System and method for notifying an instant message recipient of receipt of a message

• US 20040010808A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pace PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: deCarmo, Linden
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In an interactive multimedia environment, the invention includes automated presence management on an instant messaging network, a message notification priority scheme based on a message recipient'"'"'s preferences, and message notification based on the results of the scheme. Presence management, the ability to detect others connected to the network and to inform others connected to the network of the user'"'"'s presence, may be automated based on the activity the user is engaged in, such as viewing a video stream. The user registers preferred video streams during the viewing of which the user does not want to be interrupted. When such a video stream is being viewed, the user is taken offline so that the user is not “present” on the instant messaging network. When the video stream changes, it is again determined whether the user wants his or her presence to be known during the new video stream. The message notification priority scheme may include several notification levels (e.g., low, medium, high, and urgent), one of which is assigned to a message based on the video stream being viewed, the identity of the message sender, and/or the urgency of the message. The user is then notified of the message based on the determined notification level. A user may be notified of a message having a lower notification level by an unobtrusive light being illuminated on the set-top box, whereas a message having a higher notification level may be flashed across the TV screen.

Claims

1. A method for notifying an instant message recipient that the message has been received from a sender, the method comprising:

managing the recipient'"'"'s presence on a network;

if the recipient is present, determining a notification level for the message; and

notifying the recipient based on the notification level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification level is determined based on the sender'"'"'s identity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification level is determined based on the urgency of the message.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising not delivering the message if the message recipient is not present.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein notifying the recipient comprises sensorially indicating to the recipient receipt of the message.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the higher the notification level of the message, the more sensorially obtrusive the notification.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recipient is viewing a video stream comprising a channel, a video program, and a type of video program.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification level is determined based on the channel on which the video program is being broadcast.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification level is determined based on the video program being broadcast.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification level is determined based on the type of video program being broadcast.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification level is determined based on the sender'"'"'s identity.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the notification level is determined based on the urgency of the message.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein managing the recipient'"'"'s presence comprises determining whether the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the channel.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein managing the recipient'"'"'s presence on the network comprises determining whether the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the video program.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein managing the recipient'"'"'s presence comprises determining whether the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the type of video program.

16. The method according to claim 7, wherein notifying the recipient comprises visually indicating to the recipient receipt of the message.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the higher the notification level of the message, the more visually obtrusive the notification.

18. A method for managing a message recipient'"'"'s presence on an instant messaging network, wherein the recipient is viewing a video stream, the method comprising:

receiving from the recipient a set of preferred video streams during the viewing of which the recipient does not permit receipt of instant messages;

determining whether the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the video stream; and

putting the recipient online or taking the recipient offline based on the determination.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising putting the recipient online if the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the current video stream.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein putting the recipient online comprises registering the recipient if the recipient is offline or not deregistering the recipient if the recipient is online.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising taking the recipient offline if the recipient does not permit receipt of instant messages while viewing the current video stream.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein taking the recipient offline comprises deregistering the recipient if the recipient is online or not registering the recipient if the recipient is offline.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the video stream comprises a video channel.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the video stream comprises a video program.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the video stream comprises a type of video program.

26. A method for determining a notification level for an instant message sent by a sender to a recipient during the viewing of a video stream, the video stream comprising a channel, a video program, and a type of video program, the method comprising:

retrieving the recipient'"'"'s notification preferences; and

comparing the notification preferences to the video stream and the message sender.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising setting the notification level to the highest level permitted and, if the video program is preferred, setting the notification level to the lesser of the current notification level and the highest notification level permitted while the video program is active.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising if the type of video program is preferred, setting the notification level to the lesser of the current notification level and the highest notification level permitted while the type of video program is active.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising if the channel is preferred, setting the notification level to the lesser of the current notification level and the highest notification level permitted while the channel is active.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising if the message has a notification preference, setting the notification level to the lesser of the current notification level and the notification preference.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising if the sender of the message has a notification preference, setting the notification level to the lesser of the current notification level and the sender'"'"'s notification preference.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising if the sender of the message does not have a notification preference, setting the notification level to at most low.

33. A method for notifying an instant message recipient that the message has been received, the method comprising sensorially indicating to the recipient receipt of the message, wherein the higher a notification level of the message, the more sensorially obtrusive the notification.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising not notifying the recipient if the notification level indicates the message is to be ignored.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the recipient is viewing a video program.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising notifying the recipient by illuminating a relatively unobtrusive indicator if the notification level is low.

37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising notifying the recipient by displaying identifying information about the message if the notification level is medium.

38. The method according to claim 35, further comprising notifying the recipient by partially obstructing the video program display if the notification level is high.

39. The method according to claim 35, further comprising notifying the recipient by fully obstructing the video program display if the notification level is at least very high.

40. A system for notifying an instant message recipient that the message has been received from a sender on a network, the recipient viewing a video stream on a television, the system comprising:

a message server for receiving the instant message from the sender; and

a set-top box in communication with the television for;

receiving the message from the message server;

managing the recipient'"'"'s presence on the network;

determining a notification level for the message; and

notifying the recipient based on the notification level.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein managing the recipient'"'"'s presence comprises determining whether the recipient permits receipt of instant messages while viewing the video stream.

42. The system according to claim 40, wherein determining the notification level for the instant message comprises retrieving the recipient'"'"'s notification preferences and comparing the notification preferences to the video stream and the message sender.

43. The system according to claim 40, wherein notifying the recipient based on the notification level comprises visually indicating to the recipient receipt of the message, wherein the higher the notification level of the message, the more visually obtrusive the notification.