Dynamic presence proxy for call sessions

• US 7,945,035 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Michael, Michelle, Wuerfel, Randy, Blohm, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/377,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,000 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.1, 379/93.01, 379/88.02, 379/201.01, 379/215.01, 379/201.06, 379/67.1, 709/206, 709/205, 709/204, 709/227, 707/4, 455/432.3, 370/349, 726/34
• US Class Current: 379/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a telephone routing system; and a presence database manager unit operably coupled to the routing system and adapted to maintain one or more watcher lists of registered users. The routing system is adapted to receive phone calls and provide an indication to the presence database manager unit whether the phone calls originate from registered users. The presence database manager unit is adapted to determine if such a user has a watcher list and transmit an indication to parties associated with the watcher list that said user is present.

Claims

1. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving a call from a user at a call facility;

providing an identification of the user from the call facility to a presence proxy;

using said presence proxy to monitor a condition of said call facility and for determining a presence of said identified user based on a condition of said call facility resulting from said call when said identified user is not logged in to an associated presence system;

determining if said identified user has a watcher list; and

informing contacts on said watcher list that said identified user is available, said informing including providing an update of the presence status of the identified user when the user is not logged in to the presence system and without requiring the identified user to perform an independent log in to the presence system via a presence service application.

2. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said watcher list comprises a presence system watcher list and said determining a presence occurs without said user logging in to said presence system.

3. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving a call comprises receiving a telephone call for a recipient at a telecommunications router.

17. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said presence system is an instant messaging system.

18. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 17, wherein said providing an update of the presence status of the user occurs on an instant messaging control channel.

19. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising determining if parties are authorized to receive said update of the presence status of the user.

4. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a telephone router configured to receive a call from a user and to provide an identification of the user;

a presence proxy configured to receive said identification from the telephone router; and

a presence system including a presence database manager unit operably coupled to said telephone router and presence proxy and adapted to maintain one or more watcher lists of registered users;

wherein said presence proxy is configured to determine a presence status of the identified user, if the identified user is a registered user, by monitoring a condition of the router based on calls received at the router;

wherein said presence database manager unit is adapted to determine if such an identified user is maintained on a watcher list and transmit an update to parties associated with said watcher list of the presence status of the identified user responsive to a call made by the identified user when the identified user is not logged in to the presence system and without requiring the identified user to perform an independent log in to the presence system via a presence service application.

5. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, further including an instant messaging manager unit.

6. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said telephone router includes a calling number identification unit for determining an identity of a calling party.

7. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said presence database manager unit is adapted to cross-reference an identity of a party received from said calling number identification unit and a list of system users.

8. A telecommunications server comprising:

a telecommunications controller for supervising a presence system and a telephone routing system and monitor a state of said telephone routing system including call status;

wherein said telephone routing system is configured to receive a call from a user and to provide an identification of the user to the presence system;

wherein said telecommunications controller is adapted to transmit presence status update information to registered users about the identified user based on said state when said identified user is not logged in the presence system and without requiring said identified user to perform an independent log in to said presence system via a local presence service application.

9. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 8, wherein said presence system comprises an instant messaging system.

10. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 9, wherein said presence status update information is transmitted via one or more presence control channels.

11. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 10, wherein said telecommunications controller is adapted to determine whether said identified user has a watcher list in said presence system.

12. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 11, wherein said telecommunications controller transmits said presence status update information to parties on said watcher list.

13. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving a call into a telecommunications system;

providing an identification of an associated caller from the telecommunications system to a presence proxy monitoring said telecommunications system;

determining in association with the presence proxy if said call originates from a registered user;

accessing, responsive to said determining, a watcher list associated with said identified user; and

transmitting. updated presence information determined by said presence proxy about said identified registered user to parties associated with said watcher list;

wherein said determining and said transmitting occur when said identified registered user is not logged in to a presence system and without requiring said identified registered user to perform an independent log in to the presence system via a presence service application.

14. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 13, wherein said presence system is an instant messaging system.

15. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said transmitting occurs on an instant messaging control channel.

16. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising determining if parties are authorized to receive said updated presence information.