Delegated updates

A computer implemented method and system for delegating authority on an online account includes monitoring a user of a plurality of users using an online social network on a communications system. A designated user for an originating user from the plurality of users is assigned, responsive to the originating user of the plurality of user's selection of the designated user. The designated user is activated, responsive to determining an absence of access of the originating user on the online social network. A delegation action is presented to the designated user, and the delegation action is performed on behalf of the originating user, responsive to the designated user's selection of the delegation action.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for delegating authority on an online account. Online social networks can be used to connect with other users, enable sharing between users, and process information between users. Online social networks can include social networks on a local network, a wide area network, utilizing the Internet, or a mail client including web-based email.

Common techniques of sharing and processing information can include an inbox, a post, or a profile on a social network. These techniques enable users to share information with others, or gather information from others. However, when a user is unable to access the social network there is a lack of alternative methods to post content, and to ascertain a user's absence, as well as to notify others of the user's absence.

Many conditions can be responsible for a user to be offline or unable to access the social network. For example, an identity provider of a social network may be unavailable for users who wish to login; a user can be locked out of a system or social network; a user's machine may be down (for example, nonfunctioning, broken, unavailable; lost or stolen), or a user's network access can be unavailable. In the above exemplary situations a user's online presence can be unavailable or offline. Issues that can occur when a user's online presence is unavailable include, for example: a user's input or contribution to the social group or network is not present; the other users' in the social group are not informed of the status of the unavailable user; and an alternative contact for the unavailable user may not be available.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, a computer implemented method delegates authority on an online account. The method monitors a user using a computer, the user is part of an online social network accessed using a communications system, and the online social network includes a plurality of users. A designated user for the user from the plurality of users is assigned, responsive to the user's selection of the designated user. The designated user is activated, responsive to determining an absence of access of the user on the online social network. A delegation action is presented to the designated user. The delegation action is performed on behalf of the user, responsive to the designated user's selection of the delegation action.

In another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product delegates authority on an online account. The computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se. The program instructions are executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method, comprising: monitoring a user using a computer, the user being part of an online social network accessed using a communications system, the online social network including a plurality of users; assigning a designated user for the user from the plurality of users, responsive to the user's selection of the designated user; activating the designated user, responsive to determining an absence of access of the user on the online social network; presenting a delegation action to the designated user; and performing the delegation action on behalf of the user, responsive to the designated user's selection of the delegation action.

In another aspect of the present invention, a computer system delegates authority on an online account. The computer system includes one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors. The program instructions, comprise: monitoring a user using a computer, the user being part of an online social network accessed using a communications system, the online social network including a plurality of users; assigning a designated user for the user from the plurality of users, responsive to the user's selection of the designated user; activating the designated user, responsive to determining an absence of access of the user on the online social network; presenting a delegation action to the designated user; and performing the delegation action on behalf of the user, responsive to the designated user's selection of the delegation action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1, 2 and 3a system10and method100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for delegating authority on an online account. The method100includes monitoring a user of a plurality of users using an online social network84on a communications system, as in block104. Users60are shown inFIG. 1using a representative device70, which is envisioned as exemplary of each of the users. The device70includes a computer system20. The device70can be a mobile device, or other types of computer devices. The device70includes a social networking software application74(also referred to as a social networking application), or can access a social network using a web browser (not shown) for accessing the Internet and accessing websites on the World Wide Web. A delegation application78is included on the device70, which can be a separate application as shown inFIG. 1, and alternatively can be part (or integral with) the social networking application.

The users60can access the social network84using the device70via a communication system embodied as communications network80, which can include, for example, the Internet, a telephone system, or a local area network.

Referring toFIG. 3, a functional diagram200with respect to the system10and method100(shown inFIGS. 1 and 2) includes an originating user62(as an embodiment of a user from the plurality of users60accessing the social network). The originating user selects a designated user64from the plurality of users60, as in block108. Responsive to the originating user62of the plurality of users60selection of the designated user64, the method100assigns the designated user64for the originating user, as in block112. For example, the designated user may be a work colleague, a friend, relative, or supervisor in a working relationship.

The method100can be implemented using the delegation application78shown inFIG. 1. The method can also be provided as a service which can be remote, for instance, including an application residing on a remote server exemplified by remote server90.

The method determines an absence of access of the originating user208on the online social network, as in block116. For example, an absence208can be determined by a lack of logging in by the originating user for a period of time. Alternatively, a user can be determined as absent if no activity has been logged within a time threshold. In one embodiment, an absence of access of the originating user can be determined by an absence of communication of the originating user which can include an absence of logging into the online social network. Another indication of absence of access of the originating user can be an absence of a device connection to the online social network. A lack of connection can be determined to indicate an absence of access when it occurs during a specified time frame, or exceeds a specified threshold time duration. Also, a lack of posts by an originating user, or alternatively a quantity of posts that do not meet a threshold, can indicate an absence of access.

The method100includes activating the designated user64, as in block120, when an absence of the originating user is detected, as in block118. Thus, responsive to determining an absence of access, the method activates the designated user, as in block120. When no absence of the originating user is detected in block118, the method returns to block104.

A delegation action216(FIG. 3) is presented to the designated user64, as in block124. The designated user selects a delegation action, as in block128. The delegation action can be one action or a group a delegation actions for the designated user to select from. In one embodiment, the designated user can select one or more delegation actions. The delegation action can include, for example, approving of a post; sending a message; sending a message of unavailability of the originating user; or other tasks on behalf of the originating user.

