Caller Initiated Distinctive Presence Alerting and Auto-Response Messaging

• US 20080184136A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 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 is relayed to a second user. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others includes, can be implemented as follows. 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.

Claims

1. A system for relaying presence information within a electronic chat environment, comprising:

an electronic chat client configured to receive a message, the electronic chat client configured to present a user an option of responding to a received message after an audio file of the received message is played, the message being structured as a chat message having a tag that indicates to the electronic chat client to receive the chat message without initiating a chat session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic chat client causes an operating system employing the electronic chat client to play a subtle sound in lieu of playing the audio file associated with the message when an application is in current operation when the message is received.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic chat client is configured to receive a request for a contact of another user to be added to a contact list of the user, the electronic chat client further configured to receive an audio file from a chat client of the other user such that the electronic chat client of the user plays the audio file upon receiving a message from the other user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is sent from the chat client of the other user in addition to presence information that is sent from the chat client to a presence server.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the message is sent from the other user to the user in response to detection of a change in network presence of the other user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the chat client of the other user designates a location of a particular audio file that is included in the message.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the message is expressly addressed to the user.

8. A method for relaying presence information within a electronic chat environment, comprising:

receiving a message; and

presenting a user an option of responding to a received message after an audio file of the received message is played, the message being structured as a chat message having a tag that indicates to the electronic chat client to receive the chat message without initiating a chat session

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

playing a subtle sound in lieu of an audio file contained in the message if the electronic chat client is not in current use by a user, the message being structured as a chat message having a tag that indicates to the electronic chat client to receive the chat message without initiating a chat session.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a request for another user to be added as a contact to a contact list of the user; and

sending an audio file to the electronic chat client of the user as part of a process of adding the contact of the other user to the contact list of the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the message is sent from the chat client of the other user in addition to presence information that is sent from the chat client to a presence server.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

prompting the other user to designate a particular change in the network presence status of the other user that will initiate the sending of a message to the user.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the chat client of the other user designates a location of a particular audio file that is included in the message.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the message is expressly addressed to the user.

15. A computer readable storage medium having computer instructions, when executed by a computer that cause the computer to perform:

receiving a message; and

presenting a user an option of responding to a received message after an audio file of the received message is played, the message being structured as a chat message having a tag that indicates to the electronic chat client to receive the chat message without initiating a chat session

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the instructions causing the computer to perform:

playing a subtle sound in lieu of an audio file contained in the message if the electronic chat client is not in current use by a user, the message being structured as a chat message having a tag that indicates to the electronic chat client to receive the chat message without initiating a chat session.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the instructions causing the computer to perform:

generating a request for another user to be added as a contact to a contact list of the user; and

sending an audio file to the electronic chat client of the user as part of a process of adding the contact of the other user to the contact list of the user.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the message is sent from the chat client of the other user in addition to presence information that is sent from the chat client to a presence server.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the instructions causing the computer to perform:

prompting the other user to designate a particular change in the network presence status of the other user that will initiate the sending of a message to the user.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the chat client of the other user designates a location of a particular audio file that is included in the message.