Session Management Enhancements for Instant Messaging Applications

• US 20080281933A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aroopratan D. Pandya, Gregory J. Boss, James Wesley Seaman, Rick A. Hamilton II
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory Jensen, Seaman, James Wesley, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Pandya, Aroopratan D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

The invention comprises an improved demand-based messaging system that enables a user to effectively manage multiple messaging sessions. The messaging system comprises a messaging program operable on a plurality of electrical computers or data processing machines connected by one or more communications media. The messaging program comprises a conventional message composer program, a conventional message transport program, a conventional message reader program, and an inventive, user-configurable, policy-driven session management program.

Claims

1. A demand-based messaging system for opening and managing messaging sessions, the system comprising:

a configuration means for configuring an activity limit parameter;

a receiving means for receiving a message from a remote user;

a tracking means for determining the number of messaging sessions that are active before processing the message;

an activity display means for displaying the number of active messaging sessions; and

a session management means comprising a blocking means for blocking the message if the number of active messaging sessions exceeds the activity limit parameter.

2. The demand-based messaging system of claim 1, wherein the session management means further comprises:

a queuing means for storing the blocked message in a session queue until the tracking means determines that the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter; and

a message processing means for displaying the message to a local user and removing the message from the session queue if the tracking means determines that the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter.

3. The demand-based messaging system of claim 2 wherein the session management means further comprises a queue display means for displaying the number of messages in the session queue.

4. The demand-based messaging system of claim 2 wherein the session management means further comprises a queue display means for displaying the number of messages in the session queue before the queuing means stores the message in the session queue.

5. The demand-based messaging system of claim 1 further comprising a session deactivation means for deactivating messaging sessions that are inactive.

6. The demand-based messaging system of claim 2 further comprising a session deactivation means for deactivating messaging sessions that are inactive.

7. The demand-based messaging system of claim 1 wherein the configuration means further comprises a means for configuring a block list parameter comprising one or more remote user identities, and the blocking means blocks the message if the remote user'"'"'s identity matches a remote user identity in the block list parameter.

8. A computer-implemented method of managing messaging sessions, the method comprising:

configuring an activity limit parameter;

receiving a message from a remote user;

determining the number of messaging sessions that are active before processing the message;

displaying the number of active messaging sessions; and

blocking the message if the number of active messaging sessions exceeds the activity limit parameter.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing the blocked message in a session queue until the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter; and

displaying the message to a local user and removing the blocked message from the session queue if the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the number of messages stored in the session queue.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the number of messages stored in the session queue before storing the message in the session queue.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

deactivating messaging sessions that are inactive.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

deactivating messaging sessions that are inactive.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

configuring a block list parameter comprising one or more remote user identities; and

blocking the message if the remote user'"'"'s identity matches a remote user identity in the block list parameter.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

configuring a block list parameter comprising one or more remote user identities; and

blocking the message if the remote user'"'"'s identity matches a remote user identity in the block list parameter.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of managing messaging sessions, wherein the method comprises:

configuring an activity limit parameter;

receiving a message from a remote user;

determining the number of messaging sessions that are active before processing the message;

displaying the number of active messaging sessions; and

blocking the message if the number of active messaging sessions exceeds the activity limit parameter.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

storing the blocked message in a session queue until the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter; and

displaying the message to a local user and removing the blocked message from the session queue if the number of active messaging sessions is less than the activity limit parameter.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the number of messages stored in the session queue.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring a block list parameter comprising one or more remote user identities; and

blocking the message if the remote user'"'"'s identity matches a remote user identity in the block list parameter.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring a block list parameter comprising one or more remote user identities; and

blocking the message if the remote user'"'"'s identity matches a remote user identity in the block list parameter.