Simple technique for detection of physical presence and management of information

• US 8,081,965 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Londhe, Nilesh Vasante
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/657,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/421, 455/432.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/421
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable media that when executed determines and manages presence information and presents the information to a plurality of devices. A determination is made if a presence device is within a range of a detection device. If the presence device is within a detectable range, presence information is prepared. The presence information includes the location of the detection device and the availability of the user of the presence device. Then, the presence device updates a plurality of devices with the presence information.

Claims

1. A method for distributing presence information to a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

determining if a presence device is within a range of a detection device;

when it is determined that the presence device is not within the range of the detection device, storing absence information on the detection device and sending the absence information to a management device, the management device being separate from the detection device;

when it is determined that the presence device is within the range of the detection device;

storing information on the detection device regarding the detection of presence of the presence device;

sending the presence information regarding the detection of presence to the management device;

on the management device, determining an availability status of a user of the presence device and determining a location of the detection device;

on the management device, when it is determined that the user is not available, determining an availability status for the user of the presence device, the determination of the availability status for the user of the presence device comprising the management device detecting whether the user is on a call and the management device checking an electronic calendar to determine the availability status for the user; and

on the management device, storing presence information associated with the presence device, the management device storing presence information for a plurality of presence devices, wherein presence information includes the location of the detection device and the availability status of the user of the presence device; and

providing the presence information to a plurality of devices, the providing of the presence information to the plurality of devices including updating a second detection device to indicate that the user is not located near the second detection device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a change in presence, wherein the change in presence occurs when the presence device moves outside of the range of the detection device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating presence information to reflect the unavailability of the user at the detection device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information is provided to the plurality of devices by the management device in response to receiving an acknowledgment from the detection device that the presence device has been determined to be within range of the detection device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the presence device is within the range of the detection device comprises selecting a unique presence device from multiple presence devices corresponding to an association between the detection device and the unique presence device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating determining if a presence device is within a range of the detection device, determining presence information associated with the presence device, and providing the presence information to a plurality of devices for each presence device within the range of the detection device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the presence information to a plurality of devices further comprises:

providing the presence information to related devices; and

updating public information with the presence information, the public information accessible by a plurality of public devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein updating public information with the presence information includes limited presence information.

9. A presence determination system comprising:

a presence device;

a detection device configured to determine whether the presence device is within a range of the detection device, the detection device storing information regarding whether the presence device is within the range of the detection device; and

a management device configured to maintain presence information corresponding to a location of the detection device and an availability status of a user of the presence device, the management device configured to update a second detection device with the presence information to indicate that the user is not located near the second detection device,

wherein the detection device provides the information regarding whether the presence device is within range of the detection device to the management device, and

wherein, when the user is not available, the management device determines an availability status for the user, the determination of the availability status for the user comprising the management device detecting whether the user is on a call and the management device checking an electronic calendar to determine the availability status for the user.

10. The presence determination system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the management device updates the plurality of devices with the location of the detection device and the availability of the user of the presence device.

11. The presence determination system of claim 9, wherein the presence device is associated with user specific information.

12. The presence determination system of claim 9, wherein the management device comprises multiple servers receiving and transmitting the location of the detection device and the availability of the user of the presence device.

13. The presence determination system recited of claim 9 wherein the detection device is an attachment to a computer.

14. The presence determination system of claim 9, wherein the detection device uses wireless technology to determine whether the presence device is within the range of the detection device.

15. The presence determination system of claim 14, wherein the presence device comprises of an attachment to at least one of a phone, a cellular phone, or a PDA.

16. A computer readable storage medium containing executable instructions on a management device that when executed configures the management device to:

receive a request to locate a user of a presence device;

when the request is received, determine if the user is available;

when it is determined that the user is not available, determine an unavailability status for the user of the presence device, the determination of the unavailability status for the user of the presence device comprising determining whether a first unavailability status, a second unavailability status or a third unavailability status has been described by the user, the first unavailability status being busy, the second unavailability status being in a meeting and the third unavailability status being on a call, the determination of the unavailability status for the user further comprising the management device detecting whether the user is on a call and the management device checking an electronic calendar to determine the availability status for the user;

when it is determined that the user is available, identify a detection device that is associated with the presence device,

wherein the detection device determines if the presence device is within a range of the detection device;

when it is determined that the user is available, update presence information directly on the presence device;

when the presence device is within the range of the detection device, receive data from the detection device indicating that the presence device is within range of the detection device;

after the data is received, determine whether the user is at the location of the presence device;

when data is received from the detection device and when it is determined that the user is not at the location of the presence device, identify related devices;

for each identified related device;

determine if the user is at the location of the related device; and

when it is determined that the user is at the location of the related device, update presence information, wherein the presence information includes the availability of the user and the location of the related device; and

provide the presence information to a plurality of devices, the providing of the presence information to the plurality of devices including updating a second detection device to indicate that the user is not located near the second detection device.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the management device is further configured to receive and maintain availability and location information from a plurality of detection devices.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the management device configured to update presence information is further configured to receive verification information.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the detection device is the related device.