	US 7,502,830 B1
	System and method for setting two-way alert notifications in an instant messaging system
Mike V. Macias, Round Rock, Tex. (US); Sandip Dnyaneshwar Mahajan, Nagpur (India); Salil Pradeep Gandhi, Pune (India); and Saidas Tukaram Kottawar, Hingoli (India)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/45,367.
Int. Cl. G06F 15/16 (2006.01); G06F 15/173 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 709—206 [709/223; 709/228]

1 Claim

1. 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.