USER INITIATED RULE-BASED RESTRICTIONS ON MESSAGING APPLICATIONS

• US 20110314106A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bansal, Ravi P., Gandhi, Salil P., Kottawar, Saidas T., Mahajan, Sandip D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for user initiated rule based restrictions on sending messages from a sender to a receiver in a communications network. The receiver establishes a set of rules for the sender that allows the sender a limited number of defined messages events with the receiver. The defined message events may be messages or message sessions. When the sender attempts to send a message to the receiver, it is determined whether a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver. If a current session exists, the rules set by the receiver are used to determine if the message is allowed to be sent to the receiver. If a session does not currently exist, the rules are used to determine whether a new session is allowed. If a new message session is allowed, a new session is established, and the message is sent to the receiver during the new session.

Claims

1. A rule based method of sending messages from a sender to a receiver in a communications network, the method comprising:

the receiver establishing a set of rules for the sender and storing the set of rules in a datastore, said set of rules including allowing the sender a limited number of defined message events with the receiver;

the sender attempting to send a message to the receiver;

determining whether a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver;

if a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver, accessing said set of rules in the data store, by using one or more processing units executing a data access program, and determining if the sender is allowed, based on said set of rules, to send the message to the receiver during said message session currently existing;

if the sender is allowed to send said message during the message session currently existing, sending the message to the receiver;

if a message session does not currently exist between the sender and the receiver, determining, based on said set of rules, whether a new message session is allowed between the sender and the receiver; and

if said new message session is allowed, establishing the new message session between the sender and the receiver, and sending the message to the receiver during said new message session.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined message events are messages from the sender to the receiver.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined message events are message sessions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining if the sender is allowed to send the message to the receiver during said message session currently existing includes determining if the message session currently existing has timed out.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said determining if the sender is allowed to send the message to the receiver during the message session currently existing includes determining whether the receiver allows the message to be sent to the receiver in the message session currently existing even if the message session currently existing has timed out.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver establishing a set of rules includes the receiver setting a limit on the number of message sessions allowed between the sender and the receiver during a defined time period; and

the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes determining whether said limit on the number of message sessions has been reached.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the determining whether said limit has been reached includes, if said limit has been reached, alerting the sender that said limit has been reached, and blocking the message from the receiver.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the establishing a set of rules includes setting an alert threshold number of message sessions below said limit; and

the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes determining whether said alert threshold number of message sessions has been reached; and

if said alert threshold number has been reached, alerting the sender that said alert threshold number has been reached.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the setting the limit on the number of message sessions includes informing the sender of said limit

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the setting the limit on the number of message sessions includes:

keeping a count of the number of message sessions between the sender and the receiver during said defined time period; and

not including in said count selected ones of the message sessions between the sender and the receiver, said selected ones of the messages sessions being determined by criteria set by the receiver.

11. A rule based system for sending messages from a sender to a receiver in a communications network, the system comprising:

a receiver unit for receiving a set of rules for the sender;

a datastore for storing the set of rules, said set of rules including allowing the sender a limited number of defined message events with the receiver;

a sender unit for attempting to send a message to the receiver unit; and

one or more processor units including instructions for;

determining whether a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver;

if a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver, accessing said set of rules in the data store and determining if the sender is allowed, based on said set of rules, to send the message to the receiver during said message session currently existing;

if the sender is allowed to send said message during the message session currently existing, sending the message to the receiver;

if a message session does not currently exist between the sender and the receiver, determining, based on said set of rules, whether a new message session is allowed between the sender and the receiver; and

if said new message session is allowed, establishing the new message session between the sender and the receiver, and sending the message to the receiver during said new message session.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the defined message events are messages from the sender to the receiver.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the defined message events are message sessions.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein

the set of rules includes a limit on the number of message sessions allowed between the sender unit and the receiver unit during a defined time period;

and

the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes determining whether said limit on the number of message sessions has been reached; and

if said limit has been reached, alerting the sender unit that said limit has been reached, and blocking the message from the receiver unit.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

the establishing a set of rules includes setting an alert threshold number of message sessions below said limit; and

the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes determining whether said alert threshold number of message sessions has been reached; and

, if said alert threshold has been reached, alerting the sender that said alert threshold has been reached.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code logic to execute machine instructions in one or more processing units for implementing rule-based restrictions on a messaging application in a communication network, wherein a receiver establishes a set of rules for a sender, and the sender attempts to send a message to the receiver, said computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following;

storing the set of rules in a datastore, said set of rules including allowing the sender a limited number of messages sessions with the receiver;

determining whether a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver;

if a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver, accessing said set of rules in the data store, and determining if the sender is allowed, based on said set of rules, to send the message to the receiver during said message session currently existing;

if the sender is allowed to send said message during the message session currently existing, sending the message to the receiver;

if a message session does not currently exist between the sender and the receiver, determining, based on said set of rules, whether a new message session is allowed between the sender and the receiver; and

if said new message session is allowed, establishing the new message session between the sender and the receiver, and sending the message to the receiver during said new message session.

17. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said determining if the sender is allowed to send the message to the receiver during said message session currently existing includes:

determining if the message session currently existing has timed out; and

determining whether the receiver allows the message to be sent to the receiver in the message session currently existing even if the message session currently existing has timed out.

18. The article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein the set of rules includes a limit on the number of message sessions allowed between the sender and the receiver during a defined time period, and wherein the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes:

determining whether said limit on the number of message sessions has been reached; and

if said limit has been reached, alerting the sender that said limit has been reached, and blocking the message from the receiver.

19. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the set of rules includes an alert threshold number of message sessions below said limit, and wherein the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes:

determining whether said alert threshold number of message sessions has been reached; and

if said alert threshold has been reached, alerting the sender that said alert threshold has been reached.

20. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the set of rules includes a limit on the number of message sessions allowed between the sender and the receiver during a defined time period, and wherein the determining whether a new message session is allowed includes:

keeping a count of the number of message sessions between the sender and the receiver during said defined time period; and

not including in said count selected ones of the message sessions between the sender and the receiver, said selected ones of the messages sessions being determined by criteria set by the receiver.