Forwarding Un-responded to Instant Messages to Electronic Mail

• US 20090132661A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Portner, Eric S., Kao, Titus, Weir, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,504 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 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method of forwarding an instant message to electronic mail can begin with determining availability of an instant messaging client for a recipient. The method can continue with sending the instant message to the instant messaging client for the recipient. The method can include not receiving a reply to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time. The method can further include sending an electronic mail message including the instant message to the recipient upon reaching the pre-defined period of time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of forwarding an instant message to electronic mail, the method comprising:

determining availability of an instant messaging client for a recipient;

sending the instant message to the instant messaging client for the recipient;

not receiving a reply to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time; and

upon reaching the pre-defined period of time, sending an electronic mail message comprising the instant message to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the instant message satisfies a criterion for forwarding the instant message in the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the instant message satisfies the criterion for forwarding the instant message in the electronic mail message comprises determining that the instant message is not a salutation message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the instant message satisfies the criterion for forwarding the instant message in the electronic mail message comprises determining that the instant message is not a closing message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a user for an approval to send the electronic mail message and receiving the approval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined period of time comprises a user selectable period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail message further comprises a time of sending the instant message to the recipient and a notice that an instant message client for a sender did not receive a reply within the period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail message further comprises an instant message transcript.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing unavailability of a second instant messaging client for a second recipient;

attempting to send a second instant message to the second instant messaging client for the second recipient; and

sending a second electronic mail message to the second recipient that comprises the second instant message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the recipient is not on a do-not-forward list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a sending instant messaging client initiates sending of the electronic mail message that comprises the instant message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an instant messaging server initiates sending of the electronic mail message that comprises the instant message.

13. A computer-implemented method of forwarding an instant message to electronic mail, the method comprising:

determining availability of an instant messaging client for a recipient;

sending the instant message to the instant messaging client for the recipient;

not receiving a reply to the instant message within a pre-defined period of time;

determining that the instant message satisfies a criterion for forwarding the instant message in an electronic mail message; and

upon reaching the pre-defined period of time, sending the electronic mail message comprising the instant message to the recipient.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining that the instant message satisfies the criterion for forwarding the instant message in the electronic mail message comprises determining that the instant message is not a salutation message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the instant message is not the salutation message comprises performing a textual analysis of the instant message to determine that the instant message does not substantially match a pre-defined salutation message found on a list of salutation messages.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining that the instant message satisfies the criterion for forwarding the instant message in the electronic mail message comprises determining that the instant message is not a closing message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the instant message is not the closing message comprises performing a textual analysis of the instant message to determine that the instant message does not substantially match a pre-defined closing message found on a list of closing messages.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising querying a user for an approval to send the electronic mail message and receiving the approval.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail message further comprises an instant message transcript.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that forwards an instant message to electronic mail, the computer-usable medium comprising:

computer-usable program code that determines availability of an instant messaging client for a recipient;

computer-usable program code that sends the instant message to the instant messaging client for the recipient;

computer-usable program code that determines that a reply to the instant message has not been received within a pre-defined period of time; and

computer-usable program code that sends an electronic mail message comprising the instant message to the recipient upon reaching the pre-defined period of time.