Redirection of user-initiated distinctive presence alert messages

• US 20050097473A1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Presence information of a first user in a messaging system, such as an instant messaging system, is relayed to a second user. A first communications client of a first user detects a change in the presence status of a first user and sends an alert message to a second communications client of a second user. Moreover, systems and methods are provided for sending the alert message to an alternate address, including alternate instant messaging (IM) addresses, e-mail address, or telephone numbers, in the event that the intended recipient of the alert message is not accessible at his or her original IM address.

Claims

1. A method for re-sending a message, originally intended for receipt at a messaging client, to at least one alternate address, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message from a first messaging user;

sending the message to a second messaging user; and

in the absence of an acknowledged receipt of the message, re-sending the message to the second user at least one alternate address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of re-sending the message is in response to a timeout in waiting for a message receipt acknowledgement.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of re-sending the message includes a determination of at least one alternate address for the second messaging user.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alternate address is an instant messaging address.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alternate address is an e-mail address.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alternate address is a telephone number.

7. A machine-readable medium, having stored thereon data and instructions, which, when executed perform the steps of:

receiving a message from a first messaging user;

sending the message to a second messaging user; and

in the absence of an acknowledged receipt of the message, re-sending the message to the second user at least one alternate address.

8. The machine-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the step of re-sending the message is in response to a timeout in waiting for a message receipt acknowledgement.

9. The machine-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the step of re-sending the message includes a determination of alternate address(es) for the second messaging user.

10. The machine-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the alternate address is an instant messaging address.

11. The machine-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the alternate address is an e-mail address.

12. The machine-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the alternate address is a telephone number.

13. A system for re-sending a message, originally intended for receipt at an messaging client, to at least one alternate address, comprising:

a messaging server for handling communications between at least a first messaging client sending a message and a second messaging client that is an intended recipient of the message; and

a gateway between the messaging server and an alternate communication network, wherein in the absence of an acknowledged receipt of the message from the second messaging client, the gateway re-sends the message to the intended recipient at least one alternate address.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the gateway is a telephony network gateway capable of receiving a message and a destination telephone number and initiating a telephone call to the destination number.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the telephony network gateway is capable of delivering the message via text-to-speech technology.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the gateway is an e-mail gateway capable of receiving a message and a destination e-mail address and sending an e-mail containing the message to the destination e-mail address.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein alternate addresses for the intended recipient are stored locally with the first messaging client.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein alternate addresses for the intended recipient are accessed over a data network.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the messaging clients communicates via a wireline network.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the messaging clients communicates via a wireless network.