The method100includes performing the delegation action216on behalf of the originating user62, as in block132, responsive to the designated user's selection of the delegation action. In one embodiment, one or more delegation actions can be presented to the designated user, or a group of delegation actions can be presented.

In one embodiment, the method can include a set of designated users which can be assigned from the plurality of users responsive to the originating user's selection of a set of designated users. The selection of one of the designated users from the set of designated users can be determined based on a criterion220(FIG. 3), responsive to determining the absence of access of the originating user on the online social network. The criterion can be one of, or be included in criteria comprising, for example, the most active user in the social network of the set of designated users; a designated user with the same title as the originating user in a work environment; or a designated user who is currently online at the time of the detected absence. A trusted user can also meet criteria or can also be designated, for example, a manager, or a person in an equivalent role in an organization.

In another embodiment, a set of delegation actions can be presented to the designated user in response to determining the absence of an originating user. The designated user can select a delegation action from the set of delegation actions. The selected delegation action can be initiated once selected by the designated user.

In another embodiment, one or more delegation rules can be specified for selecting a designated user. The delegation rules can be based on context of a social group and the originating user. A delegation rule can be selected from a group of rules. For example, a delegation rule can include: recent participant of a conversation; a list of designated users; a manager in a management chain of the originating user; or a work group member. For example, in an organizational environment, a delegation rule can be selected that selects a manager in a management chain.

The present disclosure enables a designated user to act on behalf of a user so that the originating user appears active, for instance, by posting for the originating user, or triggering a post for the originating user. The designated user can also inform other users of the status or an activity of the originating user while the originating user is unable to post.

Once the originating user is able to post/access their account, for example, by logging in, the designated user can be notified of the originating user's return. The designated user can also be blocked from posting for the originating user.

Thereby, the present disclosure enables an unavailable user to efficiently delegate updates, determining when a user is unavailable, selecting a second user, which can be from a set of preferred users, and identifying an update for the first user, and posting the update for the user. The update may be selected from a template or using free form.

The present disclosure can include prompting the designated user to post on the originating user's behalf. The designated user's post can be free form, or can be selected from a set of preconfigured and preapproved updates.

In one example according to an embodiment of the disclosure, multiple users are part of an online social network. An originating user has assigned a designated user. The originating user posts to the online social network, but then experiences a computer outage and is offline. The designated user is notified after the originating user is detected as offline or detected as absent. The method and system of the present disclosure includes preconfigured updates. The designated user is identified, and notified of the originating user's absence, and prompted with the preconfigured updates. The originating user is able to access the online social network again, logs back in, and can see the post(s) on their behalf, and now can continue to post.

In one example according to the present disclosure, a user's unavailability can be determined by monitoring and accessing posting patterns. In one example, if access by a user drops below a standard deviation based on previous posting patterns, the method and system can assume the user is unavailable.

The method can use a last login time if a user is not logged in within a set time frame (and further during normal business hours), the method can assume the user is unavailable. When a user's availability falls below a threshold, the method can activate a designated user to post on behalf of the unavailable user.

In another example according to an embodiment, the method and system can indicate any post by a designated user with a designation, such as, “on behalf of” the originating user. Alternatively, an indication of a post by a designated user can be used, such as a color, or typeset, typeface, or font, which designates the post as being from a designated user.

The device70may be a mobile device. A mobile device is one embodiment of a device having a computer or computer system20, which is depicted generically inFIG. 1. Other devices having a computer or described as a computer or computer system may include, for example, a Personal Data Assistant (PDA), a cell phone, or a notebook, a desktop computer, or the like. The device in the present disclosure can be configured to send and receive electronic communications. The computer system20is a generic representation of a computer which may be embodied in a device such as a hand held device, or can also represent a server for providing the method of the present disclosure as a service which can be accessible using the Internet or a network.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the method100may be embodied in a program22(FIG. 1) embodied on a computer readable storage device, e.g., data storage device24. The program22is executable by a processor28of a computer system20(to execute program steps, code, or program code). Additional data storage may also be embodied as a database40including data44. The program or executable instructions may be offered as a service by a provider. The computer20and program22shown inFIG. 1are generic representations of a computer and program that may be local to a user, or provided as a remote service, such as website accessible using a network (e.g., interacting with the Internet or cloud services). It is understood that the computer20also generically represents herein a computer device or a computer included in a device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, etc., or one or more servers, alone or as part of a datacenter. The computer system20can include a network interface32, and input/output (I/O) interface(s)34. The I/O interface34allows for input and output of data with an external device36that may be connected to the computer system. The network interface32may provide communications between the computer system and a computer network. The method steps and system components and techniques may be embodied in modules of the program22for performing the tasks of each of the steps of the method and system, which are generically represented inFIG. 1as program modules26. The program22and program modules26can execute specific steps, routines, sub-routines, instructions or code, of the program. The method of the present disclosure can be run locally on a device such as the mobile device, or can be run a service, for instance, on a remote server90which is accessed using the communications network80.

It is understood that a computer or a program running on the computer may communicate with a server computer via a communications network. The communications network may include transmission media and network links which include, for example, wireless, wired, or optical fiber, and routers, firewalls, switches, and gateway computers. The communications network may include connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables. A communications network may represent a worldwide collection of networks and gateways, such as the Internet, that use various protocols to communicate with one another, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc. A network may also include a number of different types of networks, such as, for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).

The embodiments, features, and instructive examples described above are illustrative, and should not be construed to limit the present disclosure to the particular embodiments or enumerated examples. Thus, various changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.