47. The first IM client of claim 43, further comprising:

logic adapted to establish an IM chat session with the second IM client in response to receiving no selection of the option for the predefined time interval.

48. The first IM client of claim 43, further comprising:

logic adapted to generate a reply message in response to receiving no selection of the option, the reply message indicating that the first IM client is not receiving IM chat messages from the second IM client.