Method and system for inhibiting overlooking notifications in applications

• US 20060117263A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Locke, David
• Application Number:
  US11/205,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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]

Abstract

The erroneous overlooking of notifications in applications is inhibited. In response to a request for closure of an application interface, for example, an instant messaging session window, two checks can be used. In the first, a check is made to see if the application interface has been selected since the last notification and, if the application interface has not been selected, a confirmation of the closure is sought. In the second, a check is made to see if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period and, if the time period is less than the threshold, confirmation of the closure is sought.

Claims

1. A method for inhibiting overlooking notifications in an application comprising:

requesting closure of an application interface;

determining whether it is possible for a notification to have been overlooked;

in response to determining that this is possible, seeking confirmation of the closure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises:

checking if the application interface has been selected since the last notification; and

if the application interface has not been selected, seeking confirmation of the closure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application interface is an application graphical window and wherein in the step of checking, if the application interface has been selected, carrying out the steps of:

checking if the application interface was selected for a time period less than a predefined threshold time period; and

if so, seeking confirmation of the closure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the application is an instant messaging client application, the application interface is an instant messaging session window, and the notification is a received message in an instant messaging session.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein after the step of requesting closure of an application interface, the method also includes:

checking if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period; and

if the time period is less than the threshold, seeking confirmation of the closure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

checking if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period; and

if the time period is less than the threshold, seeking confirmation of the closure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if an action has been carried out on the application after the last notification was received, skipping the step of seeking confirmation of the closure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the application is an instant messaging client application, the application interface is an instant messaging session window, and the notification is a received message in an instant messaging session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein after the step of requesting closure of an application interface, the method also includes:

checking if the application interface has been selected since the last notification; and

if the application interface has not been selected, seeking confirmation of the closure.

10. A system for inhibiting overlooking notifications in an application comprising:

an application including means for receiving notifications;

an application interface for the application;

means for requesting closure of the application interface;

means for determining whether it is possible for a notification to have been overlooked;

means, responsive to determining that this is possible, for seeking confirmation of the closure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining means comprises:

means for checking, in response to a closure request, if the application interface has been selected since the last notification was received; and

the system further comprises means for seeking confirmation of the closure, if the application interface has not been selected,

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the application interface is an application graphical window and wherein the system further includes:

means for checking if the application interface was selected for a time period less than a predefined threshold time period; and

means, responsive to determining that the application was selected for a time period less than a predefined threshold time period, for seeking confirmation of closure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system also includes:

means for checking if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period; and

means, responsive to the time period is less than a predetermined threshold time period, for seeking confirmation of closure.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining step comprises:

means for checking, in response to a closure request, if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period; and

means for seeking confirmation of the closure, if the time period is less than the threshold.

15. The system of claim 14 comprising:

means for determining that an action has been carried out on the application after the last notification was received and consequently for not seeking confirmation of closure.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the application is an instant messaging client application, the application interface is an instant messaging session window, and the notification is a received message in an instant messaging session.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the system also includes:

means for checking if the application interface has been selected since the last notification; and

means, responsive to determining that the application interface has not been selected, for seeking confirmation of the closure.

18. A computer program product for inhibiting overlooking of notifications in an application, the computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

requesting closure of an application interface;

determining whether it is possible for a notification to have been overlooked;

in response to determining that this is possible, seeking confirmation of the closure.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

checking if the application interface has been selected since the last notification; and

if the application interface has not been selected, seeking confirmation of the closure.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 comprising program code means for performing the steps of:

checking if the time period since the last notification was received is less than a predefined threshold time period; and

if the time period is less than the threshold, seeking confirmation of the closure.