Changing sound alerts during a messaging session

• US 8,713,120 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heikes, Brian D., Yin, Xiaoyan, Yurow, Deborah R., Matthews, Kelly, Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US13/620,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 591 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

Controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an instant messaging communications session includes rendering, on a first instant messaging user system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least a first instant messaging user and a second instant messaging user, receiving notification of an event related to the instant messaging communications session, determining a characteristic of the event, accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal existence of the event, adjusting based upon the determined characteristic of the event a volume of the audible alert corresponding to the event, and rendering the audible alert to signal existence of the event.

Claims

1. a method comprising:

receiving a first electronic message from a first source;

providing, on a client device, a first alert at a first volume to indicate receipt of the first electronic message,

receiving a second electronic message from the first source; and

determining, using at least one processor, that the second electronic message is a subsequent message, wherein the second message is different from the first message,

based on the determination that the second message is a subsequent message, providing, on the client device, a second alert at a second volume to indicate receipt of the subsequent electronic message, wherein the first volume is different than the second volume.

6. the method as recited in claim 1,further comprising:

receiving a third electronic message from a second source; and

playing, on the client device, a third alert at a third volume to indicate receipt of the third electronic message.

7. the method as recited in claim 6, wherein the third alert comprises an identifier associated with the second source and is played upon receiving electronic messages from the second source.

8. the method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the third electronic message comprises a notification; and

the second source comprises a software application.

2. the method wherein the first source comprises a co-user of a communication system.

3. the method wherein the electronic message comprises an instant message.

4. the method wherein the first alert comprises an identifier associated with the first co-user and is played upon receiving electronic messages from the first user.

5. the method wherein the second volume is twenty-five percent or less of the first volume.

9. a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a first electronic message from a first source;

providing a first alert at a first volume to indicate receipt of the first electronic message;

receiving a second electronic message from the first source,

determining, using at least one processor, that the second electronic message is a subsequent message, wherein the second message is different from the first message,

based on the determination that the second message is a subsequent message, providing, on the client device, a second alert at a second volume to indicate receipt of the subsequent electronic message, wherein the first volume is different than the second volume.

10. the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the second volume is twenty-five percent or less of the first volume.

11. the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the first alert differs from the second alert.

12. the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the first alert comprises an identifier associated with the first source and is played upon receiving electronic messages from the first source.

13. the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic message comprises an instant message.

14. a method comprising:

receiving, at a first client device, a first electronic message from a first source;

providing, at the first client device, a first alert at a first volume to indicate receipt of the first electronic message from the first source;

receiving, at the first client device, a second electronic message from the first source,

determining, using at least one processor, whether the second electronic message is a subsequent message,

if the second electronic message is a subsequent message, providing, on the client device, a second alert at a second volume to indicate receipt of the second electronic message from the first source, the second volume is different than the first volume;

if the second electronic message is not a subsequent message, providing, the second alert at the first volume to indicate receipt of the second electronic message from the first source.

15. the method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

determining whether the second electronic message is a subsequent message comprises determining if a predetermined period of time has lapsed since receipt of an electronic message.

16. the method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first and second electronic messages comprise instant messages.

17. the method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first client device comprises a mobile device.

18. the method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first source and comprises a co-user of a communications system.

19. the method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a third electronic message from a second source; and

playing, on the client device, a third alert at a third volume to indicate receipt of the third electronic message;

wherein third electronic message comprises a notification, and the second source comprises a software application.

20. the method as recited in claim 19, wherein the software application comprises an instant messaging program.