Resource list management system

• US 8,166,110 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Application Number:
  US12/894,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 715751-759
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system for providing group accessibility is provided. An example method includes storing a profile associated with a user in a database; maintaining a service group including a plurality of service representatives in the database; and in response to a session between the user and a first one of the service representatives: adding, with a processor, the service group to the profile associated with the user; and associating a rule with the profile to cause the service group to be indicated to the user as present on a network only when the first service representative is present on the network.

Claims

1. A method to indicate presence of a group to a user, the method comprising:

storing a profile associated with a user in a database;

maintaining a service group including a plurality of service representatives in the database; and

in response to a session between the user and a first one of the service representatives;

adding, with a processor, the service group to the profile associated with the user; and

associating a rule with the profile to cause the service group to be indicated to the user as present on a network only when the first service representative is present on the network.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising executing the rule in response to receiving a request related to the service group from the user.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first service representative is considered present on the network when a device associated with the first service representative is logged into a universal server associated with the network.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the rule is associated with the profile via an administrative application which is accessible to users associated with an adequate class of service marker.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising limiting a capability of the user to communicate with service representatives other than the first service representative.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the session comprises a chat session held over the network via a messaging service.

7. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a signal, the storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to a session between a user and a first service representative in a group of service representatives;

add the service group to a profile associated with the user; and

associate a rule associated with the profile to cause the service group to be indicated as present on a network to the user if when the first service representative is present on the network, but to not cause the service group to be indicated as present if the first service representative is not present on the network even if another representative in the group is present on the network.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to execute the rule in response to receiving a request related to the service group from the user.

9. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the first service representative is considered present on the network when a device associated with the first service representative is logged into a universal server associated with the network.

10. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the rule to be associated with the profile in response to an input received via an administrative application which is accessible to users associated with an acceptable class of service marker.

11. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to limit a capability of the user to communicate with service representatives other than the first service representative.

12. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the session comprises a chat session held over the network via a messaging service.

13. An apparatus to indicate presence of a group to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a database to store a profile associated with a user;

a group management system to enable creation of a service group including a plurality of service representatives to be stored in the database; and

a service manager to, in response to a session between the user and a first one of the service representatives;

add the service group to the profile associated with the user; and

set a rule associated with the user in the database to define the service group to be indicated as present on a network to the user only when the first service representative is present on the network.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the service manager is to execute the rule in response to receiving a request related to the service group from the user.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the first service representative is considered present on the network when a device associated with the first service representative is logged into a universal server associated with the network.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising an administrative application to set the rule, the administrative application being accessible to users associated with an adequate class of service marker.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the session comprises a chat session held over the network via a messaging service.