SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REPRESENTATION OF PRESENTITY PRESENCE STATES FOR CONTACTS IN A CONTACT LIST

• US 20070121867A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: JACHNER, JACK, OZUGUR, TIMUCIN
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A presence system is provided with a communications device associated with a presentity that is capable of displaying a respective presentity presence state indicating a respective availability of the presentity as provided by a presence system to each contact on a contact list of the presentity. The communications device includes a presence user client communicatively coupled to the presence system to receive presence information associated with the presentity, in which the presence information includes the respective presentity presence states for the contacts on the contact list, and a display for displaying the contact list and a respective representation of the respective presentity presence state for each contact on the contact list.

Claims

1. A communications device associated with a presentity, comprising:

a presence user client communicatively coupled to a presence system via a communication network to receive presence information associated with said presentity, said presence information including a respective presentity presence state indicating a respective availability of said presentity as provided by said presence system to each contact on a contact list of said presentity, in which at least one said contact is a watcher of said presentity; and

a display coupled to said presence user client for displaying said contact list and a respective representation of said respective presentity presence state for each said contact on said contact list.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical user interface coupled to said presence user client and said display for enabling a user of said device to change said respective presentity presence state provided to each said contact on said contact list from said contact list.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface displays on said display a respective contact presentity presence icon for each said contact on said contact list, each said respective contact presentity presence icon visually indicating said respective presentity presence state provided to said respective contact on said contact list.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said graphical user interface further displays on said display a respective menu associated with each said contact presentity presence icon, each said menu including a list of available presentity presence states that can be provided to said respective contact associated with said respective contact presentity presence icon, and wherein said graphical user interface further enables said user to select a select one of said presentity presence states from said respective menu for each said contact in said contact list.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said list of available presentity presence states for each said contact is displayed as a list of available contact presentity presence icons for said respective contact.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein said graphical user interface further displays on said display a respective arrow for each of said contact presentity presence icons, and wherein the selection of a selected one of said arrows causes said graphical user interface to display said respective menu for said contact presentity presence icons associated with selected arrow.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface updates an appearance of said representation of said presentity presence state on said display for each said contact on said contact list whose associated presentity presence state is changed by said user.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface further displays on said display a presentity presence icon that visually represents an actual presence state of said presentity indicating an actual availability of said presentity, each said representation of said presentity presence state representing either a portion of said actual presence state of said presentity or no presence state of said presentity.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein said presence user client is in communication with said presence system to update said presentity presence state provided by said presence system to each said contact on said contact list whose associated presentity presence state is changed by said user.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said presence user client operates to update said presentity presence state provided by said presence system to a select one of said contacts by modifying preference information associated with said select contact that is maintained by said presence system.

12. The presence system of claim 1, wherein said communications device is further operable to enable a user of said communications device to change said respective presentity presence state provided by said presence server to each said contact on said contact list.

13. The presence system of claim 12, wherein said communications device is further operable to update an appearance of said representation of said presentity presence state for each said contact on said contact list whose associated presentity presence state is changed by said user.

14. The presence system of claim 12, wherein said communications device is further operable to display a presentity presence icon that visually represents said actual presence state of said presentity, each said representation of said presentity presence state representing either a portion of said actual presence state of said presentity or no presence state of said presentity.

15. The presence system of claim 12, wherein said presence server updates said presentity presence state provided to a select one of said contacts by modifying said preference information associated with said select contact.

11. A presence system, comprising:

a presence server coupled to a communication network to receive and maintain presence information associated with a presentity, said presence information defining an actual presence state of said presentity indicating an actual availability of said presentity, said presence server further maintaining preference information associated with said presentity, said preference information identifying a respective presentity presence state that indicates a respective availability of said presentity provided by said presence server to each contact on a contact list of said presentity, in which at least one said contact is a watcher of said presentity; and

a communications device associated with said presentity for displaying said contact list and a respective representation of said respective presentity presence state for each said contact on said contact list.

16. The presence system of claim 11, further comprising:

an additional communications device associated with one of said watchers of said presentity for displaying said presentity presence state of said presentity based on said preference information associated with said presentity.

17. A method for representing a presence state of a presentity as provided to each contact on a contact list thereof, comprising the steps of:

providing a contact list including one or more contacts who are watchers of a presentity associated with a presence system;

displaying a respective representation of a respective presentity presence state for each contact on said contact list, each said presentity presence state being maintained by said presence system and indicating an availability of said presentity as provided by said presence system to said respective contact on said contact list;

enabling said presentity to change said respective presentity presence state provided to each said contact on said contact list from said contact list; and

updating an appearance of said representation of said presentity presence state for each said contact on said contact list whose associated presentity presence state is changed by said presentity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said displaying further comprises the step of:

displaying a respective contact presentity presence icon for each said contact on said contact list, each said respective contact presentity presence icon visually indicating said respective presentity presence state provided to said respective contact on said contact list.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying a presentity presence icon that visually represents an actual presence state of said presentity indicating an actual availability of said presentity.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

updating said presence system with said presentity presence state to be provided by said presence system to each said contact on said contact list whose associated presentity presence state is changed by said presentity.