Monitoring users of a computer network

Abstract

Communicating with and/or monitoring of a targeted used in computer-network environment (e.g., an instant messaging system) involves detecting that the targeted user has signed on to the network, and upon detecting the signon, automatically communicating with the targeted user, for example, by sending an instant message previously specified by a targeting user. Alternatively, or in addition, the targeting user can receive notification that the targeted user has signed on and/or that the instant message has been sent. Instead of, or in addition to, automatically sending an instant message and/or notifying the targeting user, a predefined operation specified by the targeting user (e.g., operating system command, script or executable file) can be performed. These various operations can be performed on one or more client systems, on one or more server systems, or any combination thereof.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of communicating with a user, the method comprising: 
 detecting that a previously unavailable user is available to receive messages; and    automatically sending a predetermined message to the user upon detecting that the user has become available.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing notification to a monitoring user that the previously unavailable user has become available.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the notified monitoring user previously specified the predetermined message.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing notification to a monitoring user that the predetermined message was sent.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the notified monitoring user previously specified the predetermined message.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined message comprises an instant message.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined message comprises content specified by a monitoring user seeking to communicate with the previously unavailable user.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically sending the predetermined message comprises instantiating a window on the user's computer screen displaying the predetermined message.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, prior to the detection, receiving a request from a monitoring user to monitor availability of the previously unavailable user.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising queuing the received request until the previously unavailable user becomes available.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising receiving input from the monitoring user specifying the predetermined message.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising instantiating an instant messaging window on a computer screen of the monitoring user upon detecting that the previously unavailable user has become available.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising executing a command specified by the monitoring user.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the command comprises one or more of an operating system command, a script, or an executable file.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising repeating the detecting and the automatic message sending each time the user newly becomes available.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the detecting and the automatic message sending are performed entirely on one or more server systems.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the detecting and the automatic message sending are performed entirely on one or more client systems.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the detecting and the automatic message sending are distributed among one or more server systems and one or more client systems.  
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented instant messaging method comprising: 
 detecting that a targeted user has signed on to an instant messaging service; and    upon detecting the signon, automatically sending to the targeted user an instant message previously specified by a targeting user.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising providing notification to the targeting user that the targeted user has signed on to the instant messaging service.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising providing notification to the targeting user that the instant message was sent.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein automatically sending the instant message comprises instantiating a window on the targeted user's computer screen displaying the instant message.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising, prior to the detection, receiving a request from the targeting user to monitor a signon by the targeted user.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising queuing the received request until the targeted user signs on.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising receiving input from the targeting user specifying the instant message.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising instantiating an instant messaging window on a computer screen of the targeting user upon detecting that the targeted user has signed on.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising executing a command specified by the targeting user.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the command comprises one or more of an operating system command, a script, or an executable file.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising repeating the detecting and the automatic instant message sending each time the targeting user signs on.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the detecting and the automatic instant message sending are performed entirely on one or more server systems.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the detecting and the automatic instant message sending are performed entirely on one or more client systems.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the detecting and the automatic instant message sending are distributed among one or more server systems and one or more client systems.  
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method of monitoring users of a computer network, the method comprising: 
 receiving from a monitoring user a request to monitor availability of a monitored user;    detecting that the monitored user is available; and    automatically performing a predefined operation specified by the monitoring user upon detecting that the monitored user is available.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein performing the predefined operation comprises sending an instant message to the monitored user.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein performing the predefined operation comprises executing an operating system command, a script, or an executable file specified by the monitoring user.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein performing the predefined operation comprises providing a notification that the monitoring user is available.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the notification is provided to the monitoring user.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the notification is provided to an entity other than the monitoring user.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the receiving, detecting and automatically performing a predefined operation are performed entirely on one or more server systems.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the receiving, detecting and automatically performing a predefined operation are performed entirely on one or more client systems.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the receiving, detecting and automatically performing a predefined operation are distributed among one or more server systems and one or more client systems.  
     
     
         42 . A computer-implemented method of communicating with a user on a computer network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one server, the method comprising at the server: 
 receiving a request to detect when a currently unavailable user becomes available to receive messages;    detecting that the user has become available; and    automatically sending a predetermined message to the user upon detecting that the user has become available.    
     
     
         43 . A computer-implemented method of communicating with a user on a computer network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one server, the method comprising at a client: 
 generating a request to detect when a currently unavailable user becomes available to receive messages;    receiving notice that the user has become available; and    automatically sending a predetermined message to the user.    
     
     
         44 . An instant messaging system comprising: 
 a server system comprising software instructions for (i) monitoring a targeted user's availability to receive instant messages, and (ii) sending a notification that a targeted user has become available to receive instant messages; and    one or more client systems in communication with the server system, each client system being associated with a targeting user and comprising software instructions for (i) queuing a request to send an instant message to a currently unavailable targeted user, and (ii) sending the instant message to the targeted user upon receiving notification from the server system that the targeted user has become available to receive instant messages.    
     
     
         45 . Computer software, tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium or in a propagated carrier signal, for communicating with a user of an instant messaging system, the software comprising instructions to cause a computer system to perform the following operations: 
 (a) detect that a previously unavailable user has become available to receive instant messages; and    (b) automatically send a predetermined instant message to the user upon detecting that the user has become available.    
     
     
         46 . The computer software of  claim 45  wherein the software to perform operations (a) and (b) resides entirely on one or more server systems.  
     
     
         47 . The computer software of  claim 45  wherein the software to perform operations (a) and (b) resides entirely on one or more client systems.  
     
     
         48 . The computer software of  claim 45  wherein the software to perform operations (a) and (b) is distributed among one or more server systems and one or more client systems.