Patent ID: 7509339
Filing Date: 2009-03-24
Classification: G06Q,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a logon, at a server, from a first user, wherein the server supports a real-time instant text messaging function between the first user and a second user, wherein the first user is a receiver of a real-time instant text message and the second user is a sender of the real-time instant text message; receiving, at the server, a selection of at least one attribute among a plurality of attributes utilized to describe at least one sender from a plurality of senders, wherein the plurality of senders are sending users of the real-time instant text messaging function, wherein each of the plurality of attributes includes sender information about the sender of the real-time instant text message, and wherein each sender information includes a first name of the sender, a last name of the sender, a middle initial of the sender, a phone number of the sender, a title of the sender, and a workgroup of which the sender is a member; assigning a unique notification signal to a subset of the plurality of attributes, wherein the subset nonexclusively describes the second user; and in response to the first user receiving the real-time instant text message from the second user, transmitting the unique notification signal to the first user, wherein the unique notification signal is a single notification that is specific for any sending user that has attributes that match all of the subset of the plurality of attributes.