System and method for circumventing instant messaging do-not-disturb
View Patent ↗A method and computer program product for defining one or more authorized users capable of granting do-not-disturb circumvention privileges, and receiving an indicator of a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to a circumventing user by the one or more authorized users. A do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user is circumvented based upon, at least in part, the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by an instant messaging client associated with an instant messaging user, permissions designating the instant messaging user an authorized instant messaging user of one or more authorized users capable of granting do-not-disturb circumvention privileges;
receiving, by the instant messaging client, a request from a second instant messaging user to circumvent a do-not-disturb status of a third instant messaging user;
associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user;
transmitting, by the instant messaging client, an indicator of the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to the second instant messaging user; and
circumventing the do-not-disturb status of the third instant messaging user based upon, at least in part, the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to the second instant messaging user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more authorized users are defined based upon, at least in part, a hierarchal position of the one or more authorized users.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more authorized users includes a designated user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more authorized users include a system-wide authorized user.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is temporary.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is at least one of: limited to a predefined time period, and persistent.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is limited to a predefined number of circumventions.
8. The method of claim 1 , further including associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user includes providing the second instant messaging user with a circumvention certificate.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indication of the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is displayed to the second instant messaging user in an instant messaging visual interface, wherein the indication is displayed as a status corresponding to the third instant messaging user in a user list of the instant messaging visual interface.
11. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by an instant messaging client associated with an instant messaging user, permissions designating the instant messaging user an authorized instant messaging user of one or more authorized users capable of granting do-not-disturb circumvention privileges;
receiving, by the instant messaging client, a request from a second instant messaging user to circumvent a do-not-disturb status of a third instant messaging user;
associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user;
transmitting, by the instant messaging client, an indicator of the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to the second instant messaging user; and
circumventing the do-not-disturb status of the third instant messaging user based upon, at least in part, the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to the second instant messaging user.
12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the one or more authorized users are defined based upon, at least in part, a hierarchal position of the one or more authorized users.
13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the one or more authorized users include a designated user.
14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the one or more authorized users include a system-wide authorized user.
15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is temporary.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is at least one of: limited to a predefined time period, and persistent.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is limited to a predefined number of circumventions.
18. The computer program product of claim 11 , further including instructions for associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user.
19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the instructions for associating a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges with the second instant messaging user include instructions for providing the second instant messaging user with a circumvention certificate.
20. The computer program product of claim 11 , further including instructions for displaying an indication of the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges is displayed to the second instant messaging user in an instant messaging visual interface, wherein the indication is displayed as a status corresponding to the third instant messaging user in a user list of the instant messaging visual interface.