Patent ID: 7295657

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for identifying a backup recipient for a chat message request when an intended recipient of said chat message request is unavailable to participate in a chat session, comprising: detecting, at an instant messaging communication service provider system for facilitating chat sessions via a network between a plurality of separate users enabled to log in to said instant messaging communication service provider at a plurality of separate client systems, a chat messaging request from a requester from among said plurality of users to said intended recipient from among said plurality of users; determining, at said instant messaging communication service provider system, whether said intended recipient is available to respond to said chat messaging request from said requester; responsive to determining that said intended recipient is unavailable to respond to said messaging request from said requester, searching, at said instant messaging communication service provider system, at least one from among a directory entry for said intended recipient and a schedule for said intended recipient to identify a particular designated backup from among a plurality of separate designated backups to said intended recipient from among said plurality of users, wherein at least one characteristic of said chat messaging request matches at least one from among a current time period, a requester identity, and an intended subject matter specified in association with said particular designated backup; distributing, by said instant messaging communication service provider system, said chat messaging request to said particular designated backup, wherein said particular designated backup is enabled to select whether to participate in a chat session by responding to said chat messaging request.