Calendar-enhanced awareness for instant messaging systems and electronic status boards

• US 7,284,002 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sundstrom, Robert J., Kovales, Renee M., Haverstock, Paul W., Doss, J. Smith, Pozefsky, Diane P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus; Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US10/738,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method, system, and product are disclosed for providing calendar-enhanced awareness/presence information for instant messaging systems and electronic status boards. This invention automates status transitions, enhances and automates status messages, and automates and extends the IM “who can see me” function. Additionally, this invention extends awareness to dimensions other than IM status, to include availability in-person, via telephone, via wireless device or wireless messaging device (e.g., pager).

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for providing dynamic contact information, the method comprising:

identifying changes in dynamic contact information for a user;

sending the changes to at least one of an instant messaging system server and an electronic status board server, said instant messaging system server for passing instant messages between a plurality of instant messaging system subscriber users and said electronic status board server for causing dynamic contact information for a plurality of electronic status board users to be displayed to a plurality of electronic status board subscriber users, wherein the changes are used by the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server to change the dynamic contact information for the user; and

specifying at least one preference for defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the subscriber users of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

sending the changes to the other of the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server, wherein the changes are used by the other of the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server to change dynamic contact information for the user and the change in the dynamic contact information for the user is accessible to subscriber users of the other of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic contact information comprises communications device status for the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a preference is defined such that the dynamic contact information amount is display to all subscriber users of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.

5. A data processing system comprising:

an instant messaging system server or an electronic status board server to maintain dynamic contact information for an instant messaging system user or an electronic status board user in which the dynamic contact information is provided to a group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users, said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server to receive updated dynamic contact information from a client for the instant messaging system user or the electronic status board user and said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server to change the dynamic contact information for the user based on receiving the updated dynamic contact information, and said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server receiving at least one preference defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server receives a preference defining that the dynamic contact information amount will be displayed to the entire group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users.

7. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said instant messaging system server receives a preference from one instant messaging system subscriber user defining an amount of dynamic contact information from other subscriber users to be displayed by a client corresponding to the one subscriber user.

8. A data processing system comprising:

a module to identify changes in dynamic contact information for a user, a module to send the changes to at least one of an instant messaging system server and an electronic status board server, wherein said instant messaging system server passes instant messages between a plurality of instant messaging system subscriber users, and wherein said electronic status board server causes dynamic contact information for a plurality of electronic status board users to be displayed to a plurality of electronic status board subscriber users, and wherein the changes are used by the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server to change the dynamic contact information for the user and a module to specify at least one preference for defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the subscriber users of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.

9. A data processing system for managing dynamic contact information, the data processing system comprising:

an instant messaging system server or an electronic status board server to maintain dynamic contact information for an instant messaging system user or an electronic status board user, wherein the dynamic contact information is capable of being provided to a group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users;

said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server to receive updated dynamic contact information from a client for the instant messaging system user or electronic status board user;

said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server, responsive to receiving the updated dynamic contact information, to change the dynamic contact information for the user based on receiving the updated dynamic contact information; and

said instant messaging system server or electronic status board server to receive at least one preference defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the changed dynamic contact information comprises an identification of at least one of when the user is in an office, at an alternate work location, free, in a meeting, available via cell phone, and available via pager.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the client is at least one of a personal digital assistant, a phone, a laptop computer, and a personal computer.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the dynamic contact information comprises at least one of status information for the user derived from a calendar and contact information derived from the calendar.

13. A data processing system for providing dynamic contact information, the data processing system comprising:

a module to identify changes in dynamic contact information for a user;

a module to send the changes to at least one of an instant messaging system server and an electronic status board server, wherein said instant messaging system server passes instant messages between a plurality of instant messaging system subscriber users, and wherein said electronic status board server causes dynamic contact information for a plurality of electronic status board users to be displayed to a plurality of electronic status board subscriber users, and wherein the changes are used by the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server to change the dynamic contact information for the user; and

a module to specify at least one preference for defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the subscriber users of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium comprising computer usable program code for managing dynamic contact information, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for maintaining dynamic contact information for an instant messaging system user or an electronic status board user, wherein the dynamic contact information is provided to at least one of a group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users;

computer usable program code for receiving updated dynamic contact information from a client for the instant messaging system user or electronic status board user; and

computer usable program code, responsive to receiving the updated dynamic contact information, for changing the dynamic contact information for the user based on receiving the updated dynamic contact information; and

computer usable program code for receiving at least one preference defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the group of clients for instant messaging system subscriber users or electronic status board subscriber users.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium comprising computer usable program code for providing dynamic contact information, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying changes in dynamic contact information for a user;

computer usable program code for sending the changes to at least one of an instant messaging system server and an electronic status board server, wherein said instant messaging system server passes instant messages between a plurality of instant messaging system subscriber users, and wherein said electronic status board server causes dynamic contact information for a plurality of electronic status board users to be displayed to a plurality of electronic status board subscriber users, wherein the changes are used by the instant messaging system server and the electronic status board server to change dynamic contact information for the user; and

computer program code to specify at least one preference for defining an amount of the dynamic contact information for the user that is displayed and whether or not the defined dynamic contact information amount is displayed to all or only a subset of the subscriber users of the instant messaging system and the electronic status board.