Updating presence in a wireless communications device

• US 20070032194A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Griffin, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A wireless communications device that sends and receives presence status information is configured to detect when it is proximate a predefined zone. A receiver in the wireless communications device receives presence information from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone. The presence information defines a new presence status for the wireless communications device, and may include an indicator associated with the new presence status. Upon receipt of the presence information, a controller in the wireless communications device automatically changes the current presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status, and publishes the changed status to a remote entity. If the new presence status is not defined in memory, the controller may add the new presence status to memory.

Claims

1. A method of updating presence information at a wireless communications device comprising:

detecting a proximity of a wireless communications device to a predefined zone;

receiving presence information at the wireless communications device from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone, the presence information defining a new presence status for the wireless communications device; and

automatically changing a presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status associated with the predefined zone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, at the wireless communications device, whether the new presence status received from the transmitter is defined in memory of the wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising updating the memory of the wireless communications device to include the new presence status if the new presence status is not defined in the memory of the wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

generating, at the wireless communications device, a presence update message to include the new presence status of the wireless communications device; and

publishing the new presence status of the wireless communications device to a remote entity via a wireless communications network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the presence update message comprises an information element that indicates the new presence status to the remote entity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement message to a receiver associated with the predefined zone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a proximity of a wireless communications device to a predefined zone comprises detecting a short-range transceiver associated with the predefined zone.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving presence information at the wireless communications device comprises receiving the presence information over a short-range communications link established between the wireless communications device and the short-range transceiver.

9. A wireless communications device comprising:

a proximity transceiver configured to detect a proximity of the wireless communications device to a predefined zone; and

a user agent configured to receive presence information associated with the predefined zone, the presence information defining a new presence status for the wireless communications device; and

a controller configured to automatically change a presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status associated with the predefined zone.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to update a memory of the wireless communications device to include the new presence status if the new presence status is not defined in the memory of the wireless communications device.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to generate a presence update message to include the new presence status of the wireless communications device.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 11 further comprising a transceiver configured to publish the presence update message to a remote entity via a wireless communications network.

13. The wireless communications device of claim 12 wherein the presence update message comprises an information element that indicates the new presence status to the remote entity.

14. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein the proximity transceiver is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement message to a receiver associated with the predefined zone responsive to the automatic change in the presence status of the wireless communications device.

15. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically restore the wireless communications device from the new presence status to a previous presence status when the wireless communications device is no longer proximate the predefined zone.

16. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein the proximity transceiver comprises a short-range transceiver.