Messenger assistant for personal information management

• US 20040162882A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mora, Gary E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A real-time communications device, a real-time communications system of networked distributed such devices and method and program product for operating such devices. The device includes a personal information manager (PIM), an instant messenger and a Messenger Assistant. The device may also include an e-mail client. The Messenger Assistant automatically provides appointment/status information from the PIM to the instant messenger, which passes status to identified buddies. The Messenger Assistant may also monitor local presence and e-mail and update status based on local presence changes and on incoming e-mail.

Claims

1. A real-time communications system comprising:

a plurality of distributed communications devices communicating with each other over a network;

an instant messenger on ones of said distributed communications devices, each said instant messenger providing status information from instant messengers on other said ones of said distributed communications devices; and

a Messenger Assistant on each of said ones of said distributed communications devices, said Messenger Assistant providing status updates to a corresponding said instant messenger.

2. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, further comprising a personal information manager (PIM), said Messenger Assistant retrieving status changes from said PIM.

3. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein an e-mail to at least one of said ones of said distributed communications devices is a status update, said Messenger Assistant on at least one of said ones of said distributed communications devices passing said status update to said corresponding said instant messenger.

4. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein at least one other of said plurality of distributed communications devices is a wireless communications device, said wireless communications device selectively sending status updates to one of said ones of said distributed communications devices.

5. A real-time communications system as in claim 4, wherein said wireless communications device e-mails status updates to said one of said ones of said distributed communications devices.

6. A real-time communications system as in claim 4, wherein said wireless communications device sends said status updates as short message service (SMS) messages.

7. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein said Messenger Assistant sends e-mail notifications of status changes.

8. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, further comprising a presence detector providing presence information to at least one said Messenger Assistant.

9. A real-time communications system as in claim 8, wherein said presence detector is selected from the group comprising a motion detector, an infrared sensor, a heat sensor and, a video camera.

10. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein said Messenger Assistant further receives buddy status change events from said instant messenger and selectively provides a status change notification for any selected buddy in response to a status change for said selected buddy.

11. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein at least a first one of said ones of said distributed communications devices is located in a first country and a second one is located in a second country.

12. A real-time communications system as in claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

13. A real-time communications device for communicating with other distributed communications devices networked together in a real-time communications system, said real-time communications device comprising:

a personal information manager (PIM) locally storing status change data;

an instant messenger displaying status information available from selected other communications devices and making current status available to said selected other communications devices; and

a Messenger Assistant providing status changes to said instant messenger.

14. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, further comprising an e-mail client, said Messenger Assistant receiving e-mailed status changes from said e-mail client.

15. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, further comprising an e-mail client, said Messenger Assistant sending e-mailed status changes to said distributed communications devices.

16. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, further comprising a presence detector providing presence information to said Messenger Assistant.

17. A real-time communications device as in claim 16, wherein said presence detector is selected from the group comprising a motion detector, an infrared sensor, a heat sensor and, a video camera.

18. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, wherein said Messenger Assistant further receives buddy status change events from said instant messenger and selectively provides a status change notification for any selected buddy in response to a status change for said selected buddy.

19. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, wherein said real-time communications device communicates with said selected other communications devices over the Internet.

20. A real-time communications device as in claim 13, said Messenger Assistant receiving manual input, said manual input being status changes to PIM data and passing said status changes from said manual input to said instant messenger.

21. A method of automatically providing real time status to selected distributed communications devices networked together in a real-time communications system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) retrieving current status;

b) passing said current status to an instant messenger for distribution to instant messengers for identified buddies; and

c) waiting for a status change event.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein said status change event is an appointment event and said method further comprises the steps of:

d) identifying an availability rule for said appointment event, said availability rule providing availability status;

e) setting said availability status as current status; and

f) returning to the step (b) of passing said current status to said instant messenger.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein said availability rule in step (d) is selected from the group of rules comprising a Busy Rule, an Away Rule, an Out to Lunch Rule and a Be Right Back Rule.

24. A method as in claim 22, wherein when current status indicates a user is unavailable, in step (d) said availability rule is an On-Line Rule.

25. A method as in claim 21, wherein said status change event is a presence event and said method further comprises the steps of:

d) determining if said presence event indicates an availability change;

e) identifying an availability rule for said appointment event, said availability rule providing availability status;

f) setting said availability status as current status; and

g) returning to the step (b) of passing said current status to said instant messenger.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein said availability rule identified in step (e) is selected from the group of rules comprising an Away Rule, a Be Right Back Rule and an On-Line Rule.

27. A method as in claim 25, wherein the determining step (d) comprises the steps of:

i) determining if said current status is set by an appointment event;

ii) determining if said presence event changes said current status; and

iii) continuing to step (e).

28. A method as in claim 27, wherein if said current status is unaffected by said presence event in step (ii), step (iii) comprises returning to step (b).

29. A method as in claim 25, wherein said presence event is detection of motion.

30. A method as in claim 21, wherein said status change event is an instant messenger buddy status change and said method further comprises the steps of:

d) determining if said buddy status change corresponds to a selected buddy; and

e) issuing a buddy status change notification response for each said status change determined to correspond to a selected buddy.

31. A computer program product for communicating in real-time with a network of distributed communications devices in a real-time communications system, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer program code means for instant messaging with other identified instant messaging buddies;

computer program code means for managing calendar information; and

computer program code means for providing status information from said calendar information to an instant messenger, provided said status information being passed to said instant messaging buddies.

32. A computer program product for communicating in real-time as in claim 31, wherein said computer program code means for managing calendar information comprises a personal information manager.

33. A computer program product for communicating in real-time as in claim 31, further comprising computer program code means for managing e-mail.

34. A computer program product for communicating in real-time as in claim 33, wherein said computer program code means for providing status information receives status updates from e-mail and further provides status information in e-mails to selected buddies.

35. A computer program product for communicating in real-time as in claim 31, further comprising computer program code means for updating status responsive to detected presence events.

36. A computer program product for communicating in real-time as in claim 31, further comprising computer program code means for providing buddy status notification responsive to instant messenger buddy status changes for selected buddies.

37. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

a) retrieve current status;

b) pass said current status to an instant messenger for distribution to instant messengers for identified buddies;

c) wait for a status change event;

d) determine said change events that are appointment events;

e) identify an availability rule for each determined appointment event, said availability rule providing availability status; and

f) update said current status with said availability status.

38. A computer-readable medium as in claim 37, wherein said availability rule in step (e) is selected from the group of rules comprising a Busy Rule, an Away Rule, an Out to Lunch Rule, a Be Right Back Rule and an On-Line Rule.

39. A computer-readable medium as in claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions including instructions further causes the processor to:

g) determine if said status change is an instant messenger buddy status change that corresponds to a selected buddy; and

e) issue a buddy status change notification for each said status change determined to correspond to a selected buddy.