US2004177278A1PendingUtilityA1

Method, system, and article for telephone notification of an online status of a user

49
Assignee: SBC PROPERTIES LPPriority: May 9, 2000Filed: Mar 19, 2004Published: Sep 9, 2004
Est. expiryMay 9, 2020(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Marc Lipton
H04M 3/42059H04M 3/42365H04M 3/42374H04L 67/54H04M 3/42
49
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

One or more members of a group are notified of an online status of a user. If a member of the group is off-line and has enabled a telephone notification option, a telephone message indicating the online status of the user is sent to the member. If the member of the group is online, an online message indicating the online status of the user is sent to the member.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 detecting an online status of a user;    determining that a first member of a group associated with the user is off-line;    placing a telephone call to a first telephone number associated with the first member based on said determining; and    sending a message within the telephone call, the message indicating the online status of the user.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 determining that a first-member-initiated telephone notification option is enabled.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 determining that a second member of the group associated with the user is off-line; and  
 determining that a second-member-initiated telephone notification option is disabled.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 inhibiting placing a telephone call to a second telephone number associated with the second member.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 determining that a user-initiated notification option is enabled.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the message comprises an audio message.  
     
     
         7 . A method comprising: 
 detecting an online status of a user;    determining that a user-initiated notification option is enabled;    determining that a first member of a group associated with the user is off-line;    determining that a first-member-initiated telephone notification option is enabled;    placing a telephone call to a first telephone number associated with the first member;    sending an audio message within the telephone call, the audio message indicating the online status of the user;    determining that a second member of the group associated with the user is off-line;    determining that a second-member-initiated telephone notification option is disabled; and    inhibiting placing a telephone call to a second telephone number associated with the second member.    
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable medium whose contents direct a computer to: 
 detect an online status of a user;    determine that a first member of a group associated with the user is off-line;    place a telephone call to a first telephone number associated with the first member; and    send a message within the telephone call, the message indicating the online status of the user.    
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8  wherein the contents further direct the computer to determine that a first-member-initiated telephone notification option is enabled.  
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9  wherein the contents further direct the computer to: 
 determine that a second member of the group associated with the user is off-line; and  
 determine that a second-member-initiated telephone notification option is disabled.  
 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the contents further direct the computer to inhibit placing a telephone call to a second telephone number associated with the second member.  
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8  wherein the contents further direct the computer to determine that a user-initiated notification option is enabled.  
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8  wherein the message comprises an audio message.  
     
     
         14 . A server operative to detect an online status of a user, to determine that a first member of a group associated with the user is off-line, to place a telephone call to a first telephone number associated with the first member, and to send a message within the telephone call, the message indicating the online status of the user.  
     
     
         15 . The server of  claim 14  further operative to determine that a first-member-initiated telephone notification option is enabled.  
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 15  further operative to determine that a second member of the group associated with the user is off-line, and to determine that a second-member-initiated telephone notification option is disabled.  
     
     
         17 . The server of  claim 16  further operative to inhibit placing a telephone call to a second telephone number associated with the second member.  
     
     
         18 . The server of  claim 14  further operative to determine that a user-initiated notification option is enabled.  
     
     
         19 . The server of  claim 14  wherein the message comprises an audio message.

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