Ability to scope awareness to your current task

• US 20050138108A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Galvin, James Patrick Jr., Kogan, Sandra L., Travis, Amy D., Solie, Kevin, Pontrich, Ronald E. Jr., Mewherter, Duncan L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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

A method and system for an awareness service is provided. One or more collaborative contexts can be set for a first user within a set of users using the awareness service. One or more subsets of users can be defined within the set of users corresponding to the one or more collaborative contexts, respectively. Furthermore, a level of availability can be defined for the first user with respect to each of the subset of users. Next, an online status can be published on the awareness service for the first user. The online status can display an availability message to a second user. And, the availability message can have the highest level of availability selected from a group consisting of every level of availability defined for the first user with respect to every subset of users that includes the second user.

Claims

1. A method of administering an awareness service, comprising the steps of:

setting one or more collaborative contexts for a first user within a set of users;

defining one or more subsets of users within the set of users corresponding to the one or more collaborative contexts, respectively;

defining a level of availability for the first user with respect to each subset of users;

publishing an online status for the first user, the online status displaying an availability message to a second user, the availability message having the highest level of availability selected from a group consisting of every level of availability defined for the first user with respect to every subset of users that includes the second user.

2. A method of executing an awareness service having a set of users, comprising the steps of:

setting a first collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the first collaborative context defining a first subset of users within the set of users; and

publishing a first online status for the first user, the first online status displaying a first availability message to the first subset of users, and displaying a second availability message to users not within the first subset of users.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first availability message defines a first level of availability, and the second availability message defines a second level of availability, the first level of availability being higher than the second level of availability.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

setting a second collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the second collaborative context defining a second subset of users within the set of users; and

publishing a second online status for the first user, the second online status displaying a third availability message to any user within both the second subset of users and the first subset of users, and displaying a fourth availability message to any user within the second subset of users not within the first subset of users.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the third availability message defines a third level of availability, and the fourth availability message defines a fourth level of availability, the third level of availability being higher than the fourth level of availability, and

wherein the third level of availability is equivalent to the first level of availability.

6. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for administering an awareness service, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting one or more collaborative contexts for a first user within a set of users;

defining one or more subsets of users within the set of users corresponding to the one or more collaborative contexts, respectively;

defining a level of availability for the first user with respect to each subset of users;

publishing an online status for the first user, the online status displaying an availability message to a second user, the availability message having the highest level of availability selected from a group consisting of every level of availability defined for the first user with respect to every subset of users that includes the second user.

7. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for executing an awareness service having a set of users, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting a first collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the first collaborative context defining a first subset of users within the set of users; and

publishing a first online status for the first user, the first online status displaying a first availability message to the first subset of users, and displaying a second availability message to users not within the first subset of users.

8. The machine readable storage of claim 7,

wherein the first availability message defines a first level of availability, and the second availability message defines a second level of availability, the first level of availability being higher than the second level of availability.

9. The machine readable storage of claim 8, further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

setting a second collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the second collaborative context defining a second subset of users within the set of users; and

publishing a second online status for the first user, the second online status displaying a third availability message to any user within both the second subset of users and the first subset of users, and displaying a fourth availability message to any user within the second subset of users not within the first subset of users.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 9,

wherein the third availability message defines a third level of availability, and the fourth availability message defines a fourth level of availability, the third level of availability being higher than the fourth level of availability, and

wherein the third level of availability is equivalent to the first level of availability.

11. A system for administering an awareness service for a set of users on a network, comprising:

an awareness processor configured for defining one or more subsets of users within the set of users, the one or more subsets of users corresponding to one or more collaborative contexts set by a first user within the set of users, the awareness processor being further configured to define a level of availability for the first user with respect to each subset of users,

the awareness processor being further configured to publish an online status for the first user, the online status displaying an availability message to a second user, the availability message having the highest level of availability selected from a group consisting of every level of availability defined for the second user in every subset of users that includes the second user.

12. A system for administering an awareness service for a set of users on a network, comprising:

an awareness processor configured for setting a first collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the first collaborative context defining a first subset of users within the set of users, the awareness processor further being configured for publishing on the awareness service a first online status for the first user, the first online status displaying a first availability message to the first subset of users, and displaying a second availability message to users not within the first subset of users.

13. The system of claim 12,

wherein the first availability message defines a first level of availability, and the second availability message defines a second level of availability, the first level of availability being higher than the second level of availability.

14. The system of claim 13,

wherein the awareness processor is further configured for setting a second collaborative context for a first user within the set of users, the second collaborative context defining a second subset of users within the set of users, and for publishing on the awareness service a second online status for the first user, the second online status displaying a third availability message to any user within both the second subset of users and the first subset of users, and displaying a fourth availability message to any user within the second subset of users and not within the first subset of users.

15. The system of claim 14,

wherein the third availability message defines a third level of availability, and the fourth availability message defines a fourth level of availability, the third level of availability being higher than the fourth level of availability, and

wherein the third level of availability is equivalent to the first level of availability.