Method, system, and computer program product for providing an instant messaging interface with dynamically generated message buttons

• US 7,716,294 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D., Daniels, Fonda J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KIET G
• Application Number:
  US11/221,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709217-219, 345/760, 714/46, 715/744, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for providing an instant messaging (IM) interface with dynamically generated message buttons. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: retrieving information from a user associated application; dynamically generating a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy; and rendering the dynamically generated message button on the IM interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing an instant messaging (IM) window with a dynamically generated message button, comprising:

retrieving information from a user associated application, wherein the information retrieved from the user associated application is associated with one of a task or an event, the task including one of talking on the phone or checking voicemail, and the event including one of an appointment or a meeting;

dynamically generating a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy;

formatting the dynamically generated message button based on the one of the task or the event;

rendering the dynamically generated message button within the IM window;

sending a predefined IM message to at least one participant in an IM session in response to the actuation of the dynamically generated message button by a distinct participant in the IM session, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the one of the task or the event and indicates an availability of the distinct participant to participate in the IM session; and

removing the dynamically generated message button from the IM window in response to completion of the one of the task or the event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the dynamically generated message button.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a future event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the task.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the task is talking on the phone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the task is checking voicemail.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the event is the appointment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the event is the meeting.

4. A method for deploying an application for providing an instant messaging (IM) window with a dynamically generated message button, comprising:

providing at least one computer being operable to;

retrieve information from a user associated application, wherein the information retrieved from the user associated application is associated with one of a task or an event, the task including one of talking on the phone or checking voicemail, and the event including one of an appointment or a meeting;

dynamically generate a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy;

format the dynamically generated message button based on the one of the task or the event;

render the dynamically generated message button within the IM window;

send a predefined IM message to at least one participant in an IM session in response to an actuation of the dynamically generated message button by a distinct participant in the IM session, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the one of the task or the event and indicates an availability of the distinct participant to participate in the IM session; and

remove the dynamically generated message button from the IM window in response to completion of the one of the task or the event.

5. A system for providing an instant messaging (IM) window with a dynamically generated message button, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising;

a system for retrieving information from a user associated application, wherein the information retrieved from the user associated application is associated with one of a task or an event, the task including one of talking on the phone or checking voicemail, and the event including one of an appointment or a meeting;

a system for dynamically generating a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy;

a system for formatting the dynamically generated message button based on the one of the task or the event;

a system for rendering the dynamically generated message button within the IM window;

a system for sending a predefined IM message to at least one participant in an IM session in response to an actuation of the dynamically generated message button by a distinct participant in the IM session, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the one of the task or the event and indicates an availability of the distinct participant to participate in the IM session; and

a system for removing the dynamically generated message button from the IM window in response to completion of the one of the task or the event.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a system for actuating the dynamically generated message button.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the event is a future event.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the task.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the task is talking on the phone.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the task is checking voicemail.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the event.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the event is the appointment.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the event is the meeting.

8. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for providing an instant messaging (IM) window with a dynamically generated message button, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code for performing the steps of:

retrieving information from a user associated application, wherein the information retrieved from the user associated application is associated with one of a task or an event, the task including one of talking on the phone or checking voicemail, and the event including one of an appointment or a meeting;

dynamically generating a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy;

formatting the dynamically generated message button based on the one of the task or the event;

rendering the dynamically generated message button within the IM window;

sending a predefined IM message to at least one participant in an IM session in response to the actuation of the dynamically generated message button by a distinct participant in the IM session, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the one of the task or the event and indicates an availability of the distinct participant to participate in the IM session; and

removing the dynamically generated message button from the IM window in response to completion of the one of the task or the event.

22. The program product of claim 8, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the task.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein the task is talking on the phone.

24. The program product of claim 22, wherein the task is checking voicemail.

25. The program product of claim 8, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the event.

26. The program product of claim 25, wherein the event is the appointment.

27. The program product of claim 25, wherein the event is the meeting.

9. A method for providing an instant messaging (IM) window, comprising:

retrieving information from an application, wherein the information retrieved from the application is associated with one of a task or an event, the task including one of talking on the phone or checking voicemail, and the event including one of an appointment or a meeting;

dynamically generating a message button based on the retrieved information and a user policy, wherein the dynamically generated message button is associated with a predefined IM message;

rendering the dynamically generated message button within the IM window;

sending the predefined IM message to at least one participant in an IM session in response to an actuation of the dynamically generated message button by a distinct participant in the IM session, wherein the predefined IM message is associated with the one of the task or the event and indicates an availability of the distinct participant to participate in the IM session; and

removing the dynamically generated message button from the IM window in response to completion of the one of the task or the event.