Patent ID: 7418497

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for inferring an interrupt status of a user to receive an alert to a communication request at a communication interface, comprising: responsive to receiving a communication request to communicate with a user, detecting at least one current activity of said user, wherein said at least one current activity comprises at least one system level event indicating user interaction with a particular software application from among a plurality of software applications available within a computer environment accessible to said user; responsive to receiving said communication request to communicate with said user, detecting an identifier of a requester of communication with said user; inferring an interrupt status of said user to receive an alert to said communication request from said at least one current activity of said user and said identifier of said requester in view of a plurality of availability rules that map said at least one system level event when combined with said identifier of said requester to a plurality of possible interrupt statuses, wherein said plurality of possible interrupt statuses comprise blocking any alert to said communication request, only allowing a sound for said alert to said communication request, and only allowing a graphic display for said alert to said communication request; and only enabling said alert to notify said user of said communication request in a communication interface for said user as allowed by said interrupt status.