Caller initiated distinctive presence alerting and auto-response messaging

• US 9,832,145 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US14/201,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Presence information of a first user is relayed to a second user. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others includes, can be implemented as follows. A first communications client of a first user detects a change in the presence status of a first user and sends an alert message to a second communications client of a second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first message from a chat client of a first user, the first message indicating a network presence change of the first user;

determining that a plurality of other users are monitoring a network presence of the first user;

determining a plurality of audio files associated with the chat client of the first user to announce the network presence change of the first user to the plurality of other users, each of the plurality of audio files being different from one another and designated by the first user as associated with respective ones of the plurality of other users;

determining a network presence of each of the plurality of other users; and

transmitting, based on the network presence of each particular user of the plurality of other users, a second message comprising an identifier of a designated one of the plurality of audio files to a chat client of each particular user of the plurality of other users,

wherein the second message indicates the network presence change of the first user and comprises an indicator to play the designated one of the plurality of audio files without initiating a chat session between the chat client of the first user and the chat client of the particular user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message further comprises the audio file associated with the particular user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted from the chat client of the first user in response to detecting the network presence change of the first user.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first message from a chat client of a first user, the first message indicating a network presence change of the first user;

determining that a plurality of other users are monitoring a network presence of the first user;

determining a plurality of audio files associated with the chat client of the first user to announce the network presence change of the first user to the plurality of other users, each of the plurality of audio files being different from one another and designated by the first user as associated with respective ones of the plurality of other users;

determining a network presence of each of the plurality of other users; and

transmitting, based on the network presence of each particular user of the plurality of other users, a second message comprising an identifier of a designated one of the plurality of audio files to a chat client of each particular user of the plurality of other users based on the network presence of the particular user,

wherein the second message indicates the network presence change of the first user and comprises an indicator to play the designated one of the plurality of audio files without initiating a chat session between the chat client of the first user and the chat client of the particular user.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second message further comprises the audio file associated with the particular user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first message is transmitted from the chat client of the first user in response to detecting the network presence change of the first user.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first message from a chat client of a first user, the first message indicating a network presence change of the first user;

determining that a plurality of other users are monitoring a network presence of the first user;

determining a plurality of audio files associated with the chat client of the first user to announce the network presence change of the first user to the plurality of other users, each of the plurality of audio files being different from one another and designated by the first user as associated with respective ones of the plurality of other users;

determining a network presence of each of the plurality of other users; and

transmitting, based on the network presence of each particular user of the plurality of other users, a second message comprising an identifier of a designated one of the plurality of audio files to a chat client of each particular user of the plurality of other users based on the network presence of the particular user,

wherein the second message indicates the network presence change of the first user and comprises an indicator to play the designated one of the plurality of audio files without initiating a chat session between the chat client of the first user and the chat client of the particular user.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the second message further comprises the audio file associated with the particular user.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first message is transmitted from the chat client of the first user in response to detecting the network presence change of the first user.