Granted Patent B2

US 7,657,602 · App. 11/343,143 · Granted Feb 2, 2010

Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A computer implementable method for sending and receiving messages, the method comprising:

receiving a message by an instant messaging client for transmission to a first discussion participant;

initiating a message countdown, the message countdown configured to delay the transmission of the message to the first discussion participant for a period of time;

displaying the message in a discussion transcript after receiving the message for transmission to the first discussion participant;

transmitting the message to the first discussion participant after displaying the message in the discussion transcript if the message countdown has expired before activation of a message edit control; and

terminating the message countdown and presenting the message for modification without transmission of the message to the first discussion participant if the message edit control has been activated before expiration of the message countdown.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is dependent on the identity of the first discussion participant.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is proportional to the length of the message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the message before the message countdown has expired in response to user input indicating transmission of the message is desired before expiration of the message countdown.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying indicia of a remaining time on the message countdown.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating a first messaging session with the first discussion participant;

displaying a first user interface for communicating messages with the first discussion participant;

initiating a second messaging session with a second discussion participant;

displaying a second user interface for communicating messages with the second person; and

providing an alert at the client computer when messaging activity at the client computer has switched from the first user interface to the second user interface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alert is a blocking alert.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alert is a non-blocking alert.

9. A system for sending and receiving messages over a computer network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to execute a computer program;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store data;

a video adaptor coupled to the processor and configured to convert logical representations of visual information into video signals;

a network interface coupled to the processor and configured to send and receive data over the computer network; and

a storage device embodying the computer program, the computer program including computer executable instructions configured for:

receiving a message for transmission to a first discussion participant;

initiating a message countdown, the message countdown configured to delay the transmission of the message to the first discussion participant for a period of time;

transmitting the message to the first discussion participant if the message countdown has expired before activation of a message edit control;

transmitting the message before the message countdown has expired in response to user input indicating transmission of the message is desired before expiration of the message countdown; and

terminating the message countdown and presenting the message for modification without transmission of the message to the first discussion participant if the message edit control has been activated before expiration of the message countdown.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for displaying the message in a discussion transcript after receiving the message for transmission to the first discussion participant and before transmitting the message.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is dependent on the identity of the first discussion participant.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is proportional to the length of the message.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for displaying indicia of a remaining time on the message countdown.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

initiating a first messaging session with the first discussion participant;

displaying a first user interface for communicating messages with the first discussion participant;

initiating a second messaging session with a second discussion participant;

displaying a second user interface for communicating messages with the second person; and

providing an alert at the client computer when messaging activity at the client computer has switched from the first user interface to the second user interface.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the alert is a blocking alert.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the alert is a non-blocking alert.

17. A computer program product comprising a tangible media embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

receiving a message by an instant messaging client for transmission to a first discussion participant;

initiating a message countdown, the message countdown configured to delay the transmission of the message to the first discussion participant for a period of time;

displaying the message in a discussion transcript after receiving the message for transmission to the first discussion participant;

transmitting the message to the first discussion participant after displaying the message in the discussion transcript if the message countdown has expired before activation of a message edit control; and

terminating the message countdown and presenting the message for modification without transmission of the message to the first discussion participant if the message edit control has been activated before expiration of the message countdown.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is dependent on the identity of the first discussion participant.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the period of time the transmission of the message is delayed is proportional to the length of the message.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for transmitting the message before the message countdown has expired in response to user input indicating transmission of the message is desired before expiration of the message countdown.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for displaying indicia of a remaining time on the message countdown.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

initiating a first messaging session with the first discussion participant;

displaying a first user interface for communicating messages with the first discussion participant;

initiating a second messaging session with a second discussion participant;

displaying a second user interface for communicating messages with the second person; and

providing an alert at the client computer when messaging activity at the client computer has switched from the first user interface to the second user interface.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein the alert is a blocking alert.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein the alert is a non-blocking alert.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (1)