Method and system for identifying and automatically redisplaying unread instant messages

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computing system to implement a method of redisplaying an instant message in a computing environment, said method comprising:

• receiving an instant message at an instant message (IM) client application;
• storing said instant message in a data repository;
• displaying said instant message or a notification of said instant message in a first window initially at a first time, said first window capable of being viewed by a user of said IM client application, said first window provided by said IM client application;
• in response to said displaying said instant message or said notification, obtaining a focus by said first window at said first time, said focus being a visibility of contents of said first window to said user viewing a display device coupled to a computing system on which said IM client application is executing, wherein said visibility of said contents is in response to a viewing by said user of said display device and is not in response to any other interaction with said IM client application, and wherein said contents include said instant message or said notification;
• closing said first window at a second time subsequent to said first time;
• determining a time period as a difference between said first time and said second time, wherein said time period is a period of time during which said first window has said focus;
• determining said time period is an amount of time that is insufficient for said user to read said instant message by determining said time period is less than a pre-defined threshold value, wherein said determining said time period is less than said pre-defined threshold value is based on a reading speed of said user and an amount of text included in said instant message;
• wherein the reading speed of said user is obtained by an automated reading test provided by the IM client application during setup or configuration;
• identifying said instant message as being unread by said user based on said time period being said amount of time that is insufficient for said user to read said instant message;
• generating a request for redisplaying said instant message in response to said determining said time period is less than said pre-defined threshold value;
• detecting a pre-defined action, said pre-defined action prompting a search of said data repository for any instant message identified as unread by said user via said identifying, wherein said detecting said pre-defined action comprises detecting said request;
• locating said instant message in said data repository based on said search;
• and
• automatically redisplaying said instant message or said notification of said instant message in a second window provided by said IM client application and viewable by said user, said automatically redisplaying performed in response to said identifying, said detecting and said locating.

A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising

• providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein said computer-readable code is stored in a computer-readable storage medium of said computing system, and wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method of redisplaying an instant message, said method comprising:
• receiving an instant message at an instant message (IM) client application;
• storing said instant message in a data repository;
• displaying said instant message or a notification of said instant message in a first window initially at a first time, said first window capable of being viewed by a user of said IM client application, said first window provided by said IM client application;
• in response to said displaying said instant message or said notification, obtaining a focus by said first window at said first time, said focus being a visibility of contents of said first window to said user viewing a display device coupled to a computing system on which said IM client application is executing, wherein said visibility of said contents is in response to a viewing by said user of said display device and is not in response to any other interaction with said IM client application, and wherein said contents include said instant message or said notification;
• closing said first window at a second time subsequent to said first time;
• determining a time period as a difference between said first time and said second time, wherein said time period is a period of time during which said first window has said focus;
• determining said time period is an amount of time that is insufficient for said user to read said instant message by determining said time period is less than a pre-defined threshold value, wherein said determining said time period is less than said pre-defined threshold value is based on a reading speed of said user and an amount of text included in said instant message;
• wherein the reading speed of said user is obtained by an automated reading test provided by the IM client application during setup or configuration;
• identifying said instant message as being unread by said user based on said time period being said amount of time that is insufficient for said user to read said instant message;
• generating a request for redisplaying said instant message in response to said determining said time period is less than said pre-defined threshold value;
• detecting a pre-defined action, said pre-defined action prompting a search of said data repository for any instant message identified as unread by said user via said identifying, wherein said detecting said pre-defined action comprises detecting said request;
• locating said instant message in said data repository based on said search;
• and
• automatically redisplaying said instant message or said notification of said instant message in a second window provided by said IM client application and viewable by said user, said automatically redisplaying performed by a processor of said computing system and in response to said identifying, said detecting and said locating.

A method of redisplaying an instant message in a computing environment, comprising:

• starting an instant message (IM) client application;
• receiving an instant message at said IM client application;
• storing said instant message in a data repository, wherein said data repository consists of one or more instant messages unread by a user of said IM client application;
• displaying said instant message or a notification of said instant message in a first window provided by said IM client application;
• determining said first window does not have a focus for a pre-determined time period, said focus being a visibility of contents of said first window to said user viewing a display device coupled to a computing system on which said IM client application is executing, wherein said visibility of said contents is based on said user viewing said display device and is not in response to any other interaction with said IM client application, and wherein said contents include said instant message or said notification;
• determining said time period is an amount of time that is insufficient for said user to read said instant message by determining said time period is less than a pre-defined threshold value, wherein said determining said time period is less than said pre-defined threshold value is based on a reading speed of said user and an amount of text included in said instant message;
• wherein the reading speed of said user is obtained by an automated reading test provided by the IM client application during setup or configuration;
• subsequent to said determining said first window does not have said focus for said pre-determined time period, terminating said IM client application as a result of a pre-defined event, wherein a result of said terminating said IM client application is said instant message remaining in said data repository, wherein said pre-defined event is a crash of said IM client application or a crash of an operating system of said computing system;
• restarting said IM client application subsequent to said terminating said IM client application;
• in response to said restarting said IM client application, searching said data repository for any instant message that is unread by said user and retrieving said instant message from said data repository;
• and
• in response to said restarting said IM client application, automatically redisplaying said instant message or said notification of said instant message in a second window provided by said IM client application and viewable by said user, wherein said automatically redisplaying is performed by a processor of said computing system.