Patent ID: 7716289

Claim:
A communication method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, an instant messaging (IM) message from a first user to a second user; waiting a predefined time interval prior to prompting the first user for permission; prompting the first user for permission to convey the IM message to a third user; receiving an input from the first user, the input being indicative of the permission to convey the IM message to the third user; and conveying the IM message to the third user in response to receiving the input; determining whether the second user is currently engaged in an IM chat session with a fourth user; indicating to the first user, in response to determining that the second user is engaged in an IM chat session with a fourth user, that the second user is engaged in an IM chat session with the fourth user; prompting the first user to join the IM chat session; in response to receiving an indication that the first user wants to join the IM chat session, prompting the second user and the fourth user to allow the first user to join the IM chat session; and in response to receiving an indication that the second user and the fourth user want to allow the first user to joint the IM chat session, facilitating joining of the first user to the IM chat session.