Patent ID: 7502830

Claim:
A method for setting two-way alert notifications in an instant messaging system, said method comprising: a first user sending an instant message to a second user; determining whether a status of said second user is available, unavailable, offline, busy, interested, not-interested, or active; said first user setting up a list of choices for user-interface for all possible alerting features; wherein said all possible alerting features depends on said status of said second user; said first user sending said list of choices for user-interface for all possible alerting features to said second user; said second user negotiating with said first user on said list of choices for user-interface for all possible alerting features, by exchanging e-mails or instant messages, and editing or modifying said list of choices for user-interface for all possible alerting features; said first user and said second user approving a final version of said list of choices for user-interface; applying said final version of said list of choices for user-interface to said instant messaging system; wherein said final version of said list of choices for user-interface comprising a two-way alert notification; upon occurrence of a triggering event, sending a first alert notification to said first user and sending a second alert notification to said second user; wherein said second alert notification notifying said second user about said first alert notification to said first user; and wherein said triggering event comprising one or more of the following: initiating to turn-off said instant messaging system, turn off a computer system, launch a first application program, or terminate or halt a second application program.