Programmatic message partner list management

• US 8,516,056 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Lloyd W. Jr., Campbell, Steve R., Jenkins, Jana H., York, Tricia E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/204,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,926 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to instant messaging and real-time communications systems and provide a method, system and computer program product for automated partner list management in a real-time communications system. In one embodiment, a real-time communications data processing system can include a real-time communications server, a history log configured to record user interaction records for different users of the real-time communications server, a set of partner lists for the different users, and partner list management logic coupled to each of the real-time communications server and history log. The partner list management logic can include program code enabled to remove individual ones of the different users from a single one of the partner lists which individual ones of the different users meet at least one configurable criteria.

Claims

1. A real-time communications data processing system comprising:

a real-time communications server;

a history log configured to record user interaction records for different users of said real-time communications server;

a plurality of partner lists for said different users; and

,

partner list management logic coupled to each of said real-time communications server and history log, said partner list management logic comprising program code enabled to remove individual ones of said different users from a single one of said partner lists which individual ones of said different users meet at least one user-configurable criteria.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said real-time communications server is an instant messaging server.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said user interaction records comprise records of a last time said different users logged into said real-time communications server.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein said program code for said partner list management logic is enabled to:

identify individual ones of said different users who have not logged into said real-time communications server in a threshold period of time;

match said identified individual ones of said different users with users in a single one of said partner lists; and

,

selectably remove matching ones of said identified individual ones of said different users from said single one of said partner lists.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said user interaction records comprise records of a last time said different users transmitted a message through said real-time communications server.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said program code for said partner list management logic is enabled to:

identify individual ones of said different users who have not transmitted a message through said real-time communications server in a threshold period of time;

match said identified individual ones of said different users with users in a single one of said partner lists; and

,

selectably remove matching ones of said identified individual ones of said different users from said single one of said partner lists.

7. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said partner lists are buddy lists for different users of an instant messaging system.

8. A computer implemented method for managing partner lists in a real-time communications system having a real-time communications server, the method comprising:

configuring user-selected criteria for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system;

selecting, by the real-time communications server, a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria;

matching, by the real-time communications server, users in said subset with users in a partner list for one of said users of the real-time communications system; and

selectably removing, by the real-time communications server, matched ones of said users from said partner list;

wherein said configuring criteria for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system, comprises selecting a threshold lapsed period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria, comprises selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system who have not logged into the real-time communications system in said threshold lapsed period of time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria, comprises selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system who have not transmitted a message through the real-time communications system in said threshold lapsed period of time.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing duplicate entries for one of said users from different groups in said partner list.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer memory device having computer usable program code for managing partner lists in a real-time communications system, said computer program product including:

computer usable program code for configuring user-selected criteria for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system;

computer usable program code for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria;

computer usable program code for matching users in said subset with users in a partner list for one of said users of the real-time communications system; and

computer usable program code for selectably removing matched ones of said users from said partner list wherein said computer usable program code for configuring criteria for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system, comprises computer usable program code for selecting a threshold lapsed period of time.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said computer usable program code for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria, comprises computer usable program code for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system who have not logged into the real-time communications system in said threshold lapsed period of time.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said computer usable program code for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system according to said configured criteria, comprises computer usable program code for selecting a subset of users in the real-time communications system who have not transmitted a message through the real-time communications system in said threshold lapsed period of time.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code for removing duplicate entries for one of said users from different groups in said partner list.