METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING APPLICATION LEVEL PRESENCE INFORMATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20080040443A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anuraag
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining and maintaining user presence information include capturing user presence data with an application presence server. The application presence server can be configured to update user presence data as a user initiates or exits an application. Applications associated with user presence data are configured to query an application proxy client concerning user presence data of a selected user and, based on a returned user status, deliver, discard, or redirect a message intended for the user. User presence data is stored in a user presence repository and can be provided via Internet-based or other connections to applications executed on external networks. User activity status can be used to select or update user presence data. In some examples, an application server of an external network is configured to receive user presence data from the presence server.

Claims

1. A network gateway, comprising:

an input connection configured to receive a message for delivery to a recipient; and

an output configured to deliver a user presence query, wherein the message is processed based on the user presence query.

2. The network gateway of claim 1, further comprising an interconnection configured to deliver user presence data to an application server.

3. A network gateway coupling a sending client device to an application server providing a messaging application to the sending client device and a recipient client device, comprising:

an input connection configured to receive a message from the sending client device for delivery to the recipient client device;

an output in communication with a presence server having application presence data associated with the recipient client device and the messaging application and configured to deliver a user presence query to the presence server; and

an input connection configured to receive application presence data associated with the recipient client device and the messaging application from the presence server sent in response to the user presence query,

at least one of the network gateway and the application server being configured to evaluate the application presence data associated with the recipient client device and the messaging application to determine whether the recipient client device is available to receive the message, and if the recipient client device is available to receive the message, send the message to the recipient client device.

4. The network gateway of claim 4, wherein if the recipient client device is unavailable to receive the message, reroute the message.

5. The network gateway of claim 4, wherein rerouting the message comprises discarding the message.

6. A network gateway, comprising:

a wireless interface coupled to a plurality of wireless devices each configured to execute a messaging application provided by an application server;

an application server interface connecting at least one sending wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices to the application server and providing the messaging application to the at least one sending wireless device;

a presence server interface configured to receive application presence data for each of the plurality of wireless devices and the messaging application;

at least one of the network gateway and the application server being configured to receive a message from the at least one sending wireless device for at least one recipient wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices and to use application presence data for the at least one recipient wireless device and the messaging application to determine whether to send the message via the messaging application to the at least one recipient wireless device.

7. The network gateway of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the network gateway and the application server determine to send the message to the at least one recipient wireless device when the application server is currently providing the messaging application to the at least one recipient wireless device.

8. The network gateway of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the network gateway and the application determine to send the message to the at least one recipient wireless device when the application server has recently provided the messaging application to the at least one recipient wireless device.

9. The network gateway of claim 6, wherein the network gateway is configured to receive application presence data for the at least one recipient wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices from the presence server and send the application presence data to the application server.

10. The network gateway of claim 6, wherein the application server is coupled to the presence server and receives application presence data for the at least one recipient wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices from the presence server.

11. The network gateway of claim 6, further comprising:

a presence agent configured to monitor usage of the wireless interface by each of the plurality of wireless devices and provide application presence data for the wireless device based on its usage of the wireless interface to the presence server.

12. A network gateway coupling a wireless network having a presence server to an external network, the network gateway comprising:

a wireless interface coupling a plurality of wireless devices to the wireless network; and

a presence agent configured to monitor usage of the wireless network by each of the plurality of wireless devices and provide application presence data for each of the plurality of wireless devices to the presence server.

13. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the external network comprises an application server in communication with the presence server of the wireless network and the application server is configured to determine whether to route messages to at least one of the plurality of wireless devices based on the application presence data for the at least one wireless device provided to the presence server by the presence agent of the network gateway.

14. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein for each of the plurality of wireless devices, the presence agent is configured to monitor cellular digital packet data and use the cellular digital packet data to provide application presence data for the wireless device to the presence server.

15. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the external network comprises an application server configured to receive a message for a selected one of the plurality of wireless devices,

the network gateway is configured to provide application presence data for the selected wireless device to the application server, and

the application server is further configured to receive application presence data for the selected wireless device and process the message based on the application presence data for the selected wireless device.

16. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the network gateway is configured to send a user presence query to the presence server and send a result of the user presence query to the application server.

17. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the external network comprises a plurality of clients coupled to an application server in communication with the presence server of the wireless network, the application server provides a messaging application to the plurality of clients, for each of the plurality of clients, the application server is configured to provide application presence data, based on usage of the application, to the presence server, and the network gateway is configured to receive application presence data for the application and at least one of clients of the plurality of clients from the presence server.

18. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the external network comprises a presence server and the presence server of the wireless network is in communication with the presence server of the external network.