Methods and systems for providing application level presence information in wireless communication

• US 7,283,805 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anuraag
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/989,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-207, 709/218, 709/219, 709/229, 709225-227, 455/412, 455/414, 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/445, 455461-463, 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/442.1, 455/442.2, 345/758
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining and maintaining user presence information include capturing user presence data with an application presence server. The application presence server can be configured to update user presence data as a user initiates or exits an application. Applications associated with user presence data are configured to query an application proxy client concerning user presence data of a selected user and, based on a returned user status, deliver, discard, or redirect a message intended for the user. User presence data is stored in a user presence repository and can be provided via Internet-based or other connections to applications executed on external networks. User activity status can be used to select or update user presence data. In some examples, an application server of an external network is configured to receive user presence data from the presence server.

Claims

1. A messaging method, comprising:

selecting a message type for a message for delivery to at least one selected recipient;

evaluating application presence data associated with a recipient activity status record for an initiated application associated with the selected message type;

evaluating a timeliness indicator associated with the message; and

processing the message based on the evaluations, the processing comprising determining whether to deliver the message to the selected recipient based at least in part on the timeliness indicator,

wherein the status record is modified as a result of querying to determine if the application has been recently accessed, wherein the message is associated with an event time, and wherein processing the message based on the evaluations further comprises rerouting the message as a result of a determination that the application presence data indicates that the user is not available to receive the message before the event time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from a presence repository.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from an application server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the message to the user if the evaluation indicates that the recipient is available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein rerouting the message comprises discarding the message.

6. The messaging method of claim 1, wherein the selected application is at least one of a chat application and an instant messaging application.

7. The messaging method of claim 1, wherein the recipient activity status record indicates how recently the initiated application has been accessed.

8. The messaging method of claim 7, wherein the recipient activity status record indicates how often the initiated application has been accessed.

9. The messaging method of claim 1, wherein the recipient activity status record indicates how often the initiated application has been accessed.

10. The messaging method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alert to a user and updating the recipient activity status record based on a response to the alert.

11. The messaging method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a time interval, and updating the recipient activity status record based on user access to the initiated application during the time interval.

12. The messaging method of claim 1, wherein the application presence data is contained within a first network and the initiated application is executing on a second network.

13. A messaging method, comprising:

selecting a message type for a message for delivery to at least one selected recipient;

evaluating application presence data associated with a recipient activity status record for an application associated with the selected message type;

evaluating a timeliness indicator associated with the message; and

processing the message based on the evaluations, the processing comprising determining whether to deliver the message to the selected recipient based at least in part on the timeliness indicator, wherein the message is associated with an event time, and wherein processing the message based on the evaluations further comprises rerouting the message as a result of a determination that the application presence data indicates that the user is not available to receive the message before the event time,

wherein the status record is modified without initiating the application.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from a presence repository.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from an application server.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising delivering the message to the user if the evaluation indicates that the recipient is available.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein rerouting the message comprises discarding the message.

18. A messaging method, comprising:

selecting a message type for a message for delivery to at least one selected recipient;

evaluating application presence data associated with a recipient activity status record for an initiated application associated with the selected message type, wherein the presence data comprises an indicator of whether a cell phone associated with the selected recipient is operating in data mode or in voice mode; and

processing the message based on the evaluation, wherein the message is associated with an event time, and wherein processing the message based on the evaluation comprises discarding the message as a result of a determination that the application presence data indicates that the user is not available to receive the message before the event time,

wherein the status record is modified as a result of querying to determine if the application has been recently initiated.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from a presence repository.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising obtaining the application presence data from an application server.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising delivering the message to the user if the evaluation indicates that the recipient is available.

22. A messaging method, comprising:

selecting a message type for a message for delivery to at least one selected recipient;

evaluating application presence data associated with a recipient activity status record for an initiated application associated with the selected message type;

evaluating a timeliness indicator associated with the message; and

processing the message based on the evaluations, the processing comprising determining whether to deliver the message to the selected recipient based at least in part on the timeliness indicator,

wherein the status record is modified as a result of querying to determine if the application has been recently accessed, wherein the message is associated with an event time, and wherein processing the message based on the evaluations further comprises discarding the message as a result of a determination that the application presence data indicates that the user is not available to receive the message before the event time.