Managing a communication availability status

• US 7,747,679 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Galvin, James P., Schirmer, Andrew L., Travis, Amy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US11/840,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20090049168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/205, 709/223, 709/224, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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

Abstract

In response to a first user becoming active on a communication device, a first availability status can be automatically established as a current availability of the first user. A first time period can be automatically identified. During the first time period, the first availability status can be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a second user. In response to the first time period elapsing, a second availability status can be automatically established as the current availability of the first user to the second user.

Claims

1. A method of managing a communication status, the method comprising:

in response to a first user becoming active on a communication device;

via the communication device, automatically establishing a first availability status as a current availability of the first user, wherein the first availability status corresponds to user preferences of the first user; and

via the communication device, automatically identifying a first time period during which the first availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a second user; and

in response to the first time period elapsing, via the communication device, automatically establishing a second availability status as the current availability of the first user to the second user, wherein the second availability status corresponds to the user preferences of the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user becoming active comprises the first user logging onto the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user becoming active comprises the first user entering an input into a user interface of the communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating a first indicator to the second user, the first indicator indicating the first availability status; and

when the first time period has elapsed, via the communication device, communicating a second indicator to the second user, the second indicator indicating the first availability status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating to the second user a period indicator that indicates the first time period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the communication device, automatically identifying a second time period during which the first availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a third user; and

responsive to the second time period elapsing, via the communication device, automatically establishing the second availability status as the current availability of the first user to the third user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating a first indicator to the third user, the first indicator indicating the first availability status; and

when the second time period has elapsed, via the communication device, communicating a second indicator to the third user, the second indicator indicating the second availability status.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating to the third user a period indicator that indicates the second time period.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the communication device, automatically establishing a third availability status as a current availability of the first user;

via the communication device, automatically identifying a second time period during which the third availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a third user; and

in response to the second time period elapsing, via the communication device, automatically establishing a fourth availability status as the current availability of the first user to the third user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating a first indicator to the third user, the first indicator indicating the third availability status; and

when the second time period has elapsed, via the communication device, communicating a second indicator to the third user, the second indicator indicating the fourth availability status.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating to the third user a period indicator that indicates the second time period.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the communication device, restarting at least the first time period in response to a user selection.

13. A method of managing a communication status, the method comprising:

via a communication device, establishing a first availability status as a current availability of a first user, wherein the first availability status corresponds to user preferences of the first user;

via the communication device, identifying a first time period during which the first availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a second user;

via the communication device, identifying a second time period during which the first availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a third user;

responsive to the first time period elapsing, via the communication device, automatically establishing a second availability status as the current availability of the first user to the second user, wherein the second availability status corresponds to the user preferences of the first user; and

responsive to the second time period elapsing, via the communication device, automatically establishing a second availability status as the current availability of the first user to the third user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating a first indicator to the second user, the first indicator indicating the first availability status; and

when the first time period has elapsed, via the communication device, communicating a second indicator to the second user, the second indicator indicating the second availability status.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating to the second user a period indicator that indicates the first time period.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating the first indicator to the third user; and

when the second time period has elapsed, via the communication device, communicating the second indicator to the third user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

via the communication device, communicating to the third user a period indicator that indicates the second time period.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

responsive to a user selection, via the communication device, restarting at least one time period selected from the group consisting of the first time period and the second time period.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer storage media comprising computer-usable program code that manages a communication status, the computer storage media comprising;

computer-usable program code that, in response to a first user becoming active on a communication device;

automatically establishes a first availability status as a current availability of the first user, wherein the first availability status corresponds to user preferences of the first user; and

automatically identifies a first time period during which the first availability status is to be maintained as the current availability of the first user to at least a second user; and

computer-usable program code that, in response to the first time period elapsing, automatically establishes a second availability status as the current availability of the first user to the second user, wherein the second availability status corresponds to the user preferences of the first user.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer storage media further comprises:

computer-usable program code that communicates a first indicator to the second user, the first indicator indicating the first availability status; and

computer-usable program code that, when the first time period has elapsed, communicates a second indicator to the second user, the second indicator indicating the first availability status.