Delayed instant messaging for assured communication

• US 20080046532A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Caspi, Rami, Mason, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/506,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer having a user interface may include one or more of the following features: (a) an instant messaging session associated with said user interface for permitting an originating party to communicate with a destination party in real time comprising, (i) an input messaging routine associated with the instant messaging session for allowing the originating party to input a message to be sent to the destination party, (ii) a delay messaging routine associated with the input messaging routine for placing an outgoing instant message in a buffer for a predetermined time frame, and (iii) a send messaging routine associated with the delay messaging routine for sending the outgoing instant message to the destination party after the predetermined time frame has passed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer having a user interface, the set of instructions comprising:

an instant messaging session associated with said user interface for permitting an originating party to communicate with a destination party in real time comprising;

an input messaging routine associated with the instant messaging session for allowing the originating party to input a message to be sent to the destination party;

a delay messaging routine associated with the input messaging routine for placing an outgoing instant message in a buffer for a predetermined time frame; and

a send messaging routine associated with the delay messaging routine for sending the outgoing instant message to the destination party after the predetermined time frame has passed.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time frame ranges from greater than 0 seconds to 10 seconds

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time frame is selected by the originating party.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time frame is determined by an instant messaging routine provider.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein the graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message is being held in the buffer.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message has been sent.

8. An apparatus for conducting instant messaging, comprising:

means for inputting an instant message;

means for delaying the message for a predetermined amount of time when an originating party sends the message; and

means for sending the message to a destination party in real time after the predetermined amount of time has expired.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message is being held in a buffer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message has been sent.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the graphical indication is a graphical button which changes colors when the instant message is delayed and when it has been sent.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a means to correct the instant message when the instant message is delayed.

14. A method for instant messaging from an originating party to a destination party, comprising:

receiving inputted instant messaging data from a user interface;

processing inputted instant messaging data;

storing the instant messaging data on a storage medium;

delaying the instant messaging data for a predetermined amount of time when the originating party sends the message; and

sending the instant message data to a destination party in real time after the predetermined amount of time has expired.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of preventing the instant messaging data from being sent if the originating party identifies an error with the instant messaging data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of correcting the instant messaging data with the error.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of sending the corrected instant message.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message is delayed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the graphical user interface provides a graphical indication when the instant message has been resent.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the instant message is held in a buffer to prevent the instant message from being sent for the predetermined amount of time.