System and method for failsafe presence monitoring

• US 20050070301A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a plurality of network clients (150) including a positioning controller (504) and a communications controller (502); and a positioning server (152) configured to receive position information from said positioning controller (504); wherein said positioning server includes a timer (1804) for determining when said position information is to be received from associated ones of said plurality of network clients.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of network clients including a positioning controller and a communications controller; and

a positioning server configured to receive position information from said positioning controller;

wherein said positioning server includes a timer for determining when said position information is to be received from associated ones of said plurality of network clients.

2. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning controller receives global positioning network signals for determining a position of an associated network client.

3. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said communications controller comprises a cellular network controller for transmitting on a cellular telephone network to said server.

4. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said server sends one or more queries to an associated network client if a status message has not been received within a predetermined period as determined by said timer.

5. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more identification signals.

6. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more location-related update signals.

7. A telecommunications device, comprising:

a positioning controller adapted to determine positioning information for said telecommunications device; and

a wireless data controller adapted to receive said positioning information from said positioning controller and cause said positioning information to be transmitted to an associated server at predetermined intervals.

8. A telecommunications device as recited in claim 7, wherein said positioning controller receives Global Positioning System (GPS) signals to determine said positioning information.

9. A telecommunications device as recited in claim 7, wherein said wireless data controller is adapted to receive requests from said server to provide positioning information-related updates to said server.

10. A telecommunications server, comprising:

a presence control unit adapted to receive and maintain presence information for a plurality of users; and

a location control unit adapted to receive and maintain location information for said plurality of users, said location information correlated with said presence information;

wherein said location control unit includes a timer for determining when said location information is to be received from associated ones of said plurality of users.

11. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 10, wherein said location control unit is adapted to query an associated one of said plurality of users if a status message has not been received within a predetermined period determined by said timer.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more identification signals.

13. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more location-related update signals.

14. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving one or more positioning signals at a wireless device; and

transmitting position updates from said wireless device via a wireless data network to a server, said server including a timer for determining when said position updates are to be received from said wireless device.

15. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said receiving one or more positioning signals comprises receiving one or more signals from a global positioning network.

16. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said server is adapted to query said wireless device if a predetermined status message has not been received within a predetermined period determined by said timer.

17. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more identification signals.

18. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said predetermined status message comprises one or more location-related update signals.