Presence and session handling information

• US 7,983,657 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Staack, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/451,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,854 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 709/205, 709/204, 709/227, 709/224, 709/206, 370/259, 370/271, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• 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

The invention proposes a method for controlling a network comprising the steps of providing presence information to a user, wherein the presence information includes information regarding the presence of at least one other user in a network, and providing session handling information, wherein the session handling information includes information about how a session, which can be initiated to the other user, will be handled. The invention also proposes a corresponding network control device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing presence information to a plurality of users, wherein the presence information includes information regarding the presence of at least one other user in a network, the at least one other user not included among the plurality of users; and

providing session handling information to the plurality of users, wherein the session handling information includes information about how a session, which can be initiated to the at least one other user, will be handled,

wherein during the presence information providing, the presence information is provided individually to each of the plurality of users, and

wherein during the session handling information providing, the session handling information is provided individually to each of the plurality of users so that session handling information for handling a session with the at least one other user is provided differently among the plurality of users, wherein providing the session handling information differently comprises at least one of the plurality of users receiving different session handling information than the session handling information provided to at least one of the other plurality of users.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing is performed before a session to the other user is initiated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the session handling information comprises information regarding forwarding of a session.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the session is a call and the session handling information comprises information regarding forwarding of a call.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information providing comprise accessing a database comprising presence and session handling information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the database is configured in a dedicated server.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the database is an external database.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the external database is a home subscriber server.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the external database is a home location register.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presence information further comprises location information of a user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presence information further comprises information regarding which type of communication is possible with a user.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to provide presence information and session handling information to a plurality of users,

wherein the presence information includes information regarding the presence of at least one other user in a network, and the session handling information includes information about how a session, which can be initiated to the at least one other user, will be handled, the at least one other user not included among the plurality of users,

a presence information provider configured to provide the presence information individually to each of the plurality of users; and

a session information provider configured to provide the session handling information individually to each of the plurality of users, so that session handling information for handling a session with the at least one other user is provided differently among the plurality of users, wherein providing the session handling information differently comprises at least one of the plurality of users receiving different session handling information than the session handling information provided to at least one of the other plurality of users.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the presence information and session handling information before a session to the other user is initiated.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the session handling information comprises information regarding forwarding of a session.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the session is a call and the session handling information comprises information regarding forwarding of a call.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

an information obtainer configured to obtain presence information and session handling information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the information obtainer is configured to access a database comprising presence information and session handling information.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the database is configured in the apparatus.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the database is an external database.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the database is a home subscriber server.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the database is a home location register.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the presence information further comprises location information of a user.

23. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the presence information further comprises information regarding which type of communication is possible with a user.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

presence information providing means for providing presence information to a plurality of users, wherein the presence information includes information regarding the presence of at least one other user in a network, the at least one other user not included among the plurality of users;

session handling information providing means for providing session handling information to the plurality of users, wherein the session handling information includes information about how a session, which can be initiated to the at least one other user, will be handled;

user presence providing means for providing the presence information individually to each of the plurality of users; and

user session providing means for providing the session handling information individually to each of the plurality of users so that session handling information for handling a session with the at least one other user is provided differently among the plurality of users, wherein providing the session handling information differently comprises at least one of the plurality of users receiving different session handling information than the session handling information provided to at least one of the other plurality of users.

25. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program configured to control a processor to perform:

providing presence information to a plurality of users, wherein the presence information includes information regarding the presence of at least one other user in a network, the at least one other user not included among the plurality of users; and

providing session handling information to the plurality of users, wherein the session handling information includes information about how a session, which can be initiated to the at least one other user, will be handled,

wherein during the presence information providing, the presence information is provided individually to each user of the plurality of users, and

wherein during the session handling information providing, the session handling information is provided individually to each of the plurality of users so that session handling information for handling a session with the at least one other user is provided differently among the plurality of users, wherein providing the session handling information differently comprises at least one of the plurality of users receiving different session handling information than the session handling information provided to at least one of the other plurality of users.