AGGREGATING ENDPOINT CAPABILITIES FOR A USER

• US 20080031225A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chavda, Ankur, Venkateshaiah, Setty, Talwar, Mohit, Rao, Sira P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications

Abstract

A method and system for aggregating capabilities from multiple endpoints associated with a user are provided. The system aggregates the capabilities of the endpoints associated with a user into an aggregate view of available modes of communication for reaching the user. Then, the system publishes the aggregate view so that other users who want to send communications to the user will know the modes of communication available for that user. In addition, the system may designate certain modes of communication as preferred or as capable of reaching the user.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for aggregating capabilities from multiple endpoints associated with a user, the method comprising:

determining the capabilities of each of multiple active endpoints associated with a user;

aggregating the capabilities of each endpoint to create an aggregate view of available modes of communication of the user, where a mode of communication is a combination of a capability and an endpoint; and

publishing the aggregate view such that other users can access the available modes of communication of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 including, in response to an event, determining that the capabilities of an endpoint have changed, and publishing an updated aggregate view based on the changed capabilities.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the event is the beginning of a meeting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the capabilities comprises identifying a preferred endpoint for each capability.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the capabilities includes examining activity at an endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the capabilities comprises examining a user preference.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the capabilities includes determining capabilities that are unavailable.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the capabilities includes, when a capability is available at an endpoint, not including in the aggregate view a negative of the capability determined for another endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregate view is published when logging on to a real time communication server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregate view is published in a message related to the initiation of a conversation.

11. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to send a communication to a user, by a method comprising:

subscribing to aggregate capabilities published by active endpoints for a user;

receiving the aggregate capabilities;

determining a preferred mode of communication for the user from the received aggregate capabilities; and

sending a communication to the user using the determined preferred mode of communication.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the received aggregate capabilities indicate a preferred mode of communication.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the determined preferred mode of communication for a capability is based on the ability of an endpoint to support two-way communication using the capability.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the preferred mode is determined automatically.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the preferred mode is determined by receiving a manual selection.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 including displaying the available modes of communication for a user in a user interface.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the user interface includes an indication of the preferred mode of communication for the user.

18. A computer system for displaying user presence information, comprising:

a determine mode component for determining the mode of communication preferred by a receiving endpoint;

a user interface component for providing a graphical indication at a sending endpoint of the determined mode of communication of the receiving endpoint; and

a send communication component for sending a communication from the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint using the determined preferred mode of communication.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the user interface component provides a graphical indication for contacting a user at a receiving endpoint using the preferred mode of communication.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the user interface component updates the user interface in response to a change in state of a receiving endpoint.