Patent ID: 9667572
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method for providing messages to users of an electronic communications program, the method comprising the following operations performed by at least one processor: providing, on a first user's device, an interface that enables the first user to set a contact group containing identification information for one or more other users; receiving, from the first user's device, a global away message that is set by the first user; receiving, from the first user's device, a contact group away message for the contact group that is set by the first user; determining if the first user is available based on whether the first user's device is in an online or offline state, wherein when the first user's device is in an offline state the first user's device is disconnected from a communications network or otherwise unavailable for communications; determining if a second user is a member of the contact group, when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user through the communications network; and automatically sending, to the second user's device, a response to the second user when it is determined that the first user is not available, the response being the global away message, wherein the contact group away message is appended to the global away message when the second user is a member of the contact group.