Presence managing method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A presence managing method executed by a presence managing apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of clients, comprising the steps of:
- a managing step that receives presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said client, and associates and stores the provider client of the received presence information and said presence information;
a notification recipient managing step that stores a notification recipient management table, wherein the provider client of the presence information managed by said managing step and the notification recipient client of presence information of each provider client are associated;
an aggregating step that generates aggregate presence information that includes, of the presence information of a plurality of provider clients of which a notification is sent to the same notification recipient client, the presence information that has the identical attribute value; and
an aggregation notifying step that notifies said notification recipient client of the aggregate presence information generated by said aggregating step.
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Accused Products
Abstract
It is an object of the present invention to relieve the burden on a watcher that uses a presence system to subscribe to the presence information of people and objects. For example, an attribute is a product name, and products A, B, C have the identical attribute value “DVDRecorder.” The server generates aggregate presence information, which includes the presence information of the products A, B, C (corresponds to the providers), and sends a notification of such to a watcher W (corresponds to the notification recipient) of the presence information of the products A, B, C. The watcher W collectively receives the presence information for every product name, and the watcher W is therefore relieved of the burden of classifying the presence information for every product name.
33 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A presence managing method executed by a presence managing apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of clients, comprising the steps of:
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a managing step that receives presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said client, and associates and stores the provider client of the received presence information and said presence information;
a notification recipient managing step that stores a notification recipient management table, wherein the provider client of the presence information managed by said managing step and the notification recipient client of presence information of each provider client are associated;
an aggregating step that generates aggregate presence information that includes, of the presence information of a plurality of provider clients of which a notification is sent to the same notification recipient client, the presence information that has the identical attribute value; and
an aggregation notifying step that notifies said notification recipient client of the aggregate presence information generated by said aggregating step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12)
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9. According to a ninth aspect of the presence invention, the presence managing method further comprises the step of an aggregation permission acquiring step that transmits an inquiry regarding the appropriateness of aggregation to the provider client of presence information that has said identical attribute value prior to the generation of said aggregate presence information, and acquires the response to that inquiry. Moreover, the aggregating step generates aggregate presence information in accordance with the response acquired in the aggregation permission acquiring step.
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10. According to a tenth aspect of the invention, the presence managing method further comprises the step of an aggregation permission acquiring step that transmits an inquiry concerning whether it is appropriate to aggregate to the notification recipient client of said aggregate presence information prior to the generation of said aggregate presence information, and acquires the response to that inquiry. Moreover, the aggregating step generates aggregate presence information in accordance with the response acquired in the aggregation permission acquiring step.
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11. According to a eleventh aspect of the present invention, the presence managing method further comprises the step of a notification rule storing step that stores a notification rule, which defines a notification condition of aggregate presence information. Moreover, the aggregating step judges whether to generate aggregate presence information based on the notification rule.
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13. According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the presence managing method further comprises the step of a notification rule storing step that stores the notification rule that defines a notification condition of aggregate presence information. Moreover, the aggregation notifying step judges whether to transmit the aggregate presence information based on the notification rule.
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14. A presence managing apparatus connected to a plurality of clients, comprising:
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a managing means that receives presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said client, and associates and stores the provider client of the received presence information and said presence information;
a notification recipient managing means that stores a notification recipient management table that associates the provider client of the presence information managed by said managing means and the notification recipient client of the presence information of each provider client;
an aggregating means that generates aggregate presence information, which includes presence information, from among presence information of a plurality of provider clients for which a notification is to be sent to the same individual notification recipient client, that has the identical attribute value; and
an aggregation notifying means that notifies said notification recipient client of aggregate presence information generated by said aggregating means.
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15. A presence managing program that is executed by a computer connected to a plurality of clients, said program causing said computer to function as:
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a managing means that receives presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said client, and associates and stores the provider client of the received presence information and said presence information;
a notification recipient managing means that stores a notification recipient management table that associates the provider client of the presence information managed by said managing means and the notification recipient client of the presence information of each provider client;
an aggregating means that generates aggregate presence information, which includes presence information, from among presence information of a plurality of provider clients for which a notification is to be sent to the same individual notification recipient client, that has the identical attribute value; and
an aggregation notifying means that notifies said notification recipient client of aggregate presence information generated by said aggregating means.
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16. A computer readable recording medium whereon a presence managing program is recorded that causes a computer to function as a presence managing apparatus connected to a plurality of clients, said program causing said computer to function as:
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a managing means that receives presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said client, and associates and stores the provider client of the received presence information and said presence information;
a notification recipient managing means that stores a notification recipient management table that associates the provider client of the presence information managed by said managing means and the notification recipient client of the presence information of each provider client;
an aggregating means that generates aggregate presence information, which includes presence information, from among presence information of a plurality of provider clients for which a notification is to be sent to the same notification recipient client, that has the identical attribute value; and
an aggregation notifying means that notifies said notification recipient client of aggregate presence information generated by said aggregating means.
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17. A presence referring apparatus connected to a presence managing apparatus that manages and distributes presence information of a plurality of presence providing apparatuses, comprising:
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a receiving means that receives said presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said presence managing apparatus; and
a displaying means that classifies and displays said received presence information in accordance with said attribute value.
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18. A presence referring program executed by a computer connected to a presence managing apparatus that manages and distributes presence information of a plurality of presence providing apparatuses, said program causing said computer to function as:
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a receiving means that receives said presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said presence managing apparatus; and
a displaying means that classifies and displays said received presence information in accordance with said attribute value.
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19. A computer readable recording medium whereon is recorded a presence referring program executed by a computer connected to a presence managing apparatus that manages and distributes presence information of a plurality of presence providing apparatuses, said program causing said computer to function as:
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a receiving means that receives said presence information, which includes an attribute value, from said presence managing apparatus; and
a displaying means that classifies and displays said received presence information in accordance with said attribute value.
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Specification