Managing rich presence collections in a single request

• US 8,108,345 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cox, Shaun D., Kutan, Serkan M., Venkateshaiah, Setty
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, SHEREE N
• Application Number:
  US11/278,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 709/202, 709/224
• US Class Current: 707/626
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A method and system for increasing the computational and network efficiency of presence servers having collections of publications is provided. The presence system uses several techniques that enable a presence server to provide rich presence information without requiring expensive processing. First, the presence system accepts batches of publication updates in a single presence update request. Similarly, the presence system accepts batches of subscription requests. Next, the presence system supports new expiration types for publication update requests that eliminate the need for a publishing user to continually refresh presence information that has not changed. Finally, the presence system accepts access lists that contain membership groups rather than an individual list of users that are to have access to a particular presence collection.

Claims

1. A computer system for updating multiple presence publications using a single update publication batch request, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, provide;

a publication store component for storing collections, each collection comprising one or more presence publications, wherein each presence publication includes presence information comprising a user identifier identifying a publishing user and a collection identifier identifying a collection to which the presence publication belongs;

an expire publication component for periodically removing expired publications from the publication store;

a receive update publication component for receiving an update publication batch request, the update publication batch request including at least two publication updates wherein a first publication update comprises different presence information than a second publication update in the update publication batch request, the presence information of the first publication update including at least a first user identifier and a first collection identifier;

an update publications component for updating presence information of the at least two presence publications in the update publication batch request, the update publications component configured to;

(a) receive the update publication batch request from the receive update publication component;

(b) select the first publication update in the update publication batch request;

(c) locate a presence publication in the publication store component corresponding to the first publication update, the presence publication located using the first user identifier and the first collection identifier; and

(d) update the presence publication with the presence information in the first publication update.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein presence information further comprises an instance identifier that identifies an instance of a publication.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the presence information further comprises a value that specifies a new value for the presence information to be published.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the update publication batch request uses the SIP protocol.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein a web service provides modifications to calendar information.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the update publication batch request contains presence publication updates having different attributes.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein one attribute is an expiration policy.

8. A computer system for updating multiple presence subscriptions using a single update subscription batch request, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, provide;

a subscription store component for storing presence subscriptions, wherein each presence subscription includes presence information comprising a user identifier identifying a subscribing user and a category filter identifying one or more categories of publication to be subscribed to;

a receive update subscription request component for receiving an update subscription batch request, the update subscription batch request including at least two subscription updates wherein a first subscription update comprises different presence information than a second subscription update in the update subscription batch request, the presence information for the first subscription update including at least a first user identifier and a first category filter;

an update subscriptions component for updating presence information of the at least two presence subscriptions in the update subscription batch request, wherein the update subscription component is configured to;

(a) receive the update subscription batch request from the receive update subscription component;

(b) select the first subscription update in the update subscription batch request;

(c) locate a presence subscription in the subscription store component corresponding to the first subscription update, the presence subscription located using the first user identifier and the first category filter; and

(d) update the presence subscription with the presence information in the first subscription update.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the subscription updates comprise more than one type identifier for an identified publishing user, and wherein the subscription updates comprise a request for the more than one type of presence information for a publishing user in the update subscription batch request.

10. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the subscription updates further comprise, for each identified publishing user, an unsubscribe type identifier that identifies a type of presence information for the publishing user to unsubscribe from.

11. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the update subscription batch request contains subscription updates for more than one subscribing user.

12. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the update subscription batch request uses the SIP protocol.

13. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the update subscription batch request further comprises a category filter list that identifies types of presence information for which a subscribing user should be notified.

14. A computer system for updating multiple presence memberships using a single update membership batch request, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, provide;

a publication store component for storing presence memberships, wherein each presence membership includes presence information comprising a user identifier identifying a subscribing user and a collection identifier identifying a collection to which the user will be subscribed to;

a receive update membership request component for receiving an update membership batch request, the update membership batch request including at least two membership updates wherein a first membership update comprises different presence information than a second membership update in the update membership batch request, the presence information of the first membership update including at least a first user identifier and a first collection identifier;

an update memberships component for updating presence information of the at least two presence memberships in the update membership batch request, wherein the update membership component is configured to;

(a) receive the update membership batch request from the receive update membership component;

(b) select the first membership update in the update membership batch request;

(c) locate a presence membership in the publication store component corresponding to the first membership update, the presence membership located using the first user identifier and the first collection identifier; and

(d) update the presence membership with the presence information in the first membership update.