INFORMATION COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND INFORMATION COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20090157861A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: KAKUTA, Jun, MURAKAMI, Masahiko, MATSUI, Kazuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• 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

An information communication method includes: accepting first presence information transmitted from a first terminal device which is connected so as to be communicable through a network; specifying a second terminal device as a notification destination to which the first presence information is destined; mapping the notification destination to a transmission source of the first presence information; deciding whether or not an alteration of the notification destination is required according to a state of the notification destination as indicated by second presence information accepted from the second terminal device; selecting, if alteration is required, a third terminal device to succeed the second terminal device; and notifying the first presence information to the third terminal device corresponding to the altered notification destination.

Claims

1. An information communication apparatus comprising:

an acceptance unit to accept first presence information that has been transmitted from a first terminal device connected so as to be communicable through a network;

an acquisition unit to acquire a notification destination to which the first presence information is destined and to map the notification destination to a transmission source of the first presence information, the notification destination corresponding to a second terminal device;

a decision unit to decide whether or not an alteration of the notification destination is required according to a state of the notification destination as indicated by second presence information accepted from the second terminal device;

a selection unit to select, if alteration is required, a third terminal device to succeed the second terminal device;

an alteration unit to alter the notification destination to reflect the third terminal device; and

a notification unit to notify the first presence information to the third terminal device corresponding to the altered notification destination.

2. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection unit comprises:

a detection unit to detect at least one next notification destination candidate, from among the terminal devices that can accept the publication of the presence information; and

an inquiry unit which transmits an inquiry message to the terminal device being the notification source of the presence information, about a propriety of the alteration to a next notification destination candidate detected by said detection unit; and

wherein said selection unit selects the notification destination candidate as to which a response to the inquiry of said inquiry unit, from the terminal device being the notification source, indicates that the alteration is proper, as a next notification destination.

3. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the response to the inquiry of said inquiry unit, from the notification source, indicates that the alteration is improper, another notification destination candidate is detected by said detection unit, and an inquiry is made again by said inquiry unit, about a propriety of the alteration to the detected other notification destination candidate.

4. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said inquiry unit comprises a state information transmission unit which transmits state information items of the respective notification destination candidates to the terminal device being the notification source of the presence information.

5. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in notifying the presence information to the notification destination after the alteration, said notification unit transmits also additional information on the notification source of the presence information.

6. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a candidate storage unit which stores a new notification destination candidate that has been detected in association with the notification destination decided to require the alteration, in a case where said alteration decision unit has decided that the alteration is required; and

a candidate deletion unit which deletes the notification destination candidate stored in association with the notification destination, in a case where said alteration decision unit has decided that the alteration is not required, on the basis of state information of the notification destination as acquired by said acquisition unit, before the response to the inquiry of said inquiry unit about the alteration propriety is accepted;

wherein said alteration unit does not alter the notification destination as to the notification destination for which the association with the notification destination candidate has been deleted.

7. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said alteration unit comprises a notification destination storage unit which stores information for identifying the notification destination after the alteration, in association with the information for identifying the notification destination of the presence information as registered in association with the information for identifying the transmission source of the presence information, in case of altering the notification destination.

8. The information communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a notification stop unit which stops the notification to the notification destination after the alteration, as based on said notification unit, in a case where the presence information has been acquired from the terminal device specified by the information for identifying the notification destination before the alteration, as stored in said notification destination storage unit, and where said alteration decision unit has decided that the alteration is not required, on the basis of the acquired presence information;

wherein said alteration unit alters the notification destination of the accepted presence information to the notification destination before the alteration as stored in said notification destination storage unit.

9. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alteration notification unit which transmits information on the notification destination after the alteration as altered by said alteration unit, to a terminal device that has been associated with a previously granted notification destination before the alteration.

10. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alteration propriety information storage unit which stores alteration propriety information indicating the external device that is granted or rejected as the notification destination, every notification source of the presence information;

wherein said alteration unit determines the external device which is granted as the notification destination, on the basis of the alteration propriety information, as a next notification destination.

11. The information communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a creation unit which creates and stores alteration propriety information indicating the external device that is granted or rejected as the notification destination, every notification source of the presence information, on the basis of a response to the inquiry of said inquiry unit, from the notification source about the alteration propriety;

wherein said alteration unit determines the external device which is granted as the notification destination, as a next notification destination on the basis of the alteration propriety information.

12. An information communication system comprising:

a first terminal device which publishes presence information;

second terminal devices which accept the notification of the presence information; and

a central device which relays communications between the first and second terminal devices;

said central device including the following,

an acceptance unit which accepts the notification of the presence information from said first terminal device;

a notification destination storage unit to store a listing as to which ones amongst the second terminal devices represent notification destinations vis-à

-vis the presence information;

an acquisition unit to acquire state information indicating states of the notification destinations stored in said notification destination storage unit;

a decision unit to decide whether or not alterations of notification destinations are required according to state information thereof, respectively;

an alteration unit to determine third terminal devices as successor notification destinations on the basis of state information thereof and then to alter the respective notification destinations to reflect the third terminal devices; and

a notification unit to notify the presence information to the notification destinations after the alterations thereof.

13. An information communication method comprising:

accepting first presence information transmitted from a first terminal device which is connected so as to be communicable through a network;

specifying a second terminal device as a notification destination to which the first presence information is destined;

mapping the notification destination to a transmission source of the first presence information;

deciding whether or not an alteration of the notification destination is required according to a state of the notification destination as indicated by second presence information accepted from the second terminal device;

selecting, if alteration is required, a third terminal device to succeed the second terminal device; and

notifying the first presence information to the third terminal device corresponding to the altered notification destination.

14. A machine-readable medium comprising machine-executable instructions for performing a method, execution of which by a machine facilitates operation of an information communication apparatus, the method comprising:

accepting first presence information transmitted from a first terminal device which is connected so as to be communicable through a network;

specifying a second terminal device as a notification destination to which the first presence information is destined;

mapping the notification destination to a transmission source of the first presence information;

deciding whether or not an alteration of the notification destination is required according to a state of the notification destination as indicated by second presence information accepted from the second terminal device;

selecting, if alteration is required, a third terminal device to succeed the second terminal device; and

notifying the first presence information to the third terminal device corresponding to the altered notification destination.