Situation based presence notification leveraging
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of managing presence messages, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- a presence notification server receiving, from a presence instruction requesting computer, a presence instruction request;
in response to the receiving the presence instruction request, the presence notification server transmitting a notice to a receiving e-mail user that an unavailability control instruction will be sent, in the future, to an e-mail receiving computer that is used by the receiving e-mail user, wherein the unavailability control instruction will automatically cause the receiving e-mail computer to auto-reply to incoming e-mail messages with a pre-defined unavailability message during an unavailability time period, and wherein the presence instruction requesting computer and the e-mail receiving computer are separate computers that have different users;
the presence notification server receiving an acceptance signal identifying the receiving e-mail user, wherein the acceptance signal is an agreement to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future on the e-mail receiving computer; and
the presence notification server transmitting the unavailability control instruction to the e-mail receiving computer at an initiation of the unavailability time period, wherein the unavailability control instruction causes the e-mail receiving computer to auto-generate the pre-defined unavailability message in response to receiving an e-mail message from an e-mail transmitting computer;
transmitting the notice to a pre-defined group of e-mail users; and
receiving the acceptance signal from participating members of the pre-defined group of e-mail users, wherein the pre-defined group of e-mail users includes the receiving e-mail user, wherein the participating members agree to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future to generate a group unavailability message on their respective e-mail receiving computers, wherein the e-mail message is sent to only a first member of the participating members, and wherein the group unavailability message describes an unavailability presence status of all of the participating members in response to the e-mail message being received by the first member of the participating members.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Presence messages are managed for one or more members of a pre-defined group of e-mail users. An unavailability time period, during which a pre-defined group of e-mail users will be unavailable in the future, is established. A notice, which notifies the pre-defined group of e-mail users that an unavailability control instruction will be sent in the future to participating members of the group of e-mail users, is transmitted to the group of e-mail users. An acceptance signal, identifying the participating members, is received, indicating which members of the group of e-mail users agree to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented on their participating computers in the future. The unavailability control instruction is then transmitted to the participating computers at an initiation of the unavailability time period, in order to auto-generate an appropriate presence message for the participating members.
82 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of managing presence messages, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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a presence notification server receiving, from a presence instruction requesting computer, a presence instruction request; in response to the receiving the presence instruction request, the presence notification server transmitting a notice to a receiving e-mail user that an unavailability control instruction will be sent, in the future, to an e-mail receiving computer that is used by the receiving e-mail user, wherein the unavailability control instruction will automatically cause the receiving e-mail computer to auto-reply to incoming e-mail messages with a pre-defined unavailability message during an unavailability time period, and wherein the presence instruction requesting computer and the e-mail receiving computer are separate computers that have different users; the presence notification server receiving an acceptance signal identifying the receiving e-mail user, wherein the acceptance signal is an agreement to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future on the e-mail receiving computer; and the presence notification server transmitting the unavailability control instruction to the e-mail receiving computer at an initiation of the unavailability time period, wherein the unavailability control instruction causes the e-mail receiving computer to auto-generate the pre-defined unavailability message in response to receiving an e-mail message from an e-mail transmitting computer; transmitting the notice to a pre-defined group of e-mail users; and receiving the acceptance signal from participating members of the pre-defined group of e-mail users, wherein the pre-defined group of e-mail users includes the receiving e-mail user, wherein the participating members agree to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future to generate a group unavailability message on their respective e-mail receiving computers, wherein the e-mail message is sent to only a first member of the participating members, and wherein the group unavailability message describes an unavailability presence status of all of the participating members in response to the e-mail message being received by the first member of the participating members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer system comprising:
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a central processing unit; and a computer readable memory coupled to the central processing unit, wherein the computer readable memory comprises software which, when executed, causes the central processing unit to implement; transmitting a notice to a receiving e-mail user that an unavailability control instruction will be sent, in the future, to an e-mail receiving computer that is used by the receiving e-mail user, wherein the unavailability control instruction will automatically cause the receiving e-mail computer to auto-reply to incoming e-mail messages with a pre-defined unavailability message during an unavailability time period; receiving an acceptance signal identifying the receiving e-mail user, wherein the acceptance signal is an agreement to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future on the e-mail receiving computer; transmitting the unavailability control instruction to the e-mail receiving computer at an initiation of the unavailability time period, wherein the unavailability control instruction causes the e-mail receiving computer to auto-generate the pre-defined unavailability message in response to receiving an e-mail message from an e-mail transmitting computer; transmitting the notice to a pre-defined group of e-mail users; and receiving the acceptance signal from participating members of the pre-defined group of e-mail users, wherein the pre-defined group of e-mail users includes the receiving e-mail user, wherein the participating members agree to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future to generate a group unavailability message on their respective e-mail receiving computers, wherein the e-mail message is sent to only a first member of the participating members, and wherein the group unavailability message describes an unavailability presence status of all of the participating members in response to the e-mail message being received by the first member of the participating members. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodied therewith, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising:
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computer readable program code configured to transmit a notice to a receiving e-mail user that an unavailability control instruction will be sent, in the future, to an e-mail receiving computer that is used by the receiving e-mail user, wherein the unavailability control instruction will automatically cause the receiving e-mail computer to auto-reply to incoming e-mail messages with a pre-defined unavailability message during an unavailability time period; computer readable program code configured to receive an acceptance signal identifying the receiving e-mail user, wherein the acceptance signal is an agreement to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future on the e-mail receiving computer; and computer readable program code configured to transmit the unavailability control instruction to the e-mail receiving computer at an initiation of the unavailability time period, wherein the unavailability control instruction causes the e-mail receiving computer to auto-generate the pre-defined unavailability message in response to receiving an e-mail message from an e-mail transmitting computer; computer readable program code configured to transmit the notice to a pre-defined group of e-mail users; and computer readable program code configured to receive the acceptance signal from participating members of the pre-defined group of e-mail users, wherein the pre-defined group of e-mail users includes the receiving e-mail user, wherein the participating members agree to permit the unavailability control instruction to be received and implemented in the future to generate a group unavailability message on their respective e-mail receiving computers, wherein the e-mail message is sent to only a first member of the participating members, and wherein the group unavailability message describes an unavailability presence status of all of the participating members in response to the e-mail message being received by the first member of the participating members. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification