Managing status information for instant messaging users
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing enhanced status information for instant messaging (“
- IM”
) users, comprising steps of;
defining, by a first IM user, a user-defined IM status level; and
providing an indication of the user-defined status level to at least one other IM user when the first IM user has that status.
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Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for managing instant messages, including the display of windows for incoming messages, as well as for managing status information for instant messaging users. In one aspect, an instant messaging user defines policy information to programmatically determine a response to an arriving instant message. As an example, the policy may control whether a new window will pop up for a newly-arriving message, and may specify other attributes of the window if desired. In another aspect, an instant messaging user defines attributes pertaining to how his instant messaging status will be presented to others.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of providing enhanced status information for instant messaging (“
- IM”
) users, comprising steps of;
defining, by a first IM user, a user-defined IM status level; and
providing an indication of the user-defined status level to at least one other IM user when the first IM user has that status. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- IM”
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11. A method of indicating user-defined status information in instant messaging (“
- IM”
) system displays, comprising steps of;
determining, for one or more IM users, a current IM status level; and
for those IM users for whom the determining step determined a user-defined IM status level, performing steps of;
programmatically locating attributes of the user-defined IM status level; and
using the programmatically-located attributes in an IM system display of the determined status levels.
- IM”
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12. A system for providing enhanced status information for instant messaging (“
- IM”
) users, comprising;
means for defining, by a first IM user, a user-defined IM status level; and
means for providing an indication of the user-defined status level to at least one other IM user when the first IM user has that status.
- IM”
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13. A system for indicating user-defined status information in instant messaging (“
- IM”
) system displays, comprising;
means for determining, for one or more IM users, a current IM status level; and
means for displaying user-defined status levels for those IM users for whom the means for determining determined a user-defined IM status level, further comprising;
means for programmatically locating attributes of the user-defined IM status level; and
means for using the programmatically-located attributes in an IM system display of the determined status levels.
- IM”
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14. A computer program product for providing enhanced status information for instant messaging (“
- IM”
) users, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable media and comprising;
computer-readable program code means for defining, by a first IM user, a user-defined IM status level; and
computer-readable program code means for providing an indication of the user-defined status level to at least one other IM user when the first IM user has that status.
- IM”
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15. A computer program product for indicating user-defined status information in instant messaging (“
- IM”
) system displays, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable media and comprising;
computer-readable program code means for determining, for one or more IM users, a current IM status level; and
computer-readable program code means for displaying user-defined status levels for those IM users for whom the means for determining determined a user-defined IM status level, further comprising;
computer-readable program code means for programmatically locating attributes of the user-defined IM status level; and
computer-readable program code means for using the programmatically-located attributes in an IM system display of the determined status levels.
- IM”
Specification