Technique for enabling wireless messaging systems to use alternative message delivery mechanisms

• US 6,654,790 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pozefsky, Diane Phylis, Sundstrom, Robert Joseph, Ogle, David Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/085,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/212, 709/213, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for enabling messaging systems to use alternative message delivery mechanisms. In existing instant messaging systems, messages cannot be delivered to an intended recipient unless the recipient is currently logged on to an instant messaging system. According to the present invention, users may register one or more alternative message delivery mechanisms (such as pagers, cell phones, etc.) through which they are available as an alternative to an instant messaging system. Constraints may optionally be added to these registered alternatives, such as specifying a limitation on days of the week and/or hours of the day when a particular alternative may be used. Providing that an alternative messaging mechanism is registered, and any constraints for this alternative are satisfied, in the first preferred embodiment the extended IMS will select a suitable alternative and deliver the message. In a second and third preferred embodiment, the sender of the “instant” message will be informed of the available alternative(s). The sender may then choose to have his message delivered even though the intended receiver is not currently logged on to an instant messaging system. Fourth and fifth embodiments enable a message to be delivered to a recipient using a registered mechanism (that may include an IMS), and provide for determining availability of a selected user. Using these techniques, the real-time awareness of potential message receivers in instant messaging systems is extended.

Claims

1. A method for extending a wireless messaging system to enable use of registered message delivery mechanisms in a computing environment, comprising the steps of:

registering in a registry, for each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used for delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

receiving, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a message from a message sender, wherein the message is to be delivered to a selected one of the users;

consulting the registry, by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine whether the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time, further comprising the steps of;

locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms for the selected user;

determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

concluding that the message cannot be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if the determining step has a negative result and that the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if the determining step has a positive result;

when the consulting step concludes that the message can be delivered at the current point in time, delivering the message to the selected user using one of the located delivery mechanisms with which the selected user is reachable at the current point in time; and

when the consulting step concludes that the message cannot be delivered at the current point in time, not delivering the message to the selected user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying the message sender whether the message was delivered, and if so, the one of the located delivery mechanisms that was used.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying the message sender when the message cannot be delivered at the current point in time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivering step gives priority to delivering the message using an instant messaging system (“

IMS”

), when the determining step determines that the selected user is reachable using the IMS at the current point in time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises the step of evaluating the at least one condition indicated by the constraint information, when present with any of the located delivery mechanisms, when determining whether the user is reachable at the current point in time using that located delivery mechanism.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the consulting step further comprises the steps of;

next determining, responsive to the determining step having the negative result, whether the selected user is reachable at a later point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

deciding that the message can be delivered later, if the next determining step has a positive outcome; and

further comprising the step of notifying the message sender, when the deciding step decides that the message can be delivered later, that the message can be delivered later.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of notifying the message sender that the message can be delivered later further comprises also notifying the message sender of the located message delivery mechanism usable for the later delivery.

8. A method for extending real-time awareness of users in a wireless messaging system in a computing environment, comprising the steps of:

registering in a registry, for each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery mechanism, wherein the addressing information is usable for delivering messages to the user with the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used for delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

receiving from a status requester, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a request for availability status for a selected one of the users;

consulting the registry by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time further comprising the steps of;

locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms for the selected user;

determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

concluding that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently unreachable”

if the determining step has a negative result, and that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently reachable”

if the determining step has a positive result; and

notifying the status requester of the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time, according to the conclusion of the concluding step.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the notifying step further comprises notifying the status requester of at least one of the located delivery mechanisms with which the selected user is reachable at the current point in time, when the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently reachable”

.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the notifying step gives priority to an instant messaging system (“

IMS”

) in the notification of located delivery mechanisms with which the selected user is reachable at the current point in time, if the determining step determines that the selected user is reachable using the IMS at the current point in time.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determining step further comprises the step of evaluating the at least one condition indicated by the constraint information, when present with any of the located delivery mechanisms, when determining whether the user is reachable at the current point in time using that located delivery mechanism.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

the consulting step further comprises the step of next determining, responsive to the determining step having the negative result, whether the selected user is reachable at a later point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

the concluding step concludes that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

reachable later”

, instead of “

currently unreachable”

, if the determining step has the negative result but the next determining step has a positive outcome.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of notifying the status requester further comprises also notifying the status requester of the located message delivery mechanism with which the selected user is reachable later.

