Method and System for Automatically Setting Chat Status Based on User Activity in Local Environment

• US 20090016510A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Becker, Craig Henry, Vicknair, Wayne Elmo
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information

Abstract

A method is presented for managing user chat status in a chat application. The chat application automatically detects user activity and/or user inactivity external to the chat application and then automatically sets a user chat status value within the chat application based on the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity. The chat application may automatically set the user'"'"'s current chat status at a given time, for example: based on retrieved schedule information that reflects the user'"'"'s activity at that given time; based on application usage information that reflects the user'"'"'s activity at that given time with other applications; based on telephone usage information that reflects the user'"'"'s telephone activity at that given time; based on information about the ambient environment that reflects the user'"'"'s activity or inactivity in the ambient environment at that given time; or some other automatically gathered information.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium for managing user chat status values in an instant messaging application on a data processing system, wherein a user chat status value indicates the availability of a user to participate in an instant messaging session, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for allowing a user to select one or more priority telephone numbers that are screened for activity;

instructions for automatically detecting user activity and/or user inactivity external to an instant messaging application, wherein the instructions for automatically detecting user activity and/or user inactivity external to an instant messaging application comprises instructions for automatically determining user activity and/or user inactivity based on telephone line activity;

instructions for automatically screening caller ID information associated with an incoming telephone call with respect to the one or more priority telephone numbers; and

instructions for automatically setting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity, wherein the instructions for automatically setting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity, comprises instructions for automatically setting a chat status based on telephone line activity only if the caller ID information associated with the incoming telephone call matches a priority telephone number.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

instructions for automatically resetting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on a cessation of the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity.

19-32. -32. (canceled)

33. An apparatus for managing user chat status values in an instant messaging application, wherein a user chat status value indicates the availability of a user to participate in an instant messaging session, the apparatus comprising:

means for allowing a user to select one or more priority telephone numbers that are screened for activity;

means for automatically detecting user activity and/or user inactivity external to an instant messaging application, wherein the means for automatically detecting user activity and/or user inactivity external to an instant messaging application comprises means for automatically determining user activity and/or user inactivity based on telephone line activity;

means for automatically screening caller ID information associated with an incoming telephone call with respect to the one or more priority telephone numbers; and

means for automatically setting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity, wherein the means for automatically setting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity, comprises means for automatically setting a chat status based on telephone line activity only if the caller ID information associated with the incoming telephone call matches a priority telephone number.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising:

means for automatically resetting a user chat status value within the instant messaging application based on a cessation of the detected user activity and/or the detected user inactivity.

35-37. -37. (canceled)