Method and system for determining probability for availability in an instant message system

• US 20090187650A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cervantes, Ezequiel, Peipelman, Jason L., Ward, Matthew J., Jennas, Paul Anthony, Acedo, Mario Francisco
• Application Number:
  US12/015,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187650A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

This invention provides a method or a system to track, query, and display an accurate time for the availability of other users in an instant messaging environment. The solution provides an advantage over the known solutions by providing an accurate estimation of the time for the user to be online, thus avoiding waiting for the person to log on during a timeframe where the person typically does not log on. This is a common occurrence where team members are located on the other side of the world.

Claims

1. A method for determining the probability of availability in an instant messaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

a user using said instant messaging system;

monitoring said user'"'"'s usage statistic and habits;

wherein said user'"'"'s usage statistic and habits is based on log-in, log-out, duration of usage, frequency of usage, local time, history, vacation, holiday, identities and the corresponding probability of instant message recipients receiving instant message from said user, identities and the corresponding probability of instant message senders sending instant message to said user, topics and the corresponding probability of instant messages, contexts and the corresponding probability of instant messages, backup people receiving messages if said user is not available, message forwarding devices in case said instant messaging system is down, attachments of instant messages, and correlation with events in a calendar;

collecting said user'"'"'s usage statistic and habits;

storing said user'"'"'s usage statistic and habits in a database;

determining a state of said user;

wherein said state of said user comprising of available state, away state, in-meeting state, do-not-disturb state, and unavailable state;

determining a change of said state of said user;

tracking the old state of said user and the new state of said user;

updating said database, based on said change of said state of said user;

querying a statistical data from said database; and

determining the probability of said state of said user at a given time, based on said queried statistical data and correlation between historical information and current information.