Patent ID: 8495660

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for handling instant messages, at least a portion of the computer-implemented method being performed by a computing system comprising at least one processor, the computer-implemented method comprising: identifying an instant message sent to a user; detecting a first state of a computing device, the first state being that the computing device is in a conference room; receiving a first instant-message-handling rule; associating the first instant-message-handling rule with the first state; handling the instant message by applying the first instant-message-handling rule to the instant message, wherein: the first instant-message-handling rule is applied to the instant message when the computing device is in the first state and an additional condition is met; handling the instant message according to the first instant-message-handling rule comprises: checking whether the instant message contains a picture, determining that the instant message contains a picture, and selectively forwarding the instant message to an email address of the user based on the checking whether the instant message contains a picture; wherein the forwarding is selective such that the instant message is forwarded to the email address if the instant message is determined to contain a picture and the instant message is not forwarded to the email address if the instant message is determined to not contain a picture.