Automatically setting chat status based on user activity in local environment

• US 8,082,302 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Becker, Craig Henry, Vicknair, Wayne Elmo
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US12/239,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709/227, 715751-759, 370/260, 370/261
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 based on telephone line activity. Caller ID information associated with an incoming call with respect to one or more selected priority telephone numbers are screened. The chat application may automatically set the user'"'"'s current chat status at a given time based on telephone line activity only if the caller ID information associated with the incoming telephone call matches a priority telephone number.

Claims

1. 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.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 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.

3. 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:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit runs the program code to;

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

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

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

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

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor unit further runs the program code to:

automatically reset 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.