Instant Messaging Sound Control

• US 20100219937A1
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Yin, Xiaoyan, Matthews, Kelly, Heikes, Brian D., Yurow, Deborah R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/7.620
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

Controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an instant messaging communications session includes rendering, on a first instant messaging user system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least a first instant messaging user and a second instant messaging user, receiving notification of an event related to the instant messaging communications session, determining a characteristic of the event, accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal existence of the event, adjusting based upon the determined characteristic of the event a volume of the audible alert corresponding to the event, and rendering the audible alert to signal existence of the event.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A computer implemented method for sounding audible alerts during an instant messaging conversation, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system on which an instant messaging application is executing, a first instant message in an instant messaging conversation involving a first instant messaging identifier and a second instant messaging identifier, the received first instant message being addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier;

determining that no instant messages addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the first instant message;

as a consequence of having determined that no instant messages addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the first instant message, sounding, at the computer system, an audible alert at a first volume to signal the receipt of the first instant message;

after receiving the first instant message and sounding the audible alert at the first volume, receiving, at the computer system, a second instant message in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier, the received second instant message being addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier;

determining that at least one previous instant message addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the second instant message; and

as a consequence of having determined that at least one previous instant message addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the second instant message, sounding, at the computer system, the audible alert at a second volume that is different from the first volume to signal the receipt of the second instant message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second volume is less than a full volume.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the second volume is one half of a full volume.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the second volume is one quarter of a full volume.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the second volume corresponds to a volume that is barely audible.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving an indication of a user selection of the second volume and the first volume.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the instant messaging communication session comprises a video messaging session.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the instant messaging communication session comprises an audio messaging session.

13. A computer implemented method for sounding audible alerts during an instant messaging conversation, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system on which an instant messaging application is executing, a first instant message in an instant messaging conversation involving a first instant messaging identifier and a second instant messaging identifier, the received first instant message being addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier;

determining that no instant messages addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the first instant message;

as a consequence of having determined that no instant messages addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the first instant message, sounding, at the computer system, an audible alert at a first volume to signal the receipt of the first instant message;

after receiving the first instant message and sounding the audible alert at the first volume, receiving, at the computer system, a second instant message in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier, the received second instant message being addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier;

determining that at least one previous instant message addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the second instant message;

as a consequence of having determined that at least one previous instant message addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier had been received in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier prior to receipt of the second instant message, sounding, at the computer system, the audible alert at a second volume that is different from the first volume to signal the receipt of the second instant message;

after receiving the second instant message and sounding the second alert at the second volume, receiving, at the computer system, a third instant message in the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier, the received third instant message being addressed to the first instant messaging identifier and from the second instant messaging identifier;

determining that at least a predefined period of time has elapsed between receipt of the third instant message and any other previous exchange of instant messages between the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier within the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier; and

as a consequence of having determined that at least the predefined period of time has elapsed between receipt of the third instant message and any other previous exchange of instant messages between the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier within the instant messaging conversation involving the first instant messaging identifier and the second instant messaging identifier, sounding, at the computer system, the audible alert at a third volume that is different from the second volume to signal the receipt of the third instant message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second volume or the third volume is less than a full volume.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the second volume or the third volume is one half of a full volume.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the second volume or the third volume is one quarter of a full volume.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the second volume or the third volume corresponds to a volume that is barely audible.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving an indication of a user selection of the third volume, the second volume and the first volume.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the instant messaging communication session comprises a video messaging session.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the instant messaging communication session comprises an audio messaging session.

21. A computer implemented method for controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an electronic communications session, the method comprising:

rendering, on an user system, an electronic communications user interface for an electronic communications session involving at least an electronic communications recipient and an electronic communications sender;

receiving notification of receipt of an electronic communication from the electronic communications sender;

comparing an identity of the electronic communications sender with an identity of a participant engaged in an active electronic communications session with the electronic communications recipient;

based on results of comparing the identity of the electronic communications sender with the identity of the participant engaged in the active electronic communications session with the electronic communications recipient, determining that the electronic communications recipient presently is engaged in an active electronic communications session with the electronic communications sender and that the electronic communication received from the electronic communications sender is a subsequent electronic communication in the active electronic communications session after an initial electronic communication in the active electronic communications session;

accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal receipt of an electronic communication;

as a consequence of having determined that the electronic communication received from the electronic communications sender is a subsequent electronic communication, adjusting a volume of the audible alert to be rendered to signal receipt of an electronic communication to an alternative volume differing from an initial volume played for the initial electronic communication; and

rendering the audible alert at the adjusted volume to signal receipt of the electronic communication, wherein the audible alert is rendered on the same user system on which the electronic communications user interface is rendered.