System and method for providing presence age information in a unified communication system

• US 20070067439A1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Chan, Victor, Mason, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of client devices operably coupled to said network, said plurality of client devices adapted to set one or more time contact parameters for buddies on a contact list; and a presence server including a timer, and adapted to maintain a timing of time contacts for selected contacts responsive to said parameters.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of client devices operably coupled to said network, said plurality of client devices adapted to set one or more time contact parameters for contacts on a contact list;

a presence server including a timer, and adapted to maintain a timing of time contacts for selected contacts responsive to said parameters.

2. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said presence server is adapted to provide updated timing presence information to said plurality of client devices responsive to said timing.

3. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said one or more time contact parameters include a specification of media type.

4. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said one or more time contact parameters include one or more duration thresholds.

5. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one of said plurality of client devices is adapted to perform an action when a corresponding duration threshold is reached.

6. A telecommunications method, comprising:

maintaining a list of users whose presence is monitored;

providing an indication of an availability of a user on said list; and

determining an age of an availability of a user.

7. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said providing an indication includes identifying a media type.

8. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 7, further including performing one or more actions if an age threshold is reached.

9. A telecommunications presence system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of network clients coupled to the network, said network clients including presence control units configured to maintain contact lists of other clients whose presence status is to be monitored;

a presence server coupled to the network, said presence server including a master presence control unit adapted to receive said contact lists and configured to monitor presence status across a plurality of media and distribute presence information to corresponding ones of said plurality of network clients;

wherein said presence server maintains presence status age information.

10. A telecommunications presence system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said plurality of network clients are configured to identify a party and a type of media for which age information is to be monitored.

11. A telecommunications presence system in accordance with claim 9, wherein a contact list can identify different media and parties for which age information is to be monitored.

12. A telecommunications presence system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said media include at least one of Instant Messaging, text messaging, e-mail, or telephone applications.

13. A telecommunications presence system in accordance with claim 10, wherein a party can set an age threshold associated with a specific contact and media.

14. A telecommunications presence system in accordance with claim 13, wherein a party can reset an age timer manually.

15. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, wherein an age of a contact is defined as most recent accessing of any of a plurality of media.

16. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of client devices operably coupled to said network, said plurality of client devices adapted to set one or more time contact parameters for contacts on a contact list;

a presence server including a timer, and adapted to maintain a timing of time contacts for selected contacts responsive to said parameters; and

means associated with said timer for prompting a user to re-initiate a contact with a contact determined to be stale.