Updating presence in a wireless communications device

• US 7,697,941 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Griffin, Jeffrey Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/195,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/41.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/404.2, 455/435.1, 455/433, 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A wireless communications device that sends and receives presence status information is configured to detect when it is proximate a predefined zone. A receiver in the wireless communications device receives presence information from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone. The presence information defines a new presence status for the wireless communications device, and may include an indicator associated with the new presence status. Upon receipt of the presence information, a controller in the wireless communications device automatically changes the current presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status, and publishes the changed status to a remote entity. If the new presence status is not defined in memory, the controller may add the new presence status to memory.

Claims

1. A method of updating presence information at a wireless communications device comprising:

detecting a proximity of a wireless communications device to a predefined zone;

receiving presence information at the wireless communications device from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone, the presence information comprising a new zone-defined presence status being assigned to the wireless communications device via the transmitter;

automatically changing a presence status of the wireless communications device to the new zone-defined presence status;

determining, at the wireless communications device, whether the new zone-defined presence status received from the transmitter is defined in memory of the wireless communications device; and

updating the memory of the wireless communications device to include the new zone-defined presence status if the new zone-defined presence status is not defined in the memory of the wireless communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating, at the wireless communications device, a presence update message to include the new zone-defined presence status of the wireless communications device; and

publishing the new zone-defined presence status of the wireless communications device to a remote entity via a wireless communications network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the presence update message comprises an information element that indicates the new zone-defined presence status to the remote entity.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement message to a receiver associated with the predefined zone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a proximity of a wireless communications device to a predefined zone comprises detecting a short-range transceiver associated with the predefined zone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving presence information at the wireless communications device comprises receiving the presence information over a short-range communications link established between the wireless communications device and the short-range transceiver.

7. A wireless communications device comprising:

a proximity transceiver configured to detect a proximity of the wireless communications device to a predefined zone;

a user agent configured to receive presence information from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone, the presence information defining a new zone-defined presence status being assigned to the wireless communications device via the transmitter;

a controller configured to;

automatically change a presence status of the wireless communications device to the new zone-defined presence status; and

update a memory of the wireless communications device to include the new zone-defined presence status if the new zone-defined presence status is not defined in the memory of the wireless communications device.

8. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to generate a presence update message to include the new zone-defined presence status of the wireless communications device.

9. The wireless communications device of claim 8 further comprising a transceiver configured to publish the presence update message to a remote entity via a wireless communications network.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 9 wherein the presence update message comprises an information element that indicates the new zone-defined presence status to the remote entity.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the proximity transceiver is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement message to a receiver associated with the predefined zone responsive to the automatic change in the presence status of the wireless communications device.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically restore the wireless communications device from the new zone-defined presence status to a previous presence status when the wireless communications device is no longer proximate the predefined zone.

13. The wireless communications device of claim 7 wherein the proximity transceiver comprises a short-range transceiver.