PROVIDER PRESENCE INFORMATION

• US 20080133674A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bowman, Mic, Brett, Paul, Knauerhase, Robert, Adams, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

In some embodiments, a client computer includes a memory, a client presence program adapted to be located in the memory, and a processor. The processor is coupled to the memory and is adapted to execute the client presence program to receive provider presence information from an instant messaging (IM) server and to store the provider presence information in the memory. The provider presence information includes at least a provider status for at least one service provider.

Claims

1. A client computer, comprising:

a memory;

a client presence program adapted to be located in the memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and adapted to execute the client presence program to receive provider presence information from an instant messaging (IM) server and to store the provider presence information in the memory, with the provider presence information including at least a provider status of at least one service provider.

2. The client computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface coupled to the processor and adapted to send a service request to the at least one service provider in the event that the provider presence information meets at least one service selection criterion.

3. The client computer according to claim 2, wherein the at least one service selection criterion includes the provider status indicating that the at least one service provider is available.

4. The client computer according to claim 2, wherein

the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider;

and

the at least one service selection criterion includes at least an availability of the at least one service instance.

5. The client computer according to claim 2, wherein

the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider and at least one service qualifying characteristic associated with the at least one service instance;

and

the at least one service selection criterion includes an availability of the at least one service instance and at least one factor related to the at least one service qualifying characteristic.

6. The client computer according to claim 5, wherein the at least one service qualifying characteristic includes a selected one of a hosting environment element, a service interface, a location and a capability.

7. The client computer according to claim 2,

further comprising a search program adapted to be located in the memory;

and

the processor adapted to execute the search program to locate the at least one service provider in the provider presence information based at least in part on the at least one service selection criterion.

8. The client computer according to claim 2,

further comprising a search program adapted to be located in the memory;

wherein the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider; and

the processor is adapted to execute the search program to select the at least one service instance based at least in part on the at least one service selection criterion.

9. The client computer according to claim 2,

further comprising a search program adapted to be located in the memory;

wherein the provider presence information describes a plurality of service providers;

the at least one service instance includes a plurality of service instances associated with the plurality of service providers;

wherein the client presence program is further adapted to organize the provider presence information into a searchable service directory; and

wherein the processor is further adapted to execute the search program to search the service directory to locate a preferred one of the service instances based at least in part on the at least one service selection criterion.

10. The client computer according to claim 9, wherein

the provider presence information further includes one or more one service qualifying characteristics associated with each of the service instances;

and

the processor is further adapted to execute the search program to select at least one of the service instances based on the service criteria including a desired service instance and at least one factor related to one or more service qualifying characteristics associated with the desired service instance.

11. The client computer according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further adapted to execute the search program to select a plurality of the service instances and to order the plurality of selected service instances based on the service selection criteria.

12. The client computer according to claim 2, wherein the network interface is adapted to receive the provider presence information from the IM server and provide the provider presence information to the processor so that the processor may store the provider presence information in the memory.

13. The client computer according to claim 2, wherein the processor executes the client presence program to receive provider presence information from the IM sever on a selected one of a solicitation basis and a notification basis.

14. An instant messaging (IM) server, comprising:

a memory;

a server presence program adapted to be located in the memory;

a processor coupled to the memory and adapted to execute the server presence program to receive client presence information from at least one presentity client, to store the client presence information in the memory, and to distribute client presence information to at least one IM watcher client; and

the processor being further adapted to further execute the server presence program to receive provider presence information from at least one service provider, to store the provider presence information in the memory, and to distribute the provider presence information to at least one service watcher client, with the provider presence information including at least a provider status of the at least one service provider.

15. The instant messaging server according to claim 14, wherein the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider.

16. The instant messaging server according to claim 15, wherein the provider presence information further includes one or more one service qualifying characteristics associated with the at least one service instance.

17. The instant messaging server according to claim 16, wherein the service qualifying characteristics includes a selected one of a hosting environment element, a service interface, location and a capability.

18. The instant messaging server according to claim 14, further comprising:

a network interface, coupled to the processor and the memory, to send the provider presence information to at least one service watcher client.

19. The instant messaging server according to claim 14, wherein the processor executes the server presence program to receive the provider presence information from the at least one service provider on a selected one of a solicitation basis and a notification basis.

20. The instant messaging server according to claim 14, wherein the processor executes the server presence program to send the provider presence information via a network interface to at least one service watcher client on a selected one of a solicitation basis and a notification basis.

21. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that contains instructions of a server presence program for an instant messaging (IM) server, which when executed by the IM server, causes the IM server to perform operations comprising:

receiving client presence information by the IM server from at least one presentity client;

storing the client presence information in a memory of the IM server;

distributing the client presence information by the IM server to at least one IM watcher client;

receiving provider presence information by the IM server from at least one service provider, with the provider presence information including at least a provider status of the at least one service provider;

storing the provider presence information in the memory of the IM server, and

distributing the provider presence information by the IM server to at least one service watcher client.

22. The article according to claim 21, wherein the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider.

23. The article according to claim 22, wherein the provider presence information further includes one or more one service qualifying characteristics associated with the at least one service instance.

24. The article according to claim 23, wherein the service qualifying characteristics includes a selected one of a hosting environment element, a service interface, a location and a capability.

25. A client computer system, comprising:

a memory, a mass storage device and a processor coupled to each other;

a client presence program adapted to be stored in the mass storage device and to be moved to the memory by the processor; and

the processor being adapted to execute a client presence program to receive provider presence information from an instant messaging (IM) server and to store the provider presence information in the memory, with the provider presence information including at least a provider status of at least one service provider.

26. The client computer system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a network interface coupled to the processor and adapted to send a service request to the at least one service provider in the event that the provider presence information meets at least one service selection criterion.

27. The client computer system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one service selection criterion includes the provider status indicating that the at least one service provider is available.

28. The client computer system according to claim 26, wherein

the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider;

and

the at least one service selection criterion includes at least an availability of the at least one service instance.

29. The client computer system according to claim 26, wherein

the provider presence information further includes at least one service instance associated with the at least one service provider and at least one service qualifying characteristic associated with the at least one service instance;

and

the at least one service selection criterion includes an availability of the at least one service instance and at least one factor related to the at least one service qualifying characteristic.