Method and apparatus for synthesizing presence information

• US 20070191023A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Walter, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/352,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191023A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• 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 apparatus are disclosed for synthesizing presence information. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a presence services system (PSS) (102) can have a controller (104) that manages operations of a communications interface (110). The controller can be programmed to monitor (302-304) presence information of one or more communication devices of an end user operating in a communications system, receive (312) a request from a remote user to access the presence information, and synthesize (314) the presence information in accordance with a privacy policy that determines a degree of disclosure permitted for the remote user. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A presence services system (PSS), comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a communications interface, wherein the controller is programmed to;

monitor presence information of one or more communication devices of an end user operating in a communications system;

receive a request from a remote user to access the presence information; and

synthesize the presence information in accordance with a privacy policy that determines a degree of disclosure permitted for the remote user.

2. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit the synthesized presence information to the remote user.

3. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the presence information comprises network activities monitored within the communication system for each of the communication devices, and wherein the controller is programmed to determine from the activities monitored a probability for each of the communication devices that the end user will accept an incoming call from the remote user.

4. The PSS of claim 3, wherein the network activities for each of the communication devices comprise roaming information, egress data traffic, or ingress data traffic.

5. The PSS of claim 3, wherein the controller is programmed to identify a select one of the communication devices having a highest probability that the end user will accept an incoming call from the remote user.

6. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the privacy policy comprises a hierarchical disclosure policy for each of a plurality of remote users, and wherein the controller is programmed to synthesize the presence information according to the hierarchical disclosure policy.

7. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive location information from one or more of the communication devices of the end user; and

synthesize the presence information according to the location information.

8. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to:

synthesize the presence information to reveal the end user'"'"'s availability to communicate with the remote user; and

remove from the presence information at least one among the end user'"'"'s whereabouts, and an identity of the one or more communication devices being used by the end user at the time when the request for presence information is made by the remote user.

9. The PSS of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to synthesize the presence information to reveal at least one among the end user'"'"'s availability to communicate with the remote user, the end user'"'"'s whereabouts, and an identity of the one or more communication devices being used by the end user at the time when the request for presence information is made by the remote user.

12. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the network activities comprise roaming information, egress data traffic, or ingress data traffic.

10. A computer-readable storage medium in a presence services system (PSS), comprising computer instructions for synthesizing, in response to a request, presence information associated with one or more communication devices according to a policy.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, comprising computer instructions for determining probabilities for contacting the end user at each of the communication devices according to network activities in a communication system associated therewith.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for identifying a select one of the communication devices having a high probability for the end user to accept an incoming call.

14. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the policy comprises a hierarchical disclosure policy, and wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for synthesizing the presence information according to the hierarchical disclosure policy.

15. The storage medium of claim 10, comprising computer instructions for synthesizing the presence information according to location information supplied by one or more of the communication devices.

16. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the policy comprises safety and privacy rules, and wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for removing portions of the presence information according to the safety and privacy rules.

17. The storage medium of claim 10, comprising computer instructions for masking from the presence information one among whereabouts of the end user, and which of the one or more communication devices is being used by the end user at the time when the request for presence information is made.

18. The storage medium of claim 10, comprising computer instructions for synthesizing the presence information to reveal at least one among the end user'"'"'s availability to communicate, the end user'"'"'s whereabouts, and an identity of the one or more communication devices being used by the end user at the time when the request for presence information is made.

19. A requesting communication device, comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a transceiver for exchanging messages in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to;

transmit to a presence services system (PSS) a request for presence information associated with a targeted end user having one or more monitored communication devices; and

receive from the PSS synthesized presence information associated with the targeted end user according to an identity of the requesting communication device and a disclosure policy of the PSS.

20. A monitored communication device, comprising:

a controller that manages operations of a location receiver and a transceiver for exchanging messages in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to;

determine a location fix of the monitored communication device; and

transmit the location fix to a presence services system (PSS) to monitor presence information of the monitored communication device and to synthesize the presence information for requesting communication devices according to their identity and a disclosure policy operating in the PSS.

21. The monitored communication device of claim 20, wherein the monitored communication device comprises at least one among a computer, a paging device, and a telephony device.