CONTROLLING INSTANT MESSAGING SETTINGS BASED ON CALENDAR APPLICATION ENTRIES

• US 20090164578A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Demsky, Scott H., Guasti, Peter J., Ferguson, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method for adjusting an instant messaging control mechanism can include the steps of determining a control setting for an instant messaging control mechanism based upon a calendar application entry, and responsive to the determining step, automatically adjusting the instant messaging control mechanism to the control setting. In one embodiment, the determining step can be performed by a calendar application to which the calendar application entry corresponds and can be performed responsive to a calendar event. In a further embodiment, the calendar application can establish a time at which the control setting is to be adjusted. The adjusting step can occur at approximately the established time, where the calendar event can occur in advance of the established time.

Claims

1. A computer system for adjusting instant messaging control settings of an instant messaging application comprising:

a calendar application configured to create, edit, and receive notifications concerning calendar entries;

an instant messaging application having a configurable control mechanism for adjusting instant messaging settings;

a control mechanism adjustment routine that executes separately from routines of the instant messaging application and that is integrated with the calendar application, wherein said control mechanism adjustment routine detects a calendar event associated with a calendar application entry of the calendar application, the calendar event including at least one of a creation of the calendar application entry, an editing of the calendar application entry, and a receipt of a notification for the calendar application entry;

upon detection of the calendar event, prompts a user of the instant messaging application to decide whether to manually adjust a control setting or let the control setting be adjusted automatically based on the calendar application entry;

accepts the control setting manually provided by the user if the user decides to manually adjust the control setting; and

looks up a default setting and adjusts the control setting automatically to the default setting if the user decides to let the control setting be adjusted automatically.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism adjustment routine further comprises:

a user interface for prompting a user for input regarding the instant messaging availability settings, wherein the control mechanism adjustment routine adjusts the instant messaging availability settings in accordance with input received through the user interface.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises:

an interface element for a user to specify a type of availability blocking;

an interface element for a user to specify a set of users that are to be affected by the by one of the adjustments to the instant messaging availability settings; and

an interface element for a user to specify a duration for which one of the adjustments to the instant messaging availability settings is to be applied.

4. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

detecting a calendar event associated with a calendar application entry of a calendar application, the calendar event including at least one of a creation of the calendar application entry, an editing of the calendar application entry, and a receipt of a notification for the calendar application entry;

upon detection of the calendar event, prompting a user of an instant messaging application to decide whether to manually adjust a control setting or let the control setting be adjusted automatically based on the calendar application entry;

adjusting the control setting manually by the user if the user decides to manually adjust the control setting; and

looking up a default setting and adjusting the control setting automatically to the default setting if the user decides to let the control setting be adjusted automatically.

5. The machine-readable storage of claim 4, wherein the calendar application establishes a time at which the adjusted control setting is to be applied, wherein the calendar event occurs in advance of the established time.