Fatigue control-based message float-out method, system and instant messaging client

• US 9,350,688 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Mei, Wang, Guan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOWA, TIMOTHY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US13/718,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method of controlling float-out messages, a system for controlling float-out messages, an instant messaging client for controlling float-out messages, and a computer program product for controlling float-out messages. A method of controlling float-out messages is provided. The method includes in the event that there is a float-out message that is ready to be sent to a recipient, determining a current status of the recipient of the float-out message, in the event that the current status of the recipient is online, determining whether the float-out message should be sent to the recipient, including determining whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached a threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether the recipient is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in, in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value, pushing the float-out message to the recipient to be made available for float out by the recipient, and updating the identifier value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling float-out messages, comprising:

setting a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and priority levels for the float-out messages;

in the event that at least one float-out message is ready to be sent to a recipient;

determining a current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline;

storing the at least one float-out message;

upon first log in after the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline, determining whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached the threshold value; and

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

determining a possible number of float-out messages to be sent based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

in the event that a number of the at least one float-out message to be sent exceeds the possible number of float-out messages to be sent, selecting the determined possible number of float-out messages from the at least one float-out message to be sent based on a priority level of the at least one float-out message to be sent; and

transmitting the selected possible number of the at least one float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient is online;

determining, using one or more processors, whether the float-out message should be sent to the recipient, including determining whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached a threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether the recipient is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

pushing the float-out message to the recipient to be made available for float out by the recipient; and

updating the identifier value.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein in the event that the identifier value has reached the threshold value, the method further comprising storing the float-out message.

3. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising recording of the number of float-out messages received by the recipient.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

recording of a log of the float-out message, the log including time information used to express a validity period of the float-out message; and

determining whether the time information of the log of the float-out message falls within the validity period, wherein determining whether the identifier value of the recipient has reached the threshold value is performed in the event that the float-out message falls within the validity period.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

recording of a log of the float-out message, the log including mandatory information used to indicate whether float out of the float-out message is mandatory;

determining whether the mandatory information of the log of the float-out message indicates that float out of the float-out message is mandatory; and

in the event that the mandatory information indicates that the float-out message is not mandatory, determining whether the identifier value of the recipient has reached the threshold value.

6. The method as described in claim 3 further comprises:

setting in advance of the updating of the identifier value a fatigue period and a limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, wherein the updating of the identifier value comprises;

in the event that the recorded number of float-out messages received by the recipient has reached the limit on the number of messages, updating the identifier value;

in the event that the recorded number of float-out messages received by the recipient has not reached the limit on the number of messages, determining whether the fatigue period has expired; and

in the event that the fatigue period has expired, updating the identifier value.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the updating of the identifier value is triggered periodically, or is triggered upon receipt of a transmission success response after the pushing of the float-out message to the recipient.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the updating of the identifier value comprises:

in the event that a recorded number of float-out messages received by the recipient has reached the limit on the number of messages;

determining whether the fatigue period has expired; and

in the event that the fatigue period has not expired, omitting updating the identifier value.

9. A method of controlling float-out messages, the method comprising:

setting a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and priority levels for the float-out messages;

in the event that at least one float-out message is received, determining, using one or more processors, whether an identifier value has reached the threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether a recipient of the at least one float-out message is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

determining a possible number of messages to be floated out based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

in the event that a number of the at least one message to be floated out exceeds the possible number of messages to be floated out;

selecting the possible number of messages to be floated out from the at least one message to be floated out based on a priority level of the at least one message to be floated out; and

floating out the selected possible number of the messages to be floated out; and

updating the identifier value.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein in the event that the identifier value has reached the threshold value, the method further comprising storing the float-out message.

11. The method as described in claim 9, further comprising recording of the number of float-out messages received.

12. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising:

setting in advance of the updating of the identifier value a fatigue period and a limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, wherein the updating of the identifier value comprising;

in the event that the recorded number of float-out messages received has reached the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, updating the identifier value, the recorded number of float-out messages received reaching the limit on the number of float-out messages indicating that a recipient is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue;

in the event that the recorded number of float-out messages received has not reached the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, determining whether the fatigue period has expired; and

in the event that the fatigue period has expired, updating the identifier value.

13. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the updating of the identifier value is triggered periodically, or is triggered after the float out of the float-out message.

14. A system for controlling float-out messages, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

set a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and a priority level for the float-out message;

in the event that at least one float-out message is ready to be sent to a recipient;

determine a current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline;

store the at least one float-out message;

upon first log in after the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline, determine whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached the threshold value; and

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

 

determine a possible number of float-out messages to be sent based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

 

in the event that a number of the at least one float-out message to be sent exceeds the possible number of float-out messages to be sent, select the determined possible number of float-out messages from the at least one float-out message to be sent based on a priority level of the at least one float-out message to be sent; and

 

transmit the selected possible number of the at least one float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient is online;

determine whether the float-out message should be sent to the recipient, including determine whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached a threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether the recipient is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

push the float-out message to the recipient to be made available for float out by the recipient; and

update the identifier value; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and configured to provide the at least one processor with instructions.

15. An instant messaging client for controlling float-out messages, wherein the client comprises:

at least one processor configured to;

set a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and priority levels for the float-out messages;

in the event that at least one float-out message is received, determine whether an identifier value has reached the threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether a recipient of the at least one float-out message is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

determine a possible number of messages to be floated out based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

in the event that a number of the at least one message to be floated out exceeds the possible number of messages to be floated out;

select the determined possible number of messages to be floated out from the at least one message to be floated out based on a priority level of the at least one message to be floated out; and

float out the selected possible number of messages to be floated out; and

update the identifier value;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and configured to provide the at least one processor with instructions.

16. A computer program product for controlling float-out messages, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

setting a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and a priority level for the float-out message;

in the event that at least one float-out message is ready to be sent to a recipient;

determining a current status of the recipient of the float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline;

storing the at least one float-out message;

upon first log in after the current status of the recipient of the at least one float-out message is offline, determining whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached the threshold value; and

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

determining a possible number of float-out messages to be sent based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

in the event that a number of the at least one float-out message to be sent exceeds the possible number of float-out messages to be sent, selecting the determined possible number of float-out messages from the at least one float-out message to be sent based on a priority level of the at least one float-out message to be sent; and

transmitting the selected possible number of the at least one float-out message;

in the event that the current status of the recipient is online;

determining whether the float-out message should be sent to the recipient, including determining whether an identifier value of the recipient has reached a threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether the recipient is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

pushing the float-out message to the recipient to be made available for float out by the recipient; and

updating the identifier value.

17. A computer program product for controlling float-out messages, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

setting a fatigue period, a limit on number of float-out messages within the fatigue period, and priority levels for the float-out messages;

in the event that at least one float-out message is received, determining whether an identifier value has reached the threshold value, the identifier value being used to indicate whether a recipient of the at least one float-out message is deemed to be currently in a state of fatigue or a level of fatigue the recipient is deemed to be in;

in the event that the identifier value has not reached the threshold value;

determining a possible number of messages to be floated out based at least in part on the limit on the number of float-out messages within the fatigue period and the identifier value;

in the event that a number of the at least one message to be floated out exceeds the possible number of messages to be floated out;

selecting the possible number of messages to be floated out from the at least one message to be floated out based on a priority level of the at least one message to be floated out; and

floating out the selected possible number of the messages to be floated out; and

updating the identifier value.