Role-based presence enabled service for communication system

• US 20050102389A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Jun, Liscano, Ramiro, Baker, Kathy, Balaba, Natalia
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• 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

Abstract

A system for providing role-based Presentity availability information to a Watcher, comprising at least one Presentity User Agent for issuing a request to register a Presentity in at least one of a plurality of roles, and for generating context messages relating to changes in context of the Presentity. At least one Watcher User Agent is provided for issuing a role-based subscription request for the availability information. A Presence Service is provided for maintaining role-based Watcher subscriptions and issuing availability messages in response to generation of the context messages. A Role Manager is provided for (i) receiving each request to register a Presentity in a role and in response managing Presentity registration in that role, and (ii) receiving each role-based subscription request, and in response managing each role-based Watcher subscription to the availability information within the Presence Service.

Claims

1. A system for providing role-based Presentity availability information to a Watcher, comprising:

at least one Presentity User Agent for issuing a request to register a Presentity in at least one of a plurality of roles, and for generating context messages relating to changes in context of said Presentity;

at least one Watcher User Agent for issuing a role-based subscription request for said availability information;

a Presence Service for maintaining role-based Watcher subscriptions and issuing availability messages in response to generation of said context messages; and

a Role Manager for (i) receiving each request to register a Presentity in said at least one of said plurality of roles and in response managing Presentity registration in said plurality of roles, and (ii) receiving each said role-based subscription request, and in response managing each role-based Watcher subscription to said availability information within said Presence Service.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Presence Service comprises:

a shared database for publishing a Subscribe Event and a Notification Event in response to receiving each said subscription request and context message, respectively;

at least one Presence Agent for receiving said Subscribe Event and in response triggering a set of subscription policies that either confirm or reject each of said role-based Watcher subscriptions, and for receiving said Notification Event and in response triggering a set of notification policies to selectively generate said availability messages.

6. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said Role Manager is a Role Manager Service for effecting user-independent management of roles by subscribing said Watcher to said at least one of said plurality of roles irrespective of said Presentity.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said role-based subscription includes a role definition therefor.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said notification policies includes a watcher switch for identifying said Watcher and a status line for controlling availability of said Presentity in said at least one of said plurality of roles.

9. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

12. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said notification policies includes a watcher switch for identifying said Watcher and a status line for controlling availability of said Presentity in said at least one of said plurality of roles.

16. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

17. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

18. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

3. A system as claimed in 2, wherein said Role Manager is a Role Group Manager for effecting user-centered management of roles by registering said Presentity with said at least one Presence Agent in said at least one of said plurality of roles, and subscribing said Watcher within said least one Presence Agent to said Presentity in said at least one of said plurality of roles.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said role-based subscription request identifies said Presentity and includes a role definition therefor.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said notification policies includes a role switch for Presentity control of availability in said at least one of said plurality of roles.

11. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said notification policies includes a role switch for Presentity control of availability in said at least one of said plurality of roles.

13. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

14. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

15. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said shared database is a tuple space.

10. (canceled).