System and method for utilizing a presence service to advertise activity availability

• US 20060248185A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US11/118,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for advertising over a network an invitation to engage in at least one activity is described. In one embodiment, a presence service on the network receives from an inviting presence client activity information related to at least one activity the inviting presence client is interested in participating. The presence service then updates a tuple associated with the inviting presence client to include the information related to the activity, and sends the invitation to engage in the activity to at least one other presence client on the network.

Claims

1. A method of advertising over a network an invitation to engage in at least one activity, the method comprising:

receiving by a presence service on the network activity information related to the at least one activity via an inviting presence client;

updating a tuple associated with the inviting presence client to include the information related to the at least one activity; and

sending the invitation to engage in the at least one activity from the presence service to at least one other presence client on the network.

2. A method according to claim 1 further including:

receiving a response to the invitation from the at least one other presence client on the network, wherein the at least one other presence client is a friend on a friends list associated with the inviting presence client thereby enabling the scheduling of the activity.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein receiving the response includes:

relaying a message over the network from a device associated with the other presence client to a device associated with the inviting presence client.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein scheduling includes:

providing a scheduler service associated with the presence service to automatically schedule a day or time in which to engage in the at least one activity.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein scheduling further includes:

retrieving a calendar associated with at least one of the inviting presence client and the friend; and

using the calendar to determine a mutually agreeable day and time for the activity.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing for the at least one activity to be specified in the inviting presence client; and

for each of the at least one activity specified, allowing at least one friend from a friends list to which an invitation will be directed to be selected.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the activity information received by the presence service includes the at least one activity and, for each activity, at least one friend associated with the activity, wherein the at least one friend is associated with a presence client registered with the presence service.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein updating the tuple includes:

modifying an activity element in the tuple corresponding to each activity.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein modifying the activity element includes:

updating a timeframe sub-element and a location sub-element for each activity element.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tuple includes an activity link element corresponding to each activity, each activity link element being associated with an activity element included in a database, wherein updating the tuple includes:

modifying the activity element in the database corresponding to each activity.

11. The method of according to claim 1, wherein the tuple is a presence tuple.

12. A computer readable medium having computer program instructions for advertising over a network an invitation to engage in at least one activity, the program instructions for:

receiving by a presence service on the network activity information related to the at least one activity via an inviting presence client;

updating a tuple associated with the inviting presence client to include the information related to the at least one activity; and

sending the invitation to engage in the at least one activity from the presence service to at least one other presence client on the network.

13. A computer readable medium according to claim 12 further including program instructions for:

receiving a response to the invitation from the at least one other presence client on the network, wherein the at least one other presence client is a friend on a friends list associated with the inviting presence client thereby enabling the scheduling of the activity.

14. A computer readable medium according to claim 13 wherein receiving the response includes:

relaying a message over the network from a device associated with the other presence client to a device associated with the inviting presence client.

15. A computer readable medium according to claim 13 wherein scheduling includes:

providing a scheduler service associated with the presence service to automatically schedule a day or time in which to engage in the at least one activity.

16. A computer readable medium according to claim 15 wherein scheduling further includes:

retrieving a calendar associated with at least one of the inviting presence client and the friend; and

using the calendar to determine a mutually agreeable day and time for the activity.

17. A computer readable medium according to claim 12 further comprising program instructions for:

specifying in the inviting presence client the at least one activities; and

for each of the at least one activity specified, allowing at least one friend from a friends list to which an invitation will be directed to be selected.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the activity information received by the presence service includes the at least one activity and, for each activity, at least one friend associated with the activity, wherein the at least one friend is associated with a presence client registered with the presence service.

19. A computer readable medium according to claim 12 wherein updating the tuple includes:

modifying an activity element in the tuple corresponding to each activity.

20. A computer readable medium according to claim 19 wherein modifying the activity element includes:

updating a timeframe sub-element and a location sub-element for each activity element.

21. A computer readable medium according to claim 12 wherein the tuple includes an activity link element corresponding to each activity, each activity link element being associated with an activity element included in a database, wherein updating the tuple includes:

modifying the activity element in the database corresponding to each activity.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 12 wherein the tuple is a presence tuple.

23. A system for advertising over a network an invitation to engage in at least one activity, the system comprising:

an inviting presence client in a device coupled to the network for creating and sending activity information related to the at least one activity;

a presence service on the network that receives the activity information related to the at least one activity from the inviting presence client, updates a tuple associated with the inviting presence client to include the information related to the at least one activity, and sends the invitation; and

at least one other presence client in another device on the network that receives the invitation to engage in the at least one activity from the presence service.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein the activity information specifies an activity type, a day, time and place for the activity, and one or more friends from a friends list associated with the inviting presence client and the presence service sends the invitation to the specified one or more friends.

25. A system according to claim 24 further comprising a scheduler service that automatically schedules a day or time in which to engage in the at least one activity, wherein the scheduler retrieves a calendar associated with at least one of the inviting presence client and the friend, and uses the calendar to determine a mutually agreeable day and time for the activity.

26. A method of advertising over a network an invitation to engage in at least one activity, the method comprising:

receiving by a service on the network a publish request comprising activity information related to the at least one activity via an inviting client;

updating a record associated with the inviting client to include the information related to the at least one activity; and

sending a notify command comprising the invitation to engage in the at least one activity from the service to a subscribed client on the network.