MANAGING CONTACT LIST STATUS NOTIFICATIONS IN COLLABORATION SYSTEMS TO REDUCE NETWORK TRAFFIC

• US 20090172701A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: GAMALEY, Vladimir, Revel, Frieda-Gila, Rubinshtein, Galina
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information

Abstract

An awareness notification management system including a contact list manager managing an awareness service subscriber contact list including an active sublist for active contacts and an archive sublist for disabled contacts, and an awareness manager for monitoring the status contact list members, where the awareness manager is configured to access a history including at least one timestamp of a last communication exchange between the awareness service subscriber and any of the members of the contact list, and query the history for any of the timestamps and classify any of the contacts as a disabled contact on the archive sublist if the timestamp for the contact is older than a predefined age, and where the awareness manager is configured to forward to the awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of the active contacts and withhold from the awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of the disabled contacts.

Claims

1. An awareness notification management system comprising:

a contact list manager configured to manage a contact list of an awareness service subscriber, said contact list including an active sublist having at least one active contact and an archive sublist having at least one disabled contact; and

an awareness manager configured to monitor a status of any member of said contact list;

wherein said awareness manager is configured to access a history including at least one timestamp of a last communication exchange between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list, and query said history for any of said timestamps and classify any of said contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist if said timestamp for said contact is older than a predefined age, and

wherein said awareness manager is configured to forward to said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said active contacts and withhold from said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said disabled contacts.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said contact manager is configured to notify said awareness service subscriber which of said contacts are disabled contacts.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to maintain said history.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to classify any of said contacts as an active contact on said active sublist if said timestamp for said contact is younger than a predefined age.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to receive a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said disabled contacts as an active contact on said active sublist.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to receive a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to request a confirmation from said awareness service subscriber prior to classifying any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist, and classify said active contacts as a disabled contact responsive to receiving a positive response to said confirmation.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein said awareness manager is configured to detect new collaborations between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list and update any of said history, said active sublist, and said archive sublist responsive to said detection.

9. An awareness notification management method comprising:

managing a contact list of an awareness service subscriber, said contact list including an active sublist having at least one active contact and an archive sublist having at least one disabled contact;

monitoring a status of any member of said contact list;

querying a history for at least one timestamp of a last communication exchange between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list;

classifying any of said contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist if said timestamp for said contact is older than a predefined age; and

forwarding to said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said active contacts and withhold from said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said disabled contacts.

10. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising notifying said awareness service subscriber which of said contacts are disabled contacts.

11. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising maintaining said history.

12. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising classifying any of said contacts as an active contact on said active sublist if said timestamp for said contact is younger than a predefined age.

13. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising receiving a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said disabled contacts as an active contact on said active sublist.

14. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising receiving a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist.

15. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising requesting a confirmation from said awareness service subscriber prior to classifying any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist, and classifying said active contacts as a disabled contact responsive to receiving a positive response to said confirmation.

16. A method according to claim 9 and further comprising detecting new collaborations between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list and update any of said history, said active sublist, and said archive sublist responsive to said detection.

17. A method for representing contacts and their statuses, the method comprising:

receiving an active sublist having at least one active contact and an archive sublist having at least one disabled contact;

displaying said sublists wherein the members each of said sublists are visually differentiated;

receiving at least one notification regarding the status of any of said active contacts; and

displaying an indication of said status for said active contact in said displayed active sublist.

18. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

a first code segment operative to manage a contact list of an awareness service subscriber, said contact list including an active sublist having at least one active contact and an archive sublist having at least one disabled contact;

a second code segment operative to monitor a status of any member of said contact list;

a third code segment operative to query a history for at least one timestamp of a last communication exchange between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list;

a fourth code segment operative to classify any of said contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist if said timestamp for said contact is older than a predefined age; and

a fifth code segment operative to forward to said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said active contacts and withhold from said awareness service subscriber awareness notifications regarding the status of said disabled contacts.

19. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to notify said awareness service subscriber which of said contacts are disabled contacts.

20. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to maintain said history.

21. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to classify any of said contacts as an active contact on said active sublist if said timestamp for said contact is younger than a predefined age.

22. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to receive a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said disabled contacts as an active contact on said active sublist.

23. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to receive a request from said awareness service subscriber to reclassify any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist.

24. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to request a confirmation from said awareness service subscriber prior to classifying any of said active contacts as a disabled contact on said archive sublist, and classify said active contacts as a disabled contact responsive to receiving a positive response to said confirmation.

25. A computer program according to claim 18 and further comprising a sixth code segment operative to detect new collaborations between said awareness service subscriber and any of said members of said contact list and update any of said history, said active sublist, and said archive sublist responsive to said detection.