Method for automatic detection of display sharing and alert generation in instant messaging
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus is provided for automatically detecting display sharing, setting display sharing status, and generating alerts in instant messaging. If the display is shared, the present invention intercepts an instant message before it is displayed and generates alerts to senders. Senders have options to display the message, delete the message, or allow the message to be queued until display is no longer shared. Alternatively, if the sender's instant messaging application supports the functionality, the mechanism of the present invention may present the user with options to display the message or allow the message to be queued until display is no longer shared without sending an alert message. A privacy list of contacts may be automatically built when integrated with a calendar system for controlling instant messaging access and behavior.
1. A computer implemented method in a data processing system for automatic detection of display sharing and alert generation, the computer implemented method comprising:
determining, using an existing application programming interface, whether a display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user using a set of footprints, wherein the display sharing tool allows a user to share a display, connected to the data processing system, with at least one participant, and wherein the set of footprints is defined by the user to identify a particular display sharing tool;
responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, determining whether the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant;
responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user and the user is sharing the display with at least one participant, determining whether the user is a host by examining a window title;
responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, and the user is the host, setting a user online status to shared, wherein setting the user online status to shared alerts a set of senders that the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant;
responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, the user is the host, and setting the user online status to shared intercepting an instant message, wherein the intercepted instant message is not displayed on the display being shared by the user;
processing the intercepted instant message according to a user configured behavior;
determining whether a sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized, wherein the sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized when the sender has sent a previous instant message while the user was sharing the display with the at least one participant;
responsive to determining that the sender of the intercepted instant message is not recognized, generating an auto-reply alert to notify the sender of the intercepted instant message that the user is sharing the display, wherein the auto-reply alert indicates that the intercepted instant message will not be displayed;
sending the auto-reply alert to the sender of the intercepted instant message;
receiving a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message;
responsive to determining that the sender is recognized, retrieving a previous set of instructions sent by the sender; and
responsive to receiving a return message from the sender of the intercepted instant message, receiving a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message.
2. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system storing executable instructions to be executed by a processor for automatic detection of display sharing and alert generation, the computer implemented method comprising:
instructions for determining, using an existing application programming interface, whether a display sharing tool running as a process in the data processing system of a user using a set of footprints, wherein the display sharing tool allows a user to share a display, connected to the data processing system, with at least one participant, and wherein the set of footprints is defined by the user to identify a particular display sharing tool;
instructions for responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, determining whether the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant;
instructions for responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user and the user is sharing the display with at least one participant, determining whether the user is a host by examining a window title;
instructions for responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, and the user is the host, setting a user online status to shared, wherein setting the user online status to shared alerts a set of senders that the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant;
instructions for responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, the user is the host, and setting the user online status to shared intercepting an instant message, wherein the intercepted instant message is not displayed on the display being shared by the user;
instructions for processing the intercepted instant message according to a user configured behavior;
instructions for storing the instant message in a memory of the data processing system;
instructions for determining whether a sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized, wherein the sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized when the sender has sent a previous instant message while the user was sharing the display with the at least one participant;
instructions for responsive to determining that the sender of the intercepted instant message is not recognized, generating an auto-reply alert to notify the sender of the intercepted instant message that the user is sharing the display, wherein the auto-reply alert indicates that the intercepted instant message will not be displayed;
instructions for sending the auto-reply alert to the sender of the intercepted instant message;
instructions for receiving a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message;
instructions for responsive to determining that the sender is recognized, retrieving a previous set of instructions sent by the sender; and
instructions for responsive to receiving a return message from the sender of the intercepted instant message, receiving a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message.
3. A computer implemented method in a data processing system for automatic detection of display sharing and alert generation, the computer implemented method comprising:
a bus system;
a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and
a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to determine, using an existing application programming interface, whether a display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user using a set of footprints, wherein the display sharing tool allows a user to share a display, connected to the data processing system, with at least one participant, and wherein the set of footprints is defined by the user to identify a particular display sharing tool; determining whether the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user; determine whether the user is a host, responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user and the user is sharing the display with at least one participant; set a user online status to shared, wherein setting the user online status to shared alerts a set of senders that the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, and the user is the host by examining a window title; intercepting an instant message, responsive to determining that the display sharing tool is running as a process in the data processing system of a user, the user is sharing the display with the at least one participant, the user is the host, and setting the user online status to shared, wherein the intercepted instant message is not displayed on the display being shared by the user;
process the intercepted instant message according to a user configured behavior; store the intercepted instant message in a memory of the data processing system; determine whether a sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized, wherein the sender of the intercepted instant message is recognized when the sender has sent a previous instant message while the user was sharing the display with the at least one participant; generate an auto-reply alert to notify the sender of the intercepted instant message that the user is sharing the display, wherein the auto-reply alert indicates that the intercepted instant message will not be displayed; send the auto-reply alert to the sender of the intercepted instant message; receive a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message; retrieve a previous set of instructions sent by the sender, responsive to determining that the sender is recognized; and receive a set of instructions from the sender of the intercepted instant message, wherein the set of instructions indicate one of cancelling the instant message and bypassing the intercepting of the intercepted instant message, responsive to receiving a return message from the sender of the intercepted instant message.