Messenger assistant for personal information management
First Claim
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1. A real-time communications system comprising:
- a plurality of distributed communications devices communicating with each other over a network;
an instant messenger on two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices, each said instant messenger on said two or more providing user status information from instant messengers on one or more others other of said two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices; and
a Messenger Assistant on each of said two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices, said Messenger Assistant interfacing with personal information manager (PIM) data for a respective user, said Messenger Assistant providing user provided status updates to, and retrieving user status updates from, said PIM data for said respective user and providing said user status updates to a corresponding said instant messenger, wherein said user status is user presence and availability status for a user of a respective communications device, said instant messenger on said respective communications device automatically indicating availability state of said user to other instant messengers in real-time.
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Abstract
A real-time communications device, a real-time communications system of networked distributed such devices and method and program product for operating such devices. The device includes a personal information manager (PIM), an instant messenger and a Messenger Assistant. The device may also include an e-mail client. The Messenger Assistant automatically provides appointment/status information from the PIM to the instant messenger, which passes status to identified buddies. The Messenger Assistant may also monitor local presence and e-mail and update status based on local presence changes and on incoming e-mail.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A real-time communications system comprising:
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a plurality of distributed communications devices communicating with each other over a network; an instant messenger on two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices, each said instant messenger on said two or more providing user status information from instant messengers on one or more others other of said two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices; and a Messenger Assistant on each of said two or more of said plurality of distributed communications devices, said Messenger Assistant interfacing with personal information manager (PIM) data for a respective user, said Messenger Assistant providing user provided status updates to, and retrieving user status updates from, said PIM data for said respective user and providing said user status updates to a corresponding said instant messenger, wherein said user status is user presence and availability status for a user of a respective communications device, said instant messenger on said respective communications device automatically indicating availability state of said user to other instant messengers in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A real-time communications device for communicating with other distributed communications devices networked together in a real-time communications system, said real-time communications device comprising:
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a personal information manager (PIM) locally storing status change data with PIM data; an instant messenger displaying status information available from selected other communications devices and making current status available to said selected other communications devices; and a Messenger Assistant interfacing with personal information manager (PIM) data, said Messenger Assistant providing user provided status updates to, and retrieving user status updates from, said PIM data for a respective user and providing status changes to said instant messenger, said instant messenger automatically indicating availability state of said respective user to other instant messengers in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of automatically providing real-time user status to selected distributed communications devices networked together in a real-time communications system, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) retrieving current user status from personal information manager (PIM) data for a respective user; b) passing said current user status to an instant messenger for distribution to instant messengers for identified buddies; and c) waiting for a user status change event and updating said PIM data whenever said PIM data is inconsistent with said user status change event, said instant messenger automatically indicating availability state of said respective user to other instant messengers in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer program product for communicating in real-time with a network of distributed communications devices in a real-time communications system, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:
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computer program code means for instant messaging with other identified instant messaging buddies; computer program code means for managing calendar information; and computer program code means for interfacing said calendar information to an instant messenger and for providing user provided status information updates to said calendar information and up to date user status information to said instant messenger, provided said user status information being passed to said instant messaging buddies, said instant messenger automatically indicating availability state of said respective user to other instant messengers in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
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a) retrieve current user status from personal information manager (PIM) data for a respective user; b) pass said current user status to an instant messenger for distribution to instant messengers for identified buddies; c) wait for a user status change event; d) determine said change events that are appointment events; e) identify an availability rule for each determined appointment event, said availability rule providing availability status; and f) update said current user status in said PIM data with said availability status whenever said PIM data is inconsistent with said user status change event and return to step (a), said instant messenger automatically indicating availability state of said respective user to other instant messengers in real-time. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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Specification