Offline away messages

• US 20060140361A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Odell, James A., Heikes, Brian D., Wick, Andrew L., Yurow, Deborah R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• 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

Abstract

A computer program or method provides away messages from a first user to other users of a communications system, where the first user has grouped the other users into two or more groups. An interface is provided to the first user that displays representations of the other users in a manner that identifies how the first user has grouped the other users into the groups. The first user is able to select a selected group from the groups using the interface. The first user also is able to set a group away message for the selected group using the interface. The group away message is sent to a second user that has been grouped in the selected group when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline.

Claims

1. A method for providing away messages from a first user to other users of a communications system, wherein the first user has grouped the other users into two or more groups, the method comprising:

providing an interface to the first user that displays representations of the other users in a manner that identifies how the first user has grouped the other users into the groups;

enabling the first user to select a selected group from the groups using the interface;

enabling the first user to set a group away message for the selected group using the interface; and

sending the group away message to a second user that has been grouped in the selected group when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

enabling the first user to select the second user using the interface;

enabling the first user to set a personal away message for the second user using the interface; and

sending the personal away message to the second user when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the personal away message is appended to the group away message.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the personal away message overrides the group away message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

enabling the first user to set a global away message;

and

sending the global away message to the second user when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the group away message is appended to the global away message.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising

enabling the first user to select the second user using the interface;

enabling the first user to set a personal away message for the second user using the interface; and

sending the personal away message to the second user when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the personal away message is appended to the group away message, which is appended to the global away message.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the personal away message overrides the global away message and the group away message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications system comprises an instant messaging system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the other users comprise buddies of the first user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the groups comprise buddy lists.

13. A method for providing away messages to buddies of an instant messaging program user, the method comprising:

providing an interface that displays a representation of a buddy group and a representation of a buddy included in the buddy group, wherein the representation of the buddy group and the representation of the buddy are displayed in a manner that indicates the buddy is included in the buddy group;

enabling the user to set a global away message using the interface;

enabling the user to set a group away message for the buddy group using the interface;

enabling the user to set a personal away message for the buddy using the interface; and

sending one or more of the global away message, the group away message, and the personal away message to the buddy in response to the buddy attempting to communicate with the user through the instant messaging program when the user is offline.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein only the personal away message is sent if the user has set the personal away message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein only the group away message is sent if the user has set the group away message.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein only the global away message is sent if the user has set the global away message without setting the group away message and the personal away message.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the personal away message is appended to the group away message, which is appended to the global away message if the user has set the personal away message.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the group away message is appended to the group away message if the user has set the group away message.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising enabling the user to append the personal away message to one or both of the global away message and the group away message using the interface.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising enabling the user to append the group away message to the global away message using the interface.