Methods and Apparatus for Providing Presence Service for Contact Management Representation

• US 20130231138A1
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hans, Martin, Schmidt, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a presence service for contact management functions such as user address books. The presence service, in an exemplary embodiment, assembles contact entries into abstract groupings and defines event packages specified by the user that enable the user to be notified about presence information dynamically. For example, a subscribed user may receive presence service information for all entries in the users address book that are in close geographical proximity to the subscribed user. In one variant, the storage and calculation of presence information is performed at a centralized location, thereby sparing the user'"'"'s device from utilizing unnecessary calculation resources and avoiding unnecessary network bandwidth utilization in order to receive presence information of interest. User device-based variants are also disclosed. Business methods utilizing the aforementioned presence service offerings are also provided.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A network presence apparatus, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a network interface in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

a storage medium with a plurality of computer instructions stored thereon, the plurality of computer instructions executable by the processing apparatus to cause the processing apparatus to;

maintain a plurality of location information data associated with a plurality of users of a network presence service, the plurality of users comprising a first user, a second user, and a plurality of third users;

receive, from the first user, information regarding user preferences defining an event, wherein the information regarding user preferences identifies the second user based on a contact entry of a first contact listing of the first user, and wherein the event is based at least in part on the location information data associated with the third users;

identify the third users based on the information regarding user preferences and further based on a second contact listing of the second user, wherein at least one of the third users is not identified by a contact entry of any contact listings of the first user;

determine, based on the plurality of location information data, that the event has occurred; and

transmit via the network interface, in response to the determining that the event has occurred, to a portable computing device associated with the first user, a notification that the event has occurred.

32. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the transmitting the notification that the event has occurred further comprises transmitting location information associated with the third users, wherein the location information associated with the third users is derived from the location information data associated with the third users.

33. The network presence apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transmitting the location information associated with the third users is periodically repeated after the determining that the event has occurred.

34. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between the first user and one or more of the third users dropping below a threshold.

35. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between the second user and one or more of the third users dropping below a threshold.

36. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between two or more of the third users dropping below a threshold.

37. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between one or more of the third users and a predetermined geographic location dropping below a threshold.

38. The network presence apparatus of claim 31, wherein the information regarding user preferences defines a plurality of events, wherein at least one event of the plurality of events comprises the first user being within a predefined geographic area.

39. A method of providing presence information, comprising:

maintaining a plurality of presence information data associated with a plurality of users of a network presence service, the plurality of users comprising a first user, a second user, and a plurality of third users;

receiving, from the first user, information regarding user preferences defining an event, wherein the information regarding user preferences identifies the second user based on a contact entry of a first contact listing of the first user, and wherein the event is based at least in part on presence information data associated with the third users

identifying the third users based on the information regarding user preferences and further based on a second contact listing of the second user, wherein at least one of the third users is not identified by a contact entry of any contact listings of the first user;

determining, based on the plurality of presence information data, that the event has occurred; and

transmitting, in response to the determining that the event has occurred, to a portable computing device associated with the first user, a notification that the event has occurred.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the transmitting the notification that the event has occurred further comprises transmitting presence information associated with the third users, wherein the presence information associated with the third users is derived from the presence information data associated with the third users.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the presence information comprises information regarding at least one of status or present activity.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the presence information comprises location information.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between the first user and one or more of the third users dropping below a threshold.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between the second user and one or more of the third users dropping below a threshold.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the event comprises a geographic distance between one or more of the third users and a predetermined geographic location not associated with a current location of the first user dropping below a threshold.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the information regarding user preferences defines a plurality of events, wherein at least one event of the plurality of events comprises the first user being within a predefined geographic area.

41. The method of claim 41, wherein the transmitting the presence information is periodically repeated after the determining that the event has occurred.

48. A first portable computing device, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a network interface in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

a storage medium with a plurality of computer instructions stored thereon, the plurality of computer instructions executable by the processing apparatus to cause the processing apparatus to;

transmit to a network presence apparatus, via the network interface, location information data associated with the first portable computing device, wherein the network presence apparatus is configured to receive the location information data from the first portable computing device and location information data from a second portable computing device and location information data from a plurality of third portable computing devices;

transmit to the network presence apparatus, via the network interface, information regarding user preferences defining an event, wherein the information regarding user preferences identifies the second portable computing device based on a contact entry of a first contact listing stored on the first portable computing device, wherein at least one of the third portable computing devices is not identified by a contact entry of any contact listings stored on the first portable computing device, and wherein the event is based at least in part on the location information data associated with the plurality of third portable computing devices;

receive from the network presence apparatus, via the network interface, a notification that the event has occurred, wherein the event is determined to have occurred by the network presence apparatus after the third portable computing devices are identified by the network presence apparatus, wherein the third portable computing devices are identified based on the information regarding user preferences and further based on a second contact listing of the second portable computing device.

49. The first portable computing device of claim 48, wherein the receiving the notification that the event has occurred further comprises receiving location information associated with the plurality of third portable computing devices, wherein the location information associated with the plurality of third portable computing devices is derived from the location information data associated with the plurality of third portable computing devices.

50. The first portable computing device of claim 48, wherein the first contact listing stored on the first portable computing device comprises an address book application running on the first portable computing device.