Presence information

• US 20110066688A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pinding, Armo
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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

A method, program and user node for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system. The method comprises, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes: transmitting repeated presence messages to each of a plurality of others of the user nodes, each of the presence messages comprising at least one of: a request for the presence status of the other user node, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node; determining a measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the first user node and the other user nodes; and controlling a regularity of the repeated transmission of presence messages in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage measure.

Claims

1. A method for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;

the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;

transmitting repeated presence messages to each of a plurality of others of said user nodes, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;

a request for the presence status of the other user node, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node;

determining a measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the first user node and said other user nodes; and

controlling a regularity of said repeated transmission of presence messages in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising maintaining a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes, wherein said plurality of other user nodes are a plurality of said contacts.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of said presence messages is periodic such that a presence message is transmitted once per period, and the control of said regularity comprises controlling said period in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage is in relation to at least the first user node.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage is in relation to at least one of the other user nodes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage at least comprises a measure of uplink bandwidth of the respective first or other user node.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage at least comprises a measure of resource usage comprises at least a measure of downlink bandwidth of the respective first or other user node.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage at least comprises a measure of CPU usage of the respective first or other user node.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of resource usage at least comprises a measure of battery level of the respective first or other user node.

10. The method according to claim 2, comprising associating a presence update priority level with each of the contacts;

wherein the transmission of said presence messages comprises transmitting the presence messages in an order dependent on the respective presence update priority level for each contact.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a VoIP system.

12. The method of according to claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a peer-to-peer system.

13. A computer program product for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;

the program comprising code embodied on a computer-readable medium and being configured so as when executed on a first one or more of the user nodes to;

transmit repeated presence messages to each of a plurality of others of said user nodes, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;

a request for the presence status of the other user node, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node;

determine a measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the first user node and said other user nodes; and

control a regularity of said repeated transmission of presence messages in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.

14. A first user node for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;

the first user node comprising;

a processing unit; and

a transmitter, coupled to the processing unit, and configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit in order to transmit repeated presence messages to each of a plurality of others of said user nodes, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;

a request for the presence status of the other user node, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node;

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the first user node and said other user nodes, and is further configured to control a regularity of said repeated transmission of presence messages in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.

15. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to maintain a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes, wherein said plurality of other user nodes are a plurality of said contacts.

16. The user node of claim 14, wherein the transmitter is configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit to periodically transmit said presence messages such that a presence message is transmitted once per period, and the processing unit is configured to control said regularity by controlling said period in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.

17. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage in relation to at least the first user node.

18. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the other user nodes.

19. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage by determining at least a measure of uplink bandwidth of the respective first or other user node.

20. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage by determining at least a measure of resource usage comprises at least a measure of downlink bandwidth of the respective first or other user node.

21. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage by determining at least a measure of CPU usage of the respective first or other user node.

22. The user node of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine said measure of resource usage by determining at least a measure of battery level of the respective first or other user node.

23. The user node of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is configured to associate a presence update priority level with each of the contacts;

and wherein the transmitter is configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit to transmit the presence messages in an order dependent on the respective presence update priority level for each contact.

24. The user terminal of claim 14, wherein the communication system comprises a VoIP system.

25. The user terminal of claim 14, wherein the communication system comprises a peer-to-peer system, and the transmitter is configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit to transmit said presence messages based on at least one of peer-to-peer address look-up and peer-to-peer authentication.

26. A communication system implemented over a network, the communication system comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;

wherein each of the first user nodes comprises;

a processing unit; and

a transmitter, coupled to the processing unit, and configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit in order to transmit repeated presence messages to each of a plurality of others of said user nodes, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;

a request for the presence status of the other user node, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node;

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a measure of resource usage in relation to at least one of the first user node and said other user nodes, and is further configured to control a regularity of said repeated transmission of presence messages in dependence on the determined measure of resource usage.