Presence-based hybrid peer-to-peer communications

• US 20070067443A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Shan, Xueshan, Seligmann, Doree
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• 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 method and an apparatus are disclosed for improving the flow of data traffic between clients and servers by determining, in an enhanced hybrid peer-to-peer network, when a client telecommunications terminal should share its data with one or more peers, instead of transmitting that data to the servers. A “super-peer” client terminal in the hybrid peer-to-peer network is responsible for determining when to share data with peers and when to transmit data to the servers. The telecommunications terminal (i) shares data with other terminals when a particular user'"'"'s presence has changed and (ii) transmits data to the enterprise servers when the overall group'"'"'s presence that corresponds to the terminal'"'"'s peer group has changed. The system of the illustrative embodiment aggregates presence and routes communications via peer-to-peer networking, instead of via client-to server-to peer networking, thereby reducing the load on the enterprise servers and lessening the occurrences of single points-of-failure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first telecommunications terminal, a change in a presence status, wherein the user of said first telecommunications terminal belongs to a user group;

transmitting a first datum to a server when said presence status is group presence-based for a user group that includes the user of said first telecommunications terminal; and

transmitting a second datum to a second telecommunications terminal based on (i) the detecting of said change in said presence status and (ii) whether the user of said second telecommunications terminal also belongs to said user group.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first datum refers to a call log.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first datum refers to a contact list.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first datum refers to said presence status.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is group presence-based, is due to a change in availability of at least one user from said user group.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said user group is associated with at least one of (i) an area of expertise and (ii) the accessibility to a particular resource or service.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring for a state change at said first telecommunications terminal, wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is user presence-based, is based on said state change.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein when said presence status is user presence-based, said first datum is transmitted in accordance with a communication mode that is based on said state change.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said state change at said first telecommunications terminal is due to a change in whether the user of said first telecommunications terminal is on a voice call.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said state change is due to a change in whether a data network is available to said first telecommunications terminal.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said state change is due to whether a battery charge at said first telecommunications terminal is below a threshold.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving said presence status from a third telecommunications terminal, wherein said presence status is user presence-based.

13. A method comprising:

detecting a change in a presence status;

determining, at a first telecommunications terminal, at least one recipient to which to transmit a first datum, wherein said at least one recipient is selected from between (i) a server and (ii) one or more telecommunications terminals whose users belong to the same user group G as the user of said first telecommunications terminal; and

transmitting said first datum to said at least one recipient;

wherein the selecting of said at least one recipient is based on whether said change in said presence status is (i) group presence-based or (ii) user presence-based; and

wherein said one or more telecommunications terminals comprise a second telecommunications terminal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein one of said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal operates in accordance with a first air interface protocol and the other operates in accordance with a second air interface protocol.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first air interface protocol is cellular-based and wherein said second air interface protocol is IEEE 802.11-based or Bluetooth-based.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal are currently served by different service providers.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said first telecommunications terminal transmits to said second telecommunications terminal via a landline network.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said first telecommunications terminal and said second telecommunications terminal are out of direct transmitting range with each other.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is group presence-based, is due to a change in availability of at least one user from user group G.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein user group G is associated with at least one of (i) an area of expertise and (ii) the accessibility to a particular resource or service.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising monitoring for a state change at said first telecommunications terminal, wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is user presence-based, is based on said state change.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein when said presence status is user presence-based, said first datum is transmitted in accordance with a communication mode that is based on said state change.

23. A method comprising transmitting a first datum from a first telecommunications terminal to a second telecommunications terminal in accordance with:

(i) a first communication mode when a terminal-related user activity at said first telecommunications terminal is in a first state, and

(ii) a second communication mode when said terminal-related user activity at said first telecommunications terminal is in a second state;

wherein the users of said first and second telecommunications terminals belong to the same user group G.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein one of said first communication mode said second communication mode is Short Message Service-based and the other is Session Initiation Protocol-based.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the transmitting of said first datum is also in accordance with:

(i) one of said first communication mode and said second communication mode when the battery charge at said first telecommunications terminal is above a threshold, and

(ii) the other of said first communication mode and said second communication mode when the battery charge at said first telecommunications terminal is below said threshold.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the transmitting of said first datum is also in accordance with:

(i) one of said first communication mode and said second communication mode when the user of said first telecommunications terminal is on a voice call, and

(ii) the other of said first communication mode and said second communication mode otherwise.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the transmitting of said first datum is also in accordance with:

(i) one of said first communication mode and said second communication mode when a data network is available at said first telecommunications terminal, and

(ii) the other of said first communication mode and said second communication mode otherwise.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

transmitting a query to at least one telecommunications terminal associated with said user group; and

setting a flag when a predetermined time interval lapses without receiving a response to said query.

29. The method of claim 29 further comprising transmitting a second datum to a server based on the value of said flag.

30. The method of claim 30 wherein said second datum refers to a presence status.

31. A first telecommunications terminal comprising:

a processor for detecting a change in a presence status, wherein the user of said first telecommunications terminal belongs to a user group; and

a transmitter for transmitting;

(a) a first datum to a server when said presence status is group presence-based for a user group that includes the user of said first telecommunications terminal; and

(b) a second datum to a second telecommunications terminal based on (i) the detecting of said change in said presence status and (ii) whether the user of said second telecommunications terminal also belongs to said user group.

32. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 31 wherein said first datum refers to said presence status.

33. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 31 wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is group presence-based, is due to a change in availability of at least one user from said user group.

34. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 31 wherein said processor is also for monitoring for a state change at said first telecommunications terminal, wherein said change in said presence status, when said presence status is user presence-based, is based on said state change.

35. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 34 wherein said state change at said first telecommunications terminal is due to a change in whether the user of said first telecommunications terminal is on a voice call.

36. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 34, wherein said state change is due to whether a battery charge at said first telecommunications terminal is below a threshold.

37. The first telecommunications terminal of claim 31 further comprising receiving said presence status from a third telecommunications terminal, wherein said presence status is user presence-based.