Presence, location and availability communication system and method

• US 20030028621A1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Evolving Systems, Inc. (CCUR Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Evolving Systems, Inc. (CCUR Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kershaw, Kevin J., Furlong, Patrick Shane, Fawcett, Michelle, Schuler, Bradley Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/144,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028621A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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 system and method is disclosed for managing subscriber presence, location and availability (“PLA”) information across one or more communications networks. “Presence” requires both that a device be physically present within a network and that the device be in a state in which it can communicate. “Location” refers to the geographical coordinates associated with a communication device. “Availability” refers to a state characterizing whether a subscriber controlling a device desires to be contacted by another communicating entity. The presence, location and availability system (“PLAS”) provides interfaces between third party applications, third party suppliers of presence and location information, other PLA systems, subscribers and service provider administrators and enables subscribers to dictate and control access to subscriber presence, location and availability information. The PLAS makes presence, location and availability information available to third party applications in accordance with the subscriber defined preferences. In addition, the PLAS includes a database for managing subscriber identities, identity templates, permission lists, devices and their capabilities, device and capability templates, presence information, location information, subscriber dictated preferences and other information necessary for the PLAS to properly administer and control the flow of presence, location and availability information within and across networks.

Claims

1. A presence, location and availability system for use in a communications network, including at least one subscriber having a subscriber device, a service provider administrator, at least one third party application client and a third party application location service, the system comprising:

application program interfaces for interfacing said server with each of the at least one third party application client and with the third party application location service;

a database, comprising;

an identity record for each subscriber;

a preferences record for each subscriber; and

a presence record for each subscriber device, said presence record updated on a substantially real-time basis with the status of the subscriber within the communications network; and

a preference engine for processing a subscriber device location request from a third party application client by comparing the request with subscriber preferences stored in said database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein, if the request from the third party application client is a request to send a message to a designated subscriber device, said preference engine further processes the request by:

accessing the subscriber device'"'"'s presence record to determine whether the designated subscriber device is present;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s preferences record to determine if the designated subscriber device is available to the requesting third party application client; and

notifying the requesting third party application client of the designated subscriber device'"'"'s availability status.

3. The system of claim 1, said database further comprising a location record for each subscriber device, said location record updated on a substantially real-time basis with the geographic location of the subscriber device within the communications network wherein, if the request from the third party application client is a request to send a message to a designated subscriber device if the designated subscriber device is within a predetermined geographic location, said preference engine further processes the request by:

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s presence record to determine whether the subscriber is present;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s preferences record to determine if the subscriber device is available to the requesting third party application client;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s location record to determine if the subscriber device is within the predetermined geographic location; and

if the designated subscriber device is present and available and within the predetermined geographic location, providing such information to the requesting third party application client.

4. The system of claim 1, said database further comprising a device profile record for each subscriber device, said device profile record containing possible capabilities of each subscriber device.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for allowing a subscriber to modify the device profile record by selecting capabilities to be enabled.

6. The system of claim 1, said database further comprising event registration records containing:

a list of events which trigger an event handler; and

a list of subscribers which participate in each event;

wherein, when a listed event is triggered by a listed subscriber, the event handler transmits a predetermined message to the listed subscriber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the APIs are PAM-compliant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the preference record for each subscriber includes information provided by each subscriber indicating what communications the subscriber desires to receive from third party application clients and select persons.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the preference record for each subscriber further includes information provided by the subscriber indicating when the subscriber is willing to receive communications from third party application clients and select persons.

14. The system of claim 1, said database further comprising event registration records containing:

a list of events which trigger an event handler; and

a list of subscribers which participate in each event;

wherein, when a listed event is triggered by a listed subscriber, the event handler transmits a predetermined message to the listed subscriber.

10. A method for managing subscriber presence, location and availability information across a communications network having:

at least one subscriber with a subscriber device;

a service provider administrator;

at least one third party application client; and

a third party application location service, the method comprising the steps of;

permitting a subscriber to log onto a server;

permitting the subscriber to enter a personal information profile into a server database;

permitting the subscriber to enter information pertaining to subscriber devices into the server database;

permitting the subscriber to establish availability preferences into the server database;

receiving from a third party application client an availability inquiry for a specified subscriber;

accessing the server database to determine if the specified subscriber is present;

further determining if the specified subscriber is available to the inquiring third party application; and

notifying the third party application of the presence and availability of the specified subscriber.

11. A presence, location and availability system for use in a communications network, including at least one subscriber having a subscriber device, a service provider administrator, at least one third party application client and a third party application location service, the system comprising:

application program interfaces for interfacing said server with each of the at least one third party application client and with the third party application location service;

a database, comprising;

an identity record for each subscriber;

a preferences record for each subscriber comprising information provided by each subscriber indicating what communications the subscriber desires to receive from third party application clients and select persons;

a device profile record for each subscriber device, said device profile record containing possible capabilities of each subscriber device;

a presence record for each subscriber device, said presence record updated on a substantially real-time basis with the status of the subscriber within the communications network; and

a location record for each subscriber device, said location record updated on a substantially real-time basis with the approximate geographic location of the subscriber device within the communications network; and

a preference engine for processing a subscriber device location request from a third party application client by comparing the request with subscriber preferences stored in said database.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein, if the request from the third party application client is a request to send a message to a designated subscriber device, said preference engine further processes the request by:

accessing the subscriber device'"'"'s presence record to determine whether the designated subscriber device is present;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s preferences record to determine if the designated subscriber device is available to the requesting third party application client; and

notifying the requesting third party application client of the designated subscriber device'"'"'s availability status.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein, if the request from the third party application client is a request to send a message to a designated subscriber device if the designated subscriber device is within a predetermined geographic location, said preference engine further processes the request by:

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s presence record to determine whether the subscriber is present;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s preferences record to determine if the subscriber device is available to the requesting third party application client;

accessing the subscriber'"'"'s location record to determine if the subscriber device is within the predetermined geographic location; and

if the designated subscriber device is present and available and within the predetermined geographic location, providing such information to the requesting third party application client.