Presence and Geographic Location Notification Based on a Delegation Model

• US 20110126109A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,281,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A user of an instant messaging system may store names of other users of the instant messaging system on a participant list (which may be referred to as a “buddy list”), and the names may be categorized into one or more groups. Similarly, a user of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, may store contact information about people on the mobile device. Information describing the on-line presence of the user within the instant messaging system or geographic location of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone associated with the user system, may be disseminated to users on the participant list or people on the contact list based on notification information that is associated with groups of users or contacts. A delegation model is used to control whether a user is permitted to make modifications to the notification information.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with first communications identify, a request to modify a notification setting that controls a dissemination of notification information to a second communication identity;

accessing delegation information in response to the received request, the delegation information comprising information identifying a restriction on an ability of a group of communications identities to modify the notification setting;

determining, using the processor, whether the first communications identity is permitted to modify the notification setting, based on at least the identified restriction; and

enabling the user to modify the notification setting in accordance with the received request, when it is determined that the first communication identity is permitted to perform the requested modification.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the notification information comprises a geographic location of a mobile device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the notification information comprises presence information associated with the user.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the group of communications identities includes the first communications identity; and

permitting the first communications identity to perform the requested modification, when is it determined that the group of communications identities fails to include the first communications identity.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the delegation information further comprises information identifying (i) a plurality of groups of communications identifies and (ii) a restriction on an ability of at least one of the groups to modify the notification setting.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of groups comprise a group associated with a government, a group associated with a business enterprise, and a group associated with employees.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of groups comprise a group associated with a government, a group associated with a parent, and a group associated with at least one child of the parent.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein:

the plurality of groups are related according to a hierarchical relationship; and

the plurality of groups are associated with corresponding levels within the hierarchical relationship, the levels being indicative of positions of the plurality of groups within the hierarchy relationship.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the first communications identity is associated with a first group of communications identities within the plurality of groups, the first group being associated with a corresponding first level;

determining that the first group is subordinate to a second group of communications identities, based on at least the hierarchical relationship between the first level and a level corresponding to the second group; and

determining whether the first communications identity is permitted to modify the notification setting, based on at least delegation information corresponding to the second group of communications identities.

39. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor coupled to the storage device, wherein the storage device stores a program for controlling the processor, and wherein the processor, operative with the program, is configured to;

receive, from a user associated with a first communications identify, a request to modify a notification setting that controls a dissemination of notification information to a second communication identity;

access delegation information in response to the received request, the delegation information comprising information identifying a restriction on an ability of a group of communications identities to modify the notification setting;

determine whether the first communications identity is permitted to modify the notification setting, based on at least the identified restriction; and

enable the user to modify the notification setting in accordance with the received request, when it is determined that the first communication identity is permitted to perform the requested modification.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the notification information comprises a geographic location of a mobile device.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the notification information comprises presence information associated with the user.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the group of communications identities includes the first communications identity; and

permit the first communications identity to perform the requested modification, when is it determined that the group of communications identities fails to include the first communications identity.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the delegation information further comprises information identifying (i) a plurality of groups of communications identifies and (ii) a restriction on an ability of at least one of the groups to modify the notification setting.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the plurality of groups comprise a group associated with a government, a group associated with a business enterprise, and a group associated with employees.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the plurality of groups comprise a group associated with a government, a group associated with a parent, and a group associated with at least one child of the parent.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein:

the plurality of groups of communications identities are related according to a hierarchical relationship; and

the plurality of groups are associated with corresponding levels within the hierarchical relationship, the levels being indicative of positions of the plurality of groups within the hierarchy relationship.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the first communications identity is associated with a first group of communications identities within the plurality of groups, the first group being associated with a corresponding first level;

determine that the first group is subordinate to a second group of communications identities, based on at least the hierarchical relationship between the first level and a level corresponding to the second group; and

determine whether the first communications identity is permitted to modify the notification setting, based on at least delegation information corresponding to the second group of communications identities.

49. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a user associated with a first communications identify, a request to modify a notification setting that controls a dissemination of notification information to a second communication identity;

accessing delegation information in response to the received request, the delegation information comprising information identifying a restriction on an ability of a group of communications identities to modify the notification setting;

determining, using the processor, whether the first communications identity is permitted to modify the notification setting, based on at least the identified restriction; and

enabling the user to modify the notification setting in accordance with the received request, when it is determined that the first communication identity is permitted to perform the requested modification.