DELEGATING INSTANT MESSAGING SESSIONS

• US 20090006548A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shtiegman, Eran, Ramanathan, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates redirecting an instant messaging session or an instant messaging communication. An interface component can receive a portion of data related to an instant messaging session, wherein the portion of data is associated with an instant messaging communication. A delegation component can automatically route the instant messaging session to a delegate for receipt of the instant messaging communication based upon a rule.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates redirecting an instant messaging session, comprising:

an interface component that receives a portion of data related to an instant messaging session, the portion of data is associated with an instant messaging communication; and

a delegation component that automatically routes the instant messaging session to one or more delegates for receipt of the instant messaging communication based upon a rule.

2. The system of claim 1, the delegation component notifies a sender related to the instant messaging session of the automatic routing, the notification includes a portion of data related to at least one of the delegate, delegate identification, duration of delegation, or reason for delegation.

3. The system of claim 2, the sender is notified and asked for approval prior to sending the instant messaging session to the delegate, wherein an intermediate server intercepts the instant messaging session and sends the approval notice to the sender for approval.

4. The system of claim 1, the delegation component automatically routes the instant messaging session to a delegate upon approval from the sender utilizing the rule, the rule is at least one of the following:

associated with delegation for at least one of an email application or a calendar application;

or configured by at least one of an email application or a calendar application.

5. The system of claim 1, the instant messaging session includes at least one sender and at least one target, the sender transmits the incoming instant message communication which is transmitted to the target and redirected to the delegate based upon the rule crated by the intended recipient.

6. The system of claim 5, at least one of the sender, the delegate, or target is an entity, the entity is at least one of a user, a machine, a company, an administrator, an enterprise, a department, a website, a network, a server, a device, or a client

7. The system of claim 1, the rule includes data related to at least one of a length of enforcement, a duration of delegation for the instant messaging communication, an assigned delegate, a notification setting, an assigned delegate for a specific sender, an assigned delegate for a particular incoming instant messaging communication, an accessibility privilege related to historic data of the instant messaging communication, an option related to continuing the instant messaging communication, data communication extension setting, a password setting, a logging option, a historic item tracking setting, or a routing option.

8. The system of claim 1, the rule includes a plurality of delegates with each delegate corresponds to at least one sender of an instant messaging communication, a sender selects a delegate to receive the instant messaging communication.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an extender component employs the rule for data communication delegation across an additional data communication mode in comparison to instant messaging, the additional data communication mode is at least one of email, voice, audio, video, voicemail, or text message.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a log component that tracks at least one of a delegated instant messaging communication or a delegated instant messaging session as a historic item.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a continuation component that provides at least one of the following:

enabling at least one of the delegated instant messaging communication or the delegated instant messaging session to be restarted with the sender utilizing the historic item;

or

providing an instant messaging session to be at least one of restarted, continued, interrupted, interjected, or revived by an entity, the entity is a target of such sender.

12. The system of claim 1, the delegation component allows a sender to implement a “

do not delegate”

option upfront, wherein the “

do not delegate”

option does not allow a sender'"'"'s outgoing instant message to be delegated and provides a header to notify a delegating server to not send the instant messaging communication to the delegate.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an automatic delegate identifier that automatically identifies an appropriate delegate to route at least one of the instant messaging communication or the instant messaging session.

14. The system of claim 13, the automatic delegate identifier ascertains the appropriate delegate by evaluating a portion of data related to at least one of a current instant messaging communication, an incoming instant messaging communication, data within an incoming instant messaging communication, a current instant messaging session, a previous instant messaging communication, a previous instant messaging session, an inferred context related to an instant messaging communication, an inferred topic related to an instant messaging communication, an inferred context related to an instant messaging session, or an inferred topic related to an instant messaging session.

15. The system of claim 13, the automatic delegate identifier ascertains the appropriate delegate by evaluating at least one of a portion of historic data related to an instant message communication related to a sender, a portion of data related to a sender, a previous delegation assignment, or a portion of historic data related to the rule.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a universal notification component that notifies at least one of a delegated instant messaging session or a delegated instant messaging communication across a plurality of data communication modes, the data communication mode is at least one of email, voice, audio, voicemail, video, text message, VoIP communication, or short message service (SMS).

17. A computer-implemented method that facilitates enhancing instant message communications, comprising:

creating a delegation rule associated with an instant messaging communication;

redirecting an instant message from a sender to a delegate in accordance with the delegation rule;

notifying the sender of the delegation of the instant message; and

initiating a delegated instant messaging session between the delegate and the sender.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving at least one of an approval of the delegation or a denial of the delegation;

terminating the instant messaging communication upon the denial of the delegation; and

employing the delegated instant messaging session upon the approval of the delegation.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a history item related to a delegated instant messaging communication; and

allowing an entity to restart the delegated instant messaging communication utilizing the historic item.

20. A computer-implemented system that facilitates redirecting an instant messaging session, comprising:

means for receiving a portion of data related to an instant messaging session, the portion of data is associated with an instant messaging communication;

means for creating a delegation rule; and

means for automatically routing the instant messaging session to a delegate for receipt of the instant messaging communication based upon the delegation rule.