Method and system for multimodal presence detection

• US 20060203973A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vishik, Claire Svetlana, Vleck, Paul Van, Gorti, Sreenivasa Rao
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• 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 presence device operable in a first mode and a second mode is associated with a communication device. In the first mode, a user using the presence device is biometrically authenticated and a presence confirmation input is received from the communication device. In the second mode, a user-entered log-in input is received from the communication device. A central presence database is updated to indicate that the communication device is active for the user. A received message which is to be routed to the user is sent to the active device indicated by the central presence database.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a presence of a user comprising:

biometrically authenticating a user and receiving a presence confirmation input from the user when a presence module coupled with a communication module is operating in a first mode; and

receiving a user-entered log-in input from the communication module coupled to the presence module and authenticating the user-entered log-in input when the presence module is operating in a second mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indication that the communication module is active for the user to receive at least one message in response to authenticating the user-entered log-in input when the presence module coupled with the communication module is operating in the second mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication module comprises a telephone, and wherein said biometrically authenticating comprises authenticating a voice of the user during a call using the telephone.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the call is made between the user and a party, and wherein said authenticating the voice of the user is independent of the party.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the user is a calling party of the call.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the user is a called party of the call.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication module comprises a keyboard, and wherein said biometrically authenticating comprises authenticating a fingerprint of the user as the user types using the keyboard.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said authenticating a fingerprint of the user is independent of a software application for which the user types using the keyboard.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence module is embedded with the communication module.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indication that the communication module is active for the user to receive at least one message in response to receiving a presence confirmation input when the presence module coupled with the communication module is operating in the first mode.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence module is removably interfaced with the communication device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions to direct the computer to perform acts of:

sending an indication that the communication module is active for the user to receive at least one message in response to authenticating the user-entered log-in input when the presence module coupled with the communication module is operating in the second mode.

10-1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for detecting a presence of a user, the set of instructions to direct a computer to perform acts of:

biometrically authenticating a user and receiving a presence confirmation input from the user when a presence module coupled with a communication module is operating in a first mode; and

receiving a user-entered log-in input from the communication module coupled to the presence module and authenticating the user-entered log-in input when the presence module is operating in a second mode.

11-2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions to direct the computer to perform acts of:

sending an indication that the communication module is active for the user to receive at least one message in response to receiving a presence confirmation input when the presence module coupled with the communication module is operating in the first mode.

13. A system comprising:

a communication module; and

a presence module associated with the communication module, the presence module operable in a first mode and a second mode;

wherein the presence module is operable to biometrically authenticate a user after receiving a confirmation input from the user when the presence module is operating in a first mode and to authenticate a user based on a user-entered log-in input from the user when the presence module is operating in a second mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication module is operable to send an indication that the communication module is active for a user to receive at least one message in response to the presence module receiving a presence confirmation input when the presence module is operating in the first mode.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication module is operable to send an indication that he communication module is active for a user to receive at least one message in response to the presence module authenticating the user-entered log-in input when the presence module is operating in the second mode.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the presence module is embedded with the communication module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication module is a phone.

18. A central presence database associated with a communication module associated with a presence module operable in a first mode and a second mode;

wherein the central presence database is responsive to the communication module to indicate that the communication module is active for the user to receive at least one message in response to;

biometric authentication of a user and receipt of a presence confirmation input if the presence module is operating in a the first mode;

or

authentication of a received user-entered log-in input if the presence module is operating in the second mode.

19. The central presence database of claim 18, wherein the communication module is a phone.

20. The central presence database of claim 19, wherein the presence module is embedded with the phone.