METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATING PRESENCE DATA WITH CONTACT DATA AT A COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110138279A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: VUONG, Thanh Vinh
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for integrating presence data with contact data at a communication device is provided. A display device associated with the communication device is controlled via the processing unit to provide a representation of the contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application. The display is controlled, via the processing unit, to provide a representation of the presence data in association with the representation of the contact data, the presence data associated with the contact data.

Claims

1. A method for integrating presence data with contact data at a communication device, said communication device comprising a processing unit interconnected with an input device, a display device, and a communication interface, said method comprising:

controlling, via said processing unit, said display device to provide a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application; and

controlling, via said processing unit, said display device to provide a representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data, said presence data associated with said contact data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling said display device to provide said representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data occurs in response to receiving, at said processing unit, an indication that a representation of said contact data provided at said display device has been selected via said input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said representation of said presence data comprises a tooltip.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting said presence data from said server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said requesting said presence data from said server occurs in response to receiving, at said processing unit, at least one of:

an indication that said representation of said contact data provided on said display device has been selected via said input device; and

said contact information in e-mail data received via said communication interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said presence data from said server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said representation of said data comprises at least one of an identification of a presence service originating said presence data, at least one set of status update data associated with said presence data, a number of available sets of status update data, and an indication of whether said at least one set of status update data has been previously accessed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication device is enabled to communicate with a server and said presence data is received from said server via said communication interface.

9. A method for managing presence data and contact data at a server enabled for communication with at least one communication device and a presence server, said server comprising a processing unit interconnected with a communication interface, said method comprising:

receiving a trigger, at said processing unit via said communication interface, to transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device, said presence data received from said presence server and associated with said contact data, said contact data associated with said at least one communication device; and

transmitting said presence data to said at least one communication device in association with said contact data, via said communication interface, such that a display device at said at least one communication device can be controlled to provide a representation of said presence data in association with a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving said trigger comprises at least one of:

receiving an e-mail to be transmitted to said at least one communication device, said e-mail comprising said contact data;

receiving a request for said presence data from said at least one communication device, said request identifying said contact data; and

receiving said presence data from said presence server.

11. A communication device for integrating presence data with contact data, comprising:

a processing unit interconnected with an input device, a display device, and a communication interface, said processing unit enabled to;

control said display device to provide a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application; and

control said display device to provide a representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data, said presence data associated with said contact data.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said control of said display device to provide said representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data occurs in response to receiving, at said processing unit, an indication that a representation of said contact data provided on said display device has been selected via said input device.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said representation of said presence data comprises a tooltip.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to request said presence data from said server.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein said request of said presence data from said server occurs in response to receiving, at said processing unit, at least one of:

an indication that said representation of said contact data provided on said display device has been selected via said input device; and

said contact information in e-mail data received via said communication interface.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to receive said presence data from said server.

17. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said representation of said data comprises at least one of:

an identification of a presence service originating said presence data, at least one set of status update data associated with said presence data, a number of available sets of status update data, and an indication of whether said at least one set of status update data has been previously accessed.

18. The communication device of claim 11, wherein said communication device is enabled to communicate with a server such that said presence data is received from said server via said communication interface.

19. A server for managing presence data and contact data, comprising:

a processing unit interconnected with a communication interface, said communication interface enabled for communication with at least one communication device and a presence server, said processing unit enabled to;

receive a trigger, via said communication interface, to transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device, said presence data received from said presence server and associated with said contact data, said contact data associated with said at least one communication device; and

transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device in association with said contact data, via said communication interface, such that a display device at said at least one communication device can be controlled to provide a representation of said presence data in association with a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein to receive said trigger, said processing unit is enabled to at least one of:

receive an e-mail to be transmitted to said at least one communication device, said e-mail comprising said contact data;

receive a request for said presence data from said at least one communication device, said request identifying said contact data; and

receive said presence data from said presence server.

21. A system for managing presence data and contact data comprising:

at least one communication device enabled to;

control a display device to provide a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application; and

control said display device to provide a representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data, said presence data associated said contact data; and

a server enabled to;

communicate with said at least one communication device and a presence server;

receive a trigger to transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device, said presence data received from said presence server and associated with said contact data, said contact data associated with said at least one communication device; and

transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device in association with said contact data.

22. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for integrating presence data with contact data at a communication device, said communication device comprising a processing unit interconnected with an input device, a display device, and a communication interface, said method comprising:

controlling, via said processing unit, said display device to provide a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application; and

controlling, via said processing unit, said display device to provide a representation of said presence data in association with said representation of said contact data, said presence data associated said contact data.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for managing presence data and contact data at a server enabled for communication with at least one communication device and a presence server, said server comprising a processing unit interconnected with a communication interface, said method comprising:

receiving a trigger, at said processing unit via said communication interface, to transmit said presence data to said at least one communication device, said presence data received from said presence server and associated with said contact data, said contact data associated with said at least one communication device; and

transmitting said presence data to said at least one communication device in association with said contact data, via said communication interface, such that a display device at said at least one communication device can be controlled to provide a representation of said presence data in association with a representation of said contact data in at least one of an e-mail application and a PIM (Personal Information Manager) application.