METHOD, DEVICES AND SYSTEM HAVING OUT OF OFFICE BASED PRESENCE

• US 20100318615A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method, devices and system having out of office based presence are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of sharing presence information, comprising: receiving input to enable an out of office utility for a first email account; notifying a messaging server managing the first email account that the out of office utility has been enabled; and providing to one or more recipients a presence status data packet indicating a presence status of “out of office” for a user associated with the first email account in response the enabling of the out of office utility.

Claims

1. A method of sharing presence information, comprising:

receiving input to enable an out of office utility for a first email account;

notifying a messaging server managing the first email account that the out of office utility has been enabled; and

providing to one or more recipients a presence status data packet indicating a presence status of “

out of office”

for a user associated with the first email account in response the enabling of the out of office utility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the presence status comprises monitoring for trigger conditions for sending presence status, and sending the presence status data packet to the one or more recipients in response to detection of a trigger condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the presence status comprises:

analysing personal address books associated with email accounts managed by the messaging server;

identifying users having email accounts managed by the messaging server having a contact record in an associated personal address book matching a user name or email address of the first email account; and

sending the presence status data packet to the identified users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the presence status comprises:

analysing the personal address book associated with the first email account;

identifying one or more email accounts in the personal address book having a contact record which matches a user name or email address of an email account managed by the messaging server; and

sending the presence status data packet to the identified one or more contacts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence status is provided only when a predetermined presence rule associated with the first email account specifies that presence status is to be shared.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined presence rule defines the one or more recipients to which the presence status data packet is sent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presence status contained in the presence status data packet is stored on a receiving electronic device when the presence status data packet is received, the method further comprising:

displaying a user interface screen on a display screen of the receiving electronic device configured for receiving input identifying one or more users;

receiving input identifying one or more users via the user interface screen; and

displaying in response to the received input a visual indication of presence status in the user interface screen for one or more users matching the input in accordance with the stored presence status.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein out of office replies are not sent to the one or more recipients to which the presence status data packet was sent.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of recipients to which the presence status data packet was sent when the out of office utility is enabled for the first email account;

sending an out office reply when an email message address to the first email account is received only when the received email messages is not in the list of recipients; and

clearing the list of recipients to which the presence status data packet was sent when the out of office utility is disabled for the first email account.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input to disable the out of office utility for the first email account;

notifying the messaging server managing the first email account that the out of office utility has been disabled; and

providing to one or more recipients a presence status data packet indicating a presence status of “

in the office”

for a user associated with the first email account in response the disabling of the out of office utility.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the input to enable the out of office utility for the first email account comprises an automated input generated when a mobile device associated with the first email account is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance from a predetermined office location, or when calendar event data from a calendar application for the current time slot matches a rule that specifies a user associated with the first email account is out of office.

12. A method for execution by a communication device for sharing presence information, comprising:

receiving input on the device to change the status of an out of office utility for a first email account;

storing the changed out of office status in memory of the device;

notifying a messaging server managing the first email account when the status of the out of office utility has been changed including the changed status of the out of office utility;

receiving from the messaging server presence status data packets for contacts associated with the first email account when the status of the out of office utility of the contacts has changed, each presence status data packets including an presence status for a respective contact, the out of office presence status corresponding to the status of the out of office utility for the respective contact;

storing the presence status contained in the presence status data packets in memory of the device;

displaying a user interface screen on a display screen of the communication device configured for receiving input identifying one or more users;

receiving input identifying one or more users via the user interface screen; and

displaying in response to the received input a visual indication of presence status in the user interface screen for one or more users matching the input in accordance with the stored presence status.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining the one or more users which match the received input; and

displaying a list of the one or more users which match the received input in the user interface screen;

wherein the visual indication of presence status is displayed in the list of the user interface screen in association with the respective users.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual indication is displayed only when the stored presence status is “

out of office”

.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface screen is a communication application user interface screen including a contact input field, wherein the input is input is received via the contact input field.

16. A communication device, comprising:

a controller;

a display screen connected to the controller;

a memory connected to the controller;

a communication subsystem connected to the controller configured for data communication with a communication network;

wherein the controller is configured for receiving input on the device to change the status of an out of office utility for a first email account;

storing the changed out of office status in memory of the device;

notifying a messaging server managing the first email account when the status of the out of office utility has been changed including the changed status of the out of office utility;

receiving from the messaging server presence status data packets for contacts associated with the first email account when the status of the out of office utility of the contacts has changed, each presence status data packets including an presence status for a respective contact, the out of office presence status corresponding to the status of the out of office utility for the respective contact;

storing the presence status contained in the presence status data packets in memory of the device;

displaying a user interface screen on a display screen of the communication device configured for receiving input identifying one or more users;

receiving input identifying one or more users via the user interface screen; and

displaying in response to the received input a visual indication of presence status in the user interface screen for one or more users matching the input in accordance with the stored presence status.

17. A method for execution by a messaging server for sharing presence information, comprising:

receiving notifications when the status of the out of office utility of email accounts managed by the messaging server have changed;

identifying contacts stored in personal address books stored by the messaging server associated with the email accounts; and

sending presence status data packets to the identified contacts when the status of the out of office utility of the contacts has changed.

18. A messaging server, comprising:

a controller;

a communication subsystem connected to the controller configured for data communication with a communication network;

wherein the controller is configured for receiving notifications when the status of the out of office utility of email accounts managed by the messaging server have changed;

identifying contacts stored in personal address books stored by the messaging server associated with the email accounts; and

sending presence status data packets to the identified contacts when the status of the out of office utility of the contacts has changed.