SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING PRESENCE INFORMATION

• US 20150222716A1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: MOSTAFA, Miraj, KISS, Krisztian
• Granted Patent: US 9,912,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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

Abstract

An improved system and method for communicating Presence Information. According to various embodiments, the sequence of actions undertaken in established Presence procedures are changed, and enhancements are also provided for Watcher 5 information notifications. Upon the initiation of a Presence Service, the Presence Source starts publishing Presence Information about a Presentity using a soft-state approach. Instead of having publication occur first, the Presence Source makes a subscription for the Watcher information first or simply waits until the Presence Server contacts the Presence Source. As a result, publication occurs only when there is a demand therefor

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a subscription request from a Watcher for a one-time fetch of specific Presence Information;

starting a timer in response to the received subscription request, the timer defining a time in which the Presence Source is expected to publish the specific Presence Information;

if the specific Presence Information is not received by the end of the time defined by the timer, providing the Watcher with a currently available Presence document or, if no Presence Information is available, an empty Presence document;

sending a notification notifying a Presence Source that the Watcher wants to watch for the specific Presence Information;

receiving the specific Presence Information, in response to the sent notification, from the Presence Source via a soft-state publication; and

providing the Watcher with the specific Presence Information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the Presence Source with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) refer request; and

in response to the SIP refer request, receiving a Watcher Information subscription request from the Presence Source,

wherein the Watcher Information subscription request is received prior to the soft-state publication of the specific Presence Information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the received subscription request for a one-time fetch and a lack of available Presence Information,

delaying an answer to the subscription request;

starting a timer, the timer defining a time in which the Presence Source is expected to publish the Presence Information.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the soft-state publication is at least based in part on the subscription request and the soft-state publication publishes attributes of a demand of the subscription request,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information and a frequency of the soft-state publication are determined based on the subscription request.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information includes a status indicator that indicates at least one of an authorization or a subscription of a communication partner to communicate,

wherein, if at least one additional Watcher is watching for specific Presence Information, then the specific Presence Information requested by each Watcher is aggregated into a single document containing all of the Presence Information requested by each Watcher and is provided to the Presence Source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the Presence Source has not previously subscribed to Information about one or more Watchers:

after receiving the subscription request, informing the Presence Source about a need to subscribe for Watcher Information; and

in response to the informing of the Presence Source, receiving a Watcher Information subscription request from the Presence Source.

7. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer code configured to perform a method, the method including:

receiving a subscription request from a Watcher for a one-time fetch of specific Presence Information;

starting a timer in response to the received subscription request, the timer defining a time in which the Presence Source is expected to publish the specific Presence Information;

if the specific Presence Information is not received by the end of the time defined by the timer, providing the Watcher with a currently available Presence document or, if no Presence Information is available, an empty Presence document;

sending a notification notifying a Presence Source that the Watcher wants to watch for the specific Presence Information;

receiving the specific Presence Information, in response to the sent notification, from the Presence Source via a soft-state publication; and

providing the Watcher with the specific Presence Information.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device configured to

receive a subscription request from a Watcher for a one-time fetch of specific Presence Information,

start a timer in response to the received subscription request, the timer defining a time in which the Presence Source is expected to publish the specific Presence Information,

if the specific Presence Information is not received by the end of the time defined by the timer, provide the Watcher with a currently available Presence document or, if no Presence Information is available, an empty Presence document,

send a notification notifying a Presence Source that the Watcher wants to watch for the specific Presence Information,

receive the specific Presence Information, in response to the sent notification, from the Presence Source via a soft-state publication, and

provide the Watcher with the specific Presence Information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is further configured to,

wherein the soft-state publication is at least based in part on the subscription request and the soft-state publication publishes attributes of a demand of the subscription request,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information and a frequency of the soft-state publication are determined based on the subscription request.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is further configured to,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information includes a status indicator that indicates at least one of an authorization or a subscription of a communication partner to communicate,

wherein, if at least one additional Watcher is watching for specific Presence Information, then the specific Presence Information requested by each Watcher is aggregated into a single document containing all of the Presence Information requested by each Watcher and is provided to the Presence Source.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is further configured to, if the Presence Source has not previously subscribed to Information about Watchers:

after receiving the subscription request, inform the Presence Source about a need to subscribe for Watcher Information; and

in response to the informing of the Presence Source, receive a Watcher Information subscription request from the Presence Source.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving a notification from a Presence Server that a Watcher wants to watch for specific Presence Information; and

in response to the notification, performing a publication of the specific Presence Information for reception by the Presence Server and transmission therefrom to the Watcher,

receiving a deactivation notification from the Presence Server that a subscription has been deactivated by the Watcher; and

discontinuing the publication of the specific Presence Information.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the publication publishes attributes included in the notification,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information and a frequency of the publication are determined based on a subscription request associated with the notification,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information includes a status indicator that indicates at least one of an authorization or a subscription of a communication partner to communicate.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, if not previously subscribed to Information about the Watcher:

receiving information from the Presence Server about a need for subscribing for Watcher Information; and

in response to the received information, providing a Watcher Information subscription request to the Presence Server.

15. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer code configured to perform a method, the method including:

receiving a notification from a Presence Server that a Watcher wants to watch for specific Presence Information; and

in response to the notification, performing a publication of the specific Presence Information for reception by the Presence Server and transmission therefrom to the Watcher,

receiving a deactivation notification from the Presence Server that a subscription has been deactivated by the Watcher; and

discontinuing the publication of the specific Presence Information.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device configured to;

process a received a notification from a Presence Server that a Watcher wants to watch for specific Presence Information; and

in response to the notification, perform a publication of the specific Presence Information for reception by the Presence Server and transmission therefrom to the Watcher,

receive a deactivation notification from the Presence Server that a subscription has been deactivated by the Watcher; and

discontinue the publication of the specific Presence Information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

wherein the publication publishes attributes included in the notification,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information and a frequency of the publication are determined based on a subscription request associated with the notification,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information includes a status indicator that indicates at least one of an authorization or a subscription of a communication partner to communicate.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic device is further configured to, if not previously subscribed to Information about the Watcher:

process received information from the Presence Server about a need for subscribing for Watcher Information; and

in response to the received information, provide a Watcher Information subscription request to the Presence Server.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory;

a Presence Source; and

a Presence Server configured to;

receive a subscription request from a Watcher for specific Presence Information, and

send a notification notify the Presence Source that the Watcher wants to watch for the specific Presence Information,

wherein the Presence Source is configured to, in response to the notification from the Presence Server, perform a publication of the specific Presence Information for reception by the Presence Server and transmission therefrom to the Watcher,

receive the specific Presence Information, in response to the sent notification, from the Presence Source via a soft-state publication, and

provide the Watcher with the specific Presence Information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the Presence Server is configured to provide to the Presence Source a notification that the subscription has been deactivated by the Watcher,

wherein the publication publishes attributes of a demand included in the subscription request,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information and a frequency of the publication are determined based on the subscription request,

wherein the information included in the specific Presence Information includes a status indicator that indicates at least one of an authorization or a subscription of a communication partner to communicate,

wherein the Presence Source is configured to, in response to the notification that the subscription has been deactivated, discontinue the publication of the specific Presence Information

wherein, if at least one other Watcher is watching for Presence Information, then the specific Presence Information requested by each Watcher is aggregated into a single document containing all of the Presence Information requested by each Watcher and is provided to the Presence Source.