Method of Providing Access to Presence Related Information

• US 20070087762A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Symbian Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Butler, Dominic, Karlsson, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

Presence information for a user is stored and made accessible using a conventional client server or peer to peer Presence model. The identity of any entity that requests or accesses this Presence information is however legged and then automatically provided to a wireless information device operated by the user. This enables the device to display the identity of the entity that requested or accessed the Presence information and hence (a) can prompt a user to contact the entity that sought his Presence information and (b) inhibits inappropriate accessing of Presence information.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to Presence information comprising the following steps:

(a) storing Presence information for a user and making that information accessible to others, wherein said presence information is a current activity of said user or a preferred contact method of said user, or a combination thereof;

(b) logging the identity of any entity that requests or accesses the Presence information;

(c) automatically providing data to a wireless information device operated by the user to enable that device to display the identity of the entity that requested or accessed the Presence information.

2. The method of claim 1 in which Presence information is stored at a server remote from the device and the time of request or access is logged at the server and then automatically provided by the server to the device by being sent to the device for display on the device.

3. The method of claim 1 in which Presence information is stored on the device, the time of request or access is logged on the device and then provided internally within the device for display on the device.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the kind of Presence information requested or accessed is logged and automatically provided to the device for display on the device (i) instantly when an entity requests or accesses Presence information;

(ii) at regular times;

(iii) at pre-defined times;

or (iv) when requested to do so by the device.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the step of storing and logging Presence information takes places at a server based database, programmed to automatically send some or all of the logged information to the wireless information device.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of providing an entity accessing Presence information with the option of leaving a message to be sent to the user.

7. A wireless information device programmed to:

(a) receive data defining the identity of any entity that has requested or accessed Presence information relating to the user of the device;

(b) display that identity together with an indication that Presence information has been sought or accessed.

8. The wireless information device of claim 7 programmed to:

(a) receive data defining the time at which Presence information was requested or accessed;

(b) display that time.

9. The wireless information device of claim 7 programmed to:

(a) receive data defining the kind of Presence information that was requested or accessed;

(b) display the kind of Presence information accessed.

10. The wireless information device of claim 7 in which the identity of the entity that has requested or accessed the Presence information is displayed on the wireless information device together with a user selectable option to contact that entity using voice or message based communication.

11. The wireless information device of claim 7 programmed to display user selectable options defining when the data is to be received from a server.

12. The wireless information device of claim 11 programmed to display some or all of the following options defining when the data is to be received from a server:

(i) instantly when an entity requests or accesses Presence information;

(ii) at regular times;

(iii) at pre-defined times;

or (iv) when requested to do so by the device.

13. A computer readable medium, comprising instructions for

(a) receiving data on a wireless information device, said data defining an identity of an entity that has requested or accessed Presence information relating to a user of the device, said presence information being a current activity of said user or a preferred contact method of said user, or a combination thereof;

(b) displaying on said wireless information device said identity of an entity together with an indication that Presence information has been sought or accessed.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

(a) receiving data defining a time at which said Presence information was requested or accessed;

(b) displaying said time.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

(a) receiving data defining a kind of said Presence information that was requested or accessed;

(b) displaying said kind of Presence information accessed.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

(a) displaying said identity of an entity that has requested or accessed said Presence information on the wireless information device together with a user selectable option to contact that entity using voice or message based communication.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

displaying user selectable options defining when the data is to be received from a server.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein said instructions for displaying user selectable options defining when the data is to be received from a server further comprise options for receiving said data (i) instantly when an entity requests or accesses Presence information;

(ii) at regular times;

(iii) at pre-defined times;

or (iv) when requested to do so by the device.