14. A system for extending a wireless messaging system to enable use of registered message delivery mechanisms in a computing environment, comprising:

means for registering in a registry, for each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery mechanism, wherein the addressing information is usable for delivering messages to the user with the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used for delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

means for receiving, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a message from a message sender, wherein the message is to be delivered to a selected one of the users;

means for consulting the registry, by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine whether the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time, further comprising;

means for locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms forte selected user;

means for determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

means for concluding that the message cannot be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if a result of the means for determining is negative and that the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if the result of the means for determining is positive;

means for delivering the message to the selected user, when the means for consulting concludes that the message can be delivered at the current point in time, using one of the located delivery mechanisms with which the selected user is reachable at the current point in time; and

means for not delivering the message to the selected user, when the means for consulting concludes that the message cannot be delivered at the current point in time.

15. A computer program product for extending a wireless messaging system to enable use of registered message delivery mechanisms, the computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for registering in a registry, fix each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery mechanism, wherein the addressing information is usable for delivering messages to the user with the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used for delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

computer-readable program code means for receiving, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a message from a message sender, wherein the message is to be delivered to a selected one of the users;

computer-readable program code means for consulting the registry, by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine whether the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time, further comprising;

computer-readable program code means for locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms for the selected user;

computer-readable program code means for determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

computer-readable program code means for concluding that the message cannot be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if a result of the computer-readable program code means for determining is negative and that the message can be delivered to the selected user at the current point in time if the result of the computer-readable program code means for determining is positive;

computer-readable program code means for delivering the message to the selected user, when the computer-readable program code means for consulting concludes that the message can be delivered at the current point in time, using one of the located delivery mechanisms with which the selected user is reachable at the current point in time; and

computer-readable program code means for not delivering the message to the selected user, when the computer-readable program code means for consulting concludes that the message cannot be delivered at the current point in time.

16. A system for extending real-time awareness of users in a wireless messaging system in a computing environment, comprising:

means for registering in a registry, for each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery mechanism, wherein the addressing information is usable for delivering messages to the user with the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used for delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

means for receiving from a status requester, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a request for availability status for a selected one of the users;

means for consulting the registry, by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time, further comprising;

means for locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms for the selected user;

means for determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

means for concluding that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently unreachable”

if a result of the means for determining is negative, and that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently reachable”

if the result of the means for determining is positive; and

means for notifying the status requester of the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time, according to the conclusion of the means for concluding.

17. A computer program product for extending real-time awareness of users in a wireless messaging system, the computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for registering in a registry, for each of one or more users, at least one message delivery mechanism that can be used for delivering messages to the user at some point in time, along with addressing information and optional constraint information for each registered message delivery mechanism, wherein the addressing information is usable for delivering messages to the user with the registered message delivery mechanism and the optional constraint information indicates at least one condition pertaining to whether the registered message delivery mechanism can be used fir delivering messages to the user at a particular point in time;

computer-readable program code means for receiving from a status requester, by the extended wireless messaging system at a current point in time, a request for availability status for a selected one of the users;

computer-readable program code means for consulting the registry, by the extended wireless messaging system, to determine the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time, further comprising;

computer-readable program code means for locating the at least one registered delivery mechanisms for the selected user;

computer-readable program code means for determining whether the selected user is reachable at the current point in time using any of the located delivery mechanisms; and

computer-readable program code means for concluding that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time is “

currently unreachable”

if a result of the computer-readable program code means for determining is negative, and that the availability status of the selected user at the current point in dine is “

currently reachable”

if the result of the computer-readable program code means for determining is positive; and

computer-readable program code means for notifying the status requester of the availability status of the selected user at the current point in time, according to the conclusion of the computer-readable program code means for concluding.