Interactive client computer communication

• US 9,124,447 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Brian D., Lagarde, Konrad C., Stewart, Eben P., Van Der Meulen, Michael, Wu, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US10/207,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,785 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/2, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

Two way communication is provided in a one to many pub/sub environment. A community of users admitted to the community by subscription authorization receive messages (preferably Instant Messages) published from a requesting user. The request message is sent to a robot user (program application) that represents the community of users but appears to the community as simply another user. The robot user publishes the request message (using a pub/sub service) to the community of users. A user in the community of users receives messages to the community according to his personal message filter. The user responds to the requesting user with a response message. The response message includes information identifying the request message.

Claims

1. A method for initiating an electronic conversation with a cooperating community of users, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a subscription from at least one user of a community of users at a pub/sub service, the received subscription to a channel of said pub/sub service, the channel having a topic of interest to said community of users, each non-publishing user of said community of users being unidentified to other users in said community of users during the electronic conversation, said user being authenticated by said pub/sub service as being willing to receive questions about said topic of said channel;

receiving at said pub/sub service a first message to be published from a first user to said community of users, said first message having a first user address of said first user and a text portion including a question related to the topic of interest, retrieving by said pub/sub service a list of authenticated users in said community of users for receiving said first message; and

publishing said first message by way of said pub/sub service to each user in said community of users as determined by said retrieved list, according to a predetermined plan, such that a second user in said community of users, by filtering said text portion of said first message at said second user for a specific topic of interest, is enabled to send an answer to a question in said first message of said specific topic of interest by a second message from said second user to said first user using said first user address, said filtering at said second user allowing messages of said specific interest of interest to the second user to be received by said second user while blocking other messages.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein any one of said first message or said second message is any one of an instant message (IM) or an email message.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of authorizing said first user to publish messages to said community of unidentified users.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of approving said second user as a subscriber to said community of unidentified users.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pub/sub channel is programmably represented to users as any one of a channel icon, or a Bot.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined plan comprises permitting publication of messages containing a predetermined keyword or phrase.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said keyword is any one of ask, find or help.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

displaying said first message to said second user at said computer terminal according to filtering criteria, said filtering criteria consisting of any one of message topic, sub-topic, message content keyword, message content phrase, message content boolean match or message content type.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first message identifying information consists of any one of text of said first message, a program created identifier, information about said first user, information about said second user or a sequence number.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

displaying said first message to said second user at said computer terminal in a special GUI window.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first message comprises the first message identifying information, wherein the first message further comprises information identifying said first user, said method comprising the further steps of:

receiving channel subscription requests from users requesting subscription to the selected pub/sub channel;

approving a plurality of users requesting subscription to the selected pub/sub channel;

saving user addresses of the approved plurality of users as the list; and

associating the list with said selected pub/sub channel.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of providing the message receiving application program to the respective users.

13. A system for initiating an electronic conversation with a cooperating community of users, the system comprising:

a network; and

a pub/sub service computer system in communication with the network, the pub/sub service computer system comprising a pub/sub service including;

a function receiving a subscription from at least one user of a community of users, the received subscription to a channel of said pub/sub service, the channel having a topic of interest to said community of users, each non-publishing user of said community of users being unidentified to other users in said community of users during the electronic conversation, said user being authenticated by said pub/sub service as being willing to receive questions about said topic of said channel;

a function in said pub/sub service receiving a first message to be published from a first user to said community of users, said first message having a first user address of said first user and a text portion including a question related to the topic of interest;

a function in said pub/sub service retrieving a list of authenticated users in said community of users for receiving said first message; and

a function in said pub/sub service publishing said first message to each user in said community of users as determined by said retrieved list, according to a predetermined plan, such that a second user in said community of users, by receiving said first message and filtering said text portion of said first message at said second user for a specific topic of interest, is enabled to send an answer to a question in said first message of said specific topic of interest by second message from said second user to said first user using said first user address, said filtering at said second user allowing messages of said specific interest to the second user to be received by said second user while blocking other messages.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein any one of said first message or said second message is any one of an instant message (IM) or an email message.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pulp/sub service further includes a function authorizing said first user to publish messages to said community of unidentified users.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pub/sub service further includes a function approving said second user as a subscriber to said community of unidentified users.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said pub/sub channel is programmably represented to users as any one of a channel icon, or a Bot.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined plan comprises permitting publication of messages containing a predetermined keyword or phrase.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said keyword is any one of ask, find or help.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pub/sub service further includes:

a function receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

a function displaying said first message to said second user at said computer terminal according to filtering criteria, said filtering criteria consisting of any one of message topic, sub-topic, message content keyword, message content phrase, message content boolean match or message content type.

21. The system according to claim 13, wherein said first message identifying information consists of any one of text of said first message, a program created identifier, information about said first user, information about said second user or a sequence number.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pub/sub service further includes:

a function receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

a function displaying said first message to said second user at said computer terminal in a special GUI window.

23. The system according to claim 13, comprising providing the message receiving application program to the respective users.

24. A computer program product for initiating an electronic conversation with a cooperating community of users, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising the steps of;

receiving a subscription from at least one user of a community of users at a pub/sub service, the received subscription to a channel of said pub/sub service, the channel having a topic of interest to said community of users, each non-publishing user of said community of users being unidentified to other users in said community of users during the electronic conversation, said user being authenticated by said pub/sub service as being willing to receive questions about said topic of said channel;

receiving at said pub/sub service a first message to be published from a first user to said community of users, said first message having a first user address of said first user and a text portion including a question related to the topic of interest;

retrieving by said pub/sub service a first of authenticated users in said community of users for receiving said first message; and

publishing said first message by way of said pub/sub service to each user in said community of users as determined by said retrieved list, according to a predetermined plan, such that a second user in said community of users, by filtering said text portion of said first message at said second user for a specific topic of interest, is enabled to send an answer to a question in said first message of said specific topic of interest by second message from said second user to said first user using said first user address, said filtering at said second user allowing messages of said specific interest of interest to the second user to be received by said second user while blocking other messages.

25. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein any one of said first message or said second message is any one of an instant message (IM) or an email message.

26. The computer program product according to claim 24, said method comprising the further step of authorizing said first user to publish messages to said community of unidentified users.

27. The computer program product according to claim 24, said method comprising the further step of approving said second user as a subscriber to said community of unidentified users.

28. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein said pub/sub channel is programmably represented to users as any one of a channel icon, or a Bot.

29. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein said predetermined plan comprises permitting publication of messages containing a predetermined keyword or phrase.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said keyword is any one of ask, find or help.

31. The computer program product according to claim 24, said method comprising the further steps of:

receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

said first message to said second user at said computer terminal according to filtering criteria, said filtering criteria consisting of any one of message topic, sub-topic, message content keyword, message content phrase, message content boolean match or message content type.

32. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein said first message identifying information consists of any one of text of said first message, a program created identifier, information about said rust user, information about said second user or a sequence number.

33. The computer program product according to claim 24, said method comprising the further steps of:

receiving at a computer terminal said first published message; and

displaying said first message to said second user at said computer terminal in a special GUI window.

34. The computer program product according to claim 24, said method comprising the further step of providing the message receiving application program to the respective users.