Patent ID: 7865839

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: monitoring a user's activity within a first window that is visible to the user in a graphical user interface (GUI) and that is active; receiving a notification of an incoming message that was sent by another user and that is intended for the user; determining, based on an identity associated with sender of the incoming message, whether to interrupt the user's activity in response to receipt of the incoming message; if it is determined, based on the identity associated with the sender of the incoming message, that the user's activity is not to be interrupted in response to receipt of the incoming message: determining, based upon informing gleaned by monitoring the user's activity in the first window in the GUI, if the user's activity in the first window in the GUI satisfies a predetermined condition, and only after a determination that the user's activity in the first window in the GUI has satisfied the predetermined condition: automatically causing the first window in the GUI to transition from being active to being inactive, and automatically causing a second window to become active in the GUI to provide the user with notification of the incoming message; or if it is determined, based on the identity associated with the sender of the incoming message, that the user's activity is to be interrupted in response to receipt of the incoming message: automatically causing the first window in the GUI to transition from being active to being inactive, and automatically causing a second window to become active in the GUI to provide the user with notification of the incoming message.