METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING STATUS INFORMATION RELATING TO A RELATION BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF PARTICIPANTS

• US 20080208982A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US11/680,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208982A1
• 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]

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants. One method includes receiving a first message from an agent associated with a relation principal for a relation between a plurality of participants, the message including relation status information of the relation. A relation tuple associated with the relation principal for the relation is provided. The relation tuple includes a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation. In response to providing the relation tuple, a notification message including at least a portion of the received relation status information is generated.

Claims

1. A method for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from an agent associated with a relation principal for a relation between a plurality of participants, the message including relation status information of the relation;

providing a relation tuple associated with the relation principal for the relation, the relation tuple including a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation; and

generating a notification message including at least a portion of the received relation status information in response to providing the relation tuple.

2. The method of claim 1 further including sending the notification message to at least one of a watcher identified in the message from the agent associated with the relation principal, and a watcher of at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of receiving the message and sending the notification message comprises using a presence service and a presence protocol to at least one of receive the message and send the notification message.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein in response to providing the relation tuple, the method further comprises:

creating automatically a subscription list for the relation tuple; and

placing information identifying a watcher component associated with at least one of the plurality of participants identified by the relation tuple in the subscription list.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein in response to providing the relation tuple, the method further comprises automatically updating the status tuple of the participant of the plurality of participants.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving a second message from the agent associated with a relation principal, the second message including updated relation status information of the relation;

updating the relation tuple based on the updated relation status; and

generating a notification message including at least a portion of the updated relation status information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent associated with the relation principal includes a presentity of the relation tuple.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the relation tuple in a data store for a duration of the relation between the plurality of participants.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising removing the relation tuple from the data store when the relation between the plurality of participants is terminated.

10. A method for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the method comprising:

receiving relation status information from a relation service managing a relation between a plurality of participants;

providing a relation tuple that includes the relation status information, the relation tuple comprising a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation;

generating a message including the relation tuple; and

sending the message to a status service via a network such that a watcher component watching at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants receives at least a portion of the relation status information included in the relation tuple.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the message includes:

invoking a presentity associated with the relation tuple to create the message including the relation status information.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the status service is included in a presence service and sending the relation tuple comprises using a presence protocol.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving an indication to watch a status tuple of at least one participant identified in the relation tuple; and

using a watcher component to watch the status tuple.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the indication to watch includes receiving the indication via at least one of a user interface, an application programming interface, and processing configuration data stored in a data store.

15. A system for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the system comprising:

a relation status service component configured for receiving a first message from an agent associated with a relation principal for a relation between a plurality of participants, the message including relation status information of the relation, and for providing a relation tuple associated with the relation principal for the relation, the relation tuple including a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation; and

a notification handler component configured for generating a notification message including at least a portion of the received relation status information in response to providing the relation tuple.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the notification handler component is further configured for sending the notification message to at least one of a watcher identified in the message received from the agent associated with the relation principal, and a watcher component watching at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the relation status service component and the notification handler component is further configured to receive the message and to send the notification message, respectively, using a presence protocol.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a subscription handler component configured for creating automatically a subscription list for the relation tuple and placing information identifying a watcher component associated with at least one of the plurality of participants identified by the relation tuple in the subscription list in response to the providing of the relation tuple.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the relation status service component is further configured for automatically updating the status tuple of the participant of the plurality of participants when the relation tuple is provided.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the relation status service is further configured for receiving a second message from the agent associated with a relation principal, the second message including updated relation status information of the relation, and for updating the relation tuple based on the updated relation status.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the agent associated with the relation principal includes a presentity of the relation tuple.

22. The system of claim 15 further comprising a data store for storing data comprising status tuples and wherein the relation status service component is further configured for storing the relation tuple in the data store for a duration of the relation between the plurality of participants.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the relation status service component is further configured for removing the relation tuple from the data store when the agent associated with the relation principal terminates the relation between the plurality of participants.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein each status tuple stored in the data store is a relation tuple.

25. The system of claim 15 further comprising a presence service and a communication interface configured to send and receive data to and from a plurality of presence clients associated with a plurality of relation principals via a network.

26. A system for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the system comprising:

a relation service configured for managing a relation between a plurality of participants and for providing a relation principal associated with the relation; and

a relation status client component associated with the relation principal and configured for receiving relation status information from the relation service, for providing a relation tuple that includes relation status information, the relation tuple comprising a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation, for generating a message including the relation tuple, and for sending the message to a status service via a network such that a watcher component watching at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants receives at least a portion of relation status information included in the relation tuple.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the relation status client component is configured for invoking a relation presentity to create the message including the relation status information.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the relation status client component is configured for using a presence protocol to send the relation tuple to the relation status service.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the relation status client component is configured for receiving an indication to watch a status tuple of at least one participant identified in the relation tuple, and for using a watcher component to watch the status tuple.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the relation status client is configured for receiving the indication via at least one of a user interface, an application programming interface, and processing configuration data stored in a data store.

31. A computer readable medium containing a computer program, executable by a machine, for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

receiving a first message from an agent associated with a relation principal for a relation between a plurality of participants, the message including relation status information of the relation;

providing a relation tuple associated with the relation principal for the relation, the relation tuple including a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation; and

generating a notification message including at least a portion of the received relation status information in response to providing the relation tuple.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the program further includes instructions for:

sending the notification message to at least one of a watcher identified in the message from the agent associated with the relation principal, and a watcher of at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein in response to providing the relation tuple, the program further includes instructions for automatically updating the status tuple of the participant of the plurality of participants.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the program further includes instructions for storing the relation tuple in a data store for a duration of the relation between the plurality of participants and for removing the relation tuple from the data store when the agent associated with the relation principal terminates the relation between the plurality of participants.

35. A computer readable medium containing a computer program, executable by a machine, for providing status information relating to a relation between a plurality of participants, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

receiving relation status information from a relation service managing a relation between a plurality of participants;

providing a relation tuple that includes the relation status information, the relation tuple comprising a party element having information identifying at least one of the plurality of participants in the relation and a status element having a status of the relation;

generating a message including the relation tuple; and

sending the message to a status service via a network such that a watcher component watching at least one of the relation tuple and a status tuple of a participant of the plurality of participants receives at least a portion of the relation status information included in the relation tuple.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 wherein the program further includes instructions for invoking a presentity associated with the relation tuple to create the message including the relation status information.