Methods and apparatus for determining a proxy presence of a user

• US 20060155733A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Klemm, Reinhard P., John, Ajita, Seligmann, Doree D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for collecting proxy presence information about an object associated with a user from one or more proxy presence sources associated with the user. A proxy presence agent is associated with each of the proxy presence sources; and the proxy presence agents provide proxy presence information to one or more presence servers. The object may be, for example, one or more of a business document, an application document, or one or more runtime objects associated with the user. The proxy presence agent reports one or more of macropresence events and micropresence events related to the object. A continuous presence function is generated for each of the proxy presence sources that characterizes the likelihood that the object is active at the corresponding presence source at a given time. The proxy presence sources may include, for example, one or more business applications, application execution environments, devices or locations.

Claims

1. A method for collecting proxy presence information about an object associated with a user from one or more proxy presence sources associated with said user, comprising:

associating a proxy presence agent with each of said proxy presence sources; and

obtaining proxy presence information from said proxy presence agents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said object is one or more of a business document, an application document, or one or more runtime objects associated with a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said proxy presence agent reports one or more macropresence events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said proxy presence agent reports one or more micropresence events.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a continuous presence function for each of said proxy presence sources that characterizes the likelihood of said object to be active at said corresponding presence source at a given time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of recomputing one or more of said continuous presence functions if a time since a last computation exceeds a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording said obtained proxy presence information with an indication of a time associated with said obtained proxy presence information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said proxy presence information indicates a likelihood that said object is active at one or more proxy presence sources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more proxy presence sources includes one or more of business applications, application execution environments, devices or locations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said proxy presence information is provided by a database trigger operating on a database associated with said proxy presence source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said proxy presence information is provided by a node of a workflow executed by said proxy presence source.

12. An apparatus for collecting proxy presence information about an object associated with a user from one or more proxy presence sources associated with said user, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

associate a proxy presence agent with each of said proxy presence sources; and

obtain proxy presence information from said proxy presence agents.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said object is one or more of a business document, an application document, or one or more runtime objects associated with a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said proxy presence agent reports one or more of macropresence events and micropresence events.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating a continuous presence function for each of said proxy presence sources that characterizes the likelihood of said object to be active at said corresponding proxy presence source at a given time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising the step of recomputing one or more of said continuous presence functions if a time since a last computation exceeds a threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising the step of recording said obtained proxy presence information with an indication of a time associated with said obtained proxy presence information.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said proxy presence information indicates a likelihood that said object is active at one or more proxy presence sources.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said one or more proxy presence sources includes one or more of business applications, application execution environments, devices or locations.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said proxy presence information is provided by a database trigger operating on a database associated with said proxy presence source.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said proxy presence information is provided by a node of a workflow executed by said proxy presence source.

22. An article of manufacture for collecting proxy presence information about an object associated with a user from one or more proxy presence sources associated with said user, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

associating a proxy presence agent with each of said proxy presence sources; and

obtaining proxy presence information from said proxy presence agents.