Method and device for displaying contact information in a presence and availability management system

• US 20020116336A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Diacakis, Athanassios, Cohen, Daniel R.
• Application Number:
  US10/068,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and device of displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information. According to one embodiment, the method includes, for each individual, receiving one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber. The method also includes, for each individual, generating a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and summarizes whether the individual is capable of receiving certain data content types, whether the individual is available on certain network types or device types, and/or whether certain groups of people are available. In addition, the method includes displaying the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

for each individual, receiving one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber;

for each individual, generating a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and summarizes whether the individual is capable of receiving certain data content types; and

displaying the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a single summary indicator includes generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a data content type selected from a group consisting of a telephone communication, a text message, a video file, an audio file, and a graphics file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the single summary indicator includes displaying the single summary indicator for each individual via a user interface.

4. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, for a plurality of individuals, one or more addresses of each individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to a subscriber the contact information;

generate, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving certain data content types; and

display the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4, having further stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the process to generate a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a data content type selected from a group consisting of a telephone communication, a text message, a video file, an audio file, and a graphics file.

6. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

an indicator module for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving certain data content types; and

a user interface in communication with the indicator module.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the data content types are selected from the group consisting of a telephone communication, a voice communication, a video file, a streaming video file, an audio file, a streaming audio file, a text file, a graphics file, and a streaming graphics file.

8. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

first means for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving certain data content types; and

second means for displaying the single summary indicator to the subscriber.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first means is further for generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a data content type selected from a group consisting of a telephone communication, a voice communication, a text file, a text message, a video file, a streaming video file, an audio file, a steaming audio file and a graphics file.

10. A method of displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

for each individual, receiving one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber;

for each individual, generating a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and summarizes whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain network types; and

displaying the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating a single summary indicator includes generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a network type selected from the group consisting of an IM network, a telephone network, a computer network, a SMS network, a VoIP network, a paging network, and a two-way paging network.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, having further stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the process to generate a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a network type selected from a group consisting of an IM network, a telephone network, a computer network, a SMS network, a VoIP network, a paging network, and a two-way paging network.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the network types are selected from the group consisting of an IM network, a telephone network, a computer network, a SMS network, a VoIP network, a paging network, and a two-way paging network.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first means is further for generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a network type selected from a group consisting of an IM network, a telephone network, a computer network, a SMS network, a VoIP network, a paging network, and a two-way paging network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating a single summary indicator includes generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a device type selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone, a landline telephone, a PDA, a computer, a SMS phone, a pager, a two-way pager, a wireless PDA, a WAP phone, and a GPRS phone.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, for a plurality of individuals, one or more addresses of each individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to a subscriber the contact information;

generate, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain network types; and

display the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

14. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

an indicator module for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain network types; and

a user interface in communication with the indicator module.

16. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

first means for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain network types; and

second means for displaying the single summary indicator to the subscriber.

18. A method of displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

for each individual, receiving one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber;

for each individual, generating a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and summarizes whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain device types; and

displaying the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, for a plurality of individuals, one or more addresses of each individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to a subscriber the contact information;

generate, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain device types; and

display the single summary indicator for each individual to the subscriber.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, having further stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the process to generate a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a device type selected from a group consisting of a wireless telephone, a landline telephone, a PDA, a computer network, a SMS phone, a pager, a two-way pager, a wireless PDA, a WAP phone, and a GPRS phone.

22. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

an indicator module for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain device types; and

a user interface in communication with the indicator module.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the device types are selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone, a landline telephone, a PDA, a computer network, a SMS phone, a pager, a two-way pager, a wireless PDA, a WAP phone, and a GPRS phone.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first means is further for generating a single summary indicator that identifies whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via a device type selected from a group consisting of a wireless telephone, a landline telephone, a PDA, a computer network, a SMS phone, a pager, a two-way pager, a wireless PDA, a WAP phone, and a GPRS phone.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the group provides a service.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of technical support, customer service, and sales.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the group is selected from a group consisting of employees of a company, employees of a department, field sales employees, customer relationship management employees, volunteers, club members, and social group members.

24. A device for displaying contact information of a plurality of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

first means for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating, for each individual, a single summary indicator that identifies the individual and whether the individual is capable of receiving a communication via certain device types; and

second means for displaying the single summary indicator to the subscriber.

26. A method of displaying contact information of a group of individuals for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

for each individual of the group, receiving one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber;

generating a single summary indicator that summarizes whether the group is available based on whether at least one individual of the group is available; and

displaying the single summary indicator for the group to the subscriber.

30. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, for a plurality of individuals of a group, one or more addresses of each individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to a subscriber the contact information;

generate a single summary indicator that summarizes whether the group of the is available based on whether at least one individual of the group is available; and

display the single summary indicator for group to the subscriber.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the group provides a service.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of technical support, customer service, and sales.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the group is selected from a group consisting of employees of a company, employees of a department, field sales employees, customer relationship management employees, volunteers, club members, and social group members.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the group provides a service.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of technical support, customer service, and sales.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein the group is selected from a group consisting of employees of a company, employees of a department, field sales employees, customer relationship management employees, volunteers, club members, and social group members.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the group provides a service.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of technical support, customer service, and sales.

41. The device of claim 38, wherein the group is selected from a group consisting of employees of a company, employees of a department, field sales employees, customer relationship management employees, volunteers, club members, and social group members.

34. A device for displaying contact information of a group of individuals providing a service for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

an indicator module for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating a single summary indicator that summarizes whether the group is available based on whether at least one individual of the group is available; and

a user interface in communication with the indicator module.

38. A device for displaying contact information of a group of individuals providing a service for a subscriber of the contact information, comprising:

first means for receiving, for each individual, one or more addresses of the individual for each communication network for which the individual is available to the subscriber and generating a single summary indicator that summarizes whether the group is available based on whether at least one individual of the group is available; and

second means for displaying the single summary indicator to the subscriber.