Presence management system
First Claim
1. A multiple access communications network comprisinga presence management system, a watching party and a watched party, said presence management system being for use by the watching party and watched party in said network,the watched party having a watched party identifier and being an automated service configured to determine the availability of goods or services and to transmit to the presence management system, automatically without human intervention, information indicating a change in the availability of the goods or services, the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services being transmitted in response to the change in the availability of the goods or services,the watching party having a watching party identifier and including an output to transmit a notification request to the presence management system, the notification request including a watched party identifier and a request to receive information indicating a change in the availability of goods or services, and an input to receive the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services from the presence management system, said presence management system comprising:
- (i) a first input to receive notification requests from the watching party,(ii) a second input to operate continuously to receive, in real time, information indicating a change in the availability of the goods or services from said watched party;
(iii) a processor arranged to notify said watching party of information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services when information indicative of a change in the availability of the goods or services is received at said second input; and
(iv) a store of profile information, the profile information including the watched party identifier and the watching party identifier and connection criteria for each watched party, said connection criteria being dependent on a state of said watched party and including information relating to the type of connection that the watched party would accept;
(v) an output to send the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services to the watching party; and
said processor being further arranged to determine whether to connect said watching party to said watched party and how to connect said watching party to said watched party on the basis of connection criteria for said watched party and information indicative of said state of said watched party.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A presence management system is described whereby connections between watching parties and watched parties in a multiple access communications network are managed. When the presence management system receives a contact request from a watching party it determines whether the required watched party is available for contact. The system then provides information about this to the watching party who made the request. The presence management system chooses the best mode of communication (e.g. email or fax) taking into account the watched parties preferences and details about the facilities available to the watching party. If, the presence management system informs the watching party that the watched party is unavailable, the watching party is able to set up a monitor. In determining whether the required watched party is available for contact, the presence management system uses stored information about the watched party, information about the required connection (e.g. size and type) and also rules. In addition, information about events from the multiple access network are used e.g. geographical location of watched party mobile phones. Advantageously, watched parties or watching parties are services. For example, a watching party is a conference call service which monitors watched parties and sets up a conference call when the watched parties are available. A watched party may also be a service, such as a ticket agency. Watching parties can set up monitors using the presence management system to be alerted when new tickets are available from the agency.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A multiple access communications network comprising
a presence management system, a watching party and a watched party, said presence management system being for use by the watching party and watched party in said network, the watched party having a watched party identifier and being an automated service configured to determine the availability of goods or services and to transmit to the presence management system, automatically without human intervention, information indicating a change in the availability of the goods or services, the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services being transmitted in response to the change in the availability of the goods or services, the watching party having a watching party identifier and including an output to transmit a notification request to the presence management system, the notification request including a watched party identifier and a request to receive information indicating a change in the availability of goods or services, and an input to receive the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services from the presence management system, said presence management system comprising: -
(i) a first input to receive notification requests from the watching party, (ii) a second input to operate continuously to receive, in real time, information indicating a change in the availability of the goods or services from said watched party; (iii) a processor arranged to notify said watching party of information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services when information indicative of a change in the availability of the goods or services is received at said second input; and (iv) a store of profile information, the profile information including the watched party identifier and the watching party identifier and connection criteria for each watched party, said connection criteria being dependent on a state of said watched party and including information relating to the type of connection that the watched party would accept; (v) an output to send the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services to the watching party; and said processor being further arranged to determine whether to connect said watching party to said watched party and how to connect said watching party to said watched party on the basis of connection criteria for said watched party and information indicative of said state of said watched party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of using an active automated service via a presence management system the method being implemented in a multiple access communications network including said presence management system a watched party and a watching party, said presence management system including a store of profile information, the profile information including the watched party identifier and the watching party identifier and being for use by the watching party and the watched party, said watched party being the active automated service configured to determine the availability of goods or services, and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
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(i) sending a notification request to the presence management system from a watching party in respect of said automated service, the notification request including a watched party identifier and a request to receive information indicating a change in the availability of goods or services; (ii) the watched party transmitting information indicating a change in the availability of the goods or services to the presence management system, automatically without human intervention, the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services being transmitted in response to the change in the availability of the goods or services; (iv) the presence management system receiving the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services from said watched party; (iv) the presence management system notifying said watching party of the change in the availability of the goods or services when the information indicating the change in the availability of the goods or services is received from said watched party.
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Specification