User interface with recipient status indication

• US 9,699,131 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martino, Jacquelyn A., Weisz, Justin D., Pickover, Clifford A., Malkin, Peter K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guzman, Javier O
• Application Number:
  US13/963,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A method of providing a user interface with recipient status information, in one aspect, may comprise detecting a message (e.g., online message such as instant messaging, chat, etc.) being initiated by a first user to a second user; gathering information associated with the second user; analyzing the gathered information; predicting a state of the second user based on the analyzing; and determining a notification action based on the predicted state of the second user, the notification action notifying the first user of the second user'"'"'s state; and presenting a notification comprising one or more of graphical, textual, auditory, or tactile indications or combinations thereof to the first user.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method of providing a user interface with recipient status information, comprising:

detecting an instant message being initiated by a first user'"'"'s device to a second user'"'"'s device;

gathering information associated with a second user associated with the second user'"'"'s device;

analyzing the gathered information;

predicting, by a processor, a state of the second user based on the analyzing, the state of the second user comprising one or more non-activity-level characteristics associated with the second user'"'"'s device;

determining a notification action based on the predicted state of the second user, the notification action notifying a first user associated with the first user'"'"'s device of the second user'"'"'s state; and

presenting a notification comprising one or more of graphical, textual, auditory, or tactile indications or combinations thereof to the first user, the notification comprising an alert presented on the first user'"'"'s device that the second user'"'"'s device will become unavailable within a specified amount of time, without the second user having to take any action that the second user will not be available within the specified amount of time, the notification comprising the graphical indication displayed in an input area of an instant messaging graphical user interface where the instant message is typed,

wherein the state of the second user that is predicted comprises geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device and network connection quality based on the geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device,

the predicting of the state comprising forecasting whether the second user'"'"'s device will disconnect based on predicting whether the second user'"'"'s device will enter an area with poor network coverage determined based on the geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device, accelerometer data of the second user'"'"'s device and historical data of the second user'"'"'s device being in the area and history of past services that were available in the area, the state of the second user comprising at least speed and acceleration of the second user'"'"'s device,

wherein the information associated with the second user is obtained at least by allowing an application supporting the instant message to periodically report the information associated with the second user'"'"'s device to a server supporting the instant message.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the state of the second user comprises one or more of battery charge level of a device associated with the second user, phone call coming in for the second user, quality of service associated with the second user'"'"'s device, movement of the second user'"'"'s device, geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device, presence of one or more individuals in proximity to the second user, or calendar information associated with the second user, or combinations thereof.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the state is a forecast of the second user'"'"'s state.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises the graphical indication and the graphical indication comprises one or more of color, intensity, blink rate, window size, window shape, multimedia, or text, audio, or combinations thereof.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises the tactile indication and the tactile indication comprises a pattern of device vibration.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the pattern of device vibration is customized for the second user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises the auditory indication and the auditory indication comprises a sound or music file, or combination thereof.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the sound or music file is customized for the second user.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the state comprises information on a number of other instant-message windows on a screen of the second user, a number of active instant-message windows on the screen, a number of other applications open, or combinations thereof.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the second user is enabled to define and apply customized rules to the state in the analyzing.

11. A system for providing a user interface with recipient status information, comprising:

a processor;

a user interface operable to execute on the processor, and further operable to detect an instant message being initiated by a first user'"'"'s device to a second user'"'"'s device;

the processor operable to execute on the processor, and further operable to gather information associated with a second user associated with the second user'"'"'s device and analyze the gathered information;

the processor further operable to execute on the processor, and further operable to predict a state of the second user based on the analyzing, the state of the second user comprising one or more non-activity-level characteristics associated with the second user'"'"'s device; and

the processor further operable to execute on the processor, and further to determine a notification action based on the predicted state of the second user, the notification action for notifying a first user associated with the first user'"'"'s device of the second user'"'"'s state,

the user interface further operable to present a notification comprising one or more of graphical, textual, auditory, or tactile indications or combinations thereof to the first user'"'"'s device, the notification comprising an alert presented on the first user'"'"'s device that the second user'"'"'s device will become unavailable within a specified amount of time, without the second user having to take any action that the second user will not be available within the specified amount of time, the notification comprising the graphical indication displayed in an input area of the graphical user interface where the instant message is typed,

wherein the state of the second user that is predicted comprises geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device and network connection quality based on the geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device,

the processor operable to forecast whether the second user'"'"'s device will disconnect based on predicting whether the second user'"'"'s device will enter an area with poor network coverage determined based on the geolocation of the second user'"'"'s device, accelerometer data of the second user'"'"'s device and historical data of the second user'"'"'s device being in the area and history of past services that were available in the area, the state of the second user comprising at least speed and acceleration of the second user'"'"'s device,

wherein the information associated with the second user is obtained at least by allowing an application supporting the instant message to periodically report the information associated with the second user'"'"'s device to a server supporting the instant message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the second user comprises one or more of phone call coming in for the second user, quality of service associated with the second user'"'"'s device, movement of the second user'"'"'s device, presence of one or more individuals in proximity to the second user, or calendar information associated with the second user, or combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the state is a forecast of the second user'"'"'s state.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification comprises the graphical indication and the graphical indication comprises one or more of color, intensity, blink rate, window size, window shape, multimedia, or text, audio, or combinations thereof.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification comprises the tactile indication and the tactile indication comprises a pattern of device vibration.