Network-aware communications

• US 8,224,900 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Dutta, Arijit, Walia, Harpreet Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US12/367,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/223, 370/352, 715/700
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to detect a device connecting to a network, determine the identity of the network, and publish a status indication to at least one of a list of active contacts or a list of inactive contacts. The list of active contacts may be selected from an original list of contacts, based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with a user of the device. The list of inactive contacts may be included in the original list and not included in the list of active contacts. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a device;

at least one of a device driver or an operating system to detect the device connecting to a network, and to determine an identity of the network responsive to the detecting, the identity of the network comprising at least one of a network name, a network type, a network address range name or gateway information associated with the network;

a processor to publish a first status indication associated with a user of the device to one of a list of active contacts and a list of inactive contacts, the processor configured to automatically compose the list of active contacts by selecting at least one contact from an original list of contacts based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with the user, the list of inactive contacts included in the original list and not included in the list of active contacts; and

publishing a second status indication associated with the user of the device to the other one of the list of active contacts or the list of inactive contacts, the first status indication different from the second status indication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a messenger module to receive the active list.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory to store the original list of contacts and the personal rule set.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is to connect to another network while connecting to the network, wherein the processor is configured to assign the at least one contact to the list of inactive contacts for the other network using the personal rule set.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is to connect to another network while connecting to the network, wherein the processor is configured to assign the at least one contact to the list of active contacts for the other network using the personal rule set.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to tag the at least one contact with the identity of the network.

7. A system, comprising:

a first device including at least one of a device driver or an operating system to detect the device connecting to a network and to determine an identity of the network responsive to the detecting, the identity of the network comprising at least one of a network name, a network type, a network address range name or gateway information associated with the network, and a processor to publish a first status indication associated with a user of the first device to one of a list of active contacts and a list of inactive contacts, the processor configured to automatically compose the list of active contacts by selecting at least one contact from an original list of contacts based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with the user, the list of inactive contacts included in the original list and not included in the list of active contacts, the processor to publish a second status indication associated with the user of the first device to the other one of the list of active contacts or the list of inactive contacts, the first status indication different from the second status indication; and

a second device to receive the first status indication from the first device.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a server to store the original list of contacts.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second devices each comprise a messenger module.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting a device connecting to a network;

determining an identity of the network responsive to the detecting, the identity of the network comprising at least one of a network name, a network type, a network address range name or gateway information associated with the network;

publishing a first status indication associated with a user of the device to a list of active contacts, the publishing including automatically composing the list of active contacts by selecting at least one contact from an original list of contacts based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with the user of the device; and

publishing a second status indication associated with the user of the device to a list of inactive contacts, the first status indication different from the second status indication.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

hiding identification of members of a list of inactive contacts included in the original list, and not included in the list of active contacts.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising:

generating at least one of an audio alert or a visual alert when an inactive contact in the original list that is not included in the list of active contacts attempts to establish communication with the device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal rule set comprises:

a set of one or more rules defining a relationship between members of the list of active contacts and the identity of the network as at least one of a named network or a network type.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal rule set comprises:

a set of one or more rules defining a grouping relationship between members of the list of active contacts, the grouping relationship established based on content in fields of an address book.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal rule set comprises:

a set of one or more rules defining a relationship between members of the list of active contacts and tag information.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal rule set comprises:

one or more rules having a hierarchy of precedence.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the network identity comprises an identity of a cellular telephone network.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein network identity comprises a name of a network associated with a range of uniform resource locator addresses.

19. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving attempted communication from an inactive contact in the original list that is not included in the list of active contacts; and

responding to the attempted communication with an automated status message.

20. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving attempted communication from a contact in the original list that is not included in the list of active contacts; and

rejecting the attempted communication.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting a device connecting to a network;

determining an identity of the network responsive to the detecting, the identity of the network comprising at least one of a network name, a network type, a network address range name or gateway information associated with the network;

publishing a first status indication associated with a user of the device to one of a list of active contacts or a list of inactive contacts, the publishing including automatically composing the list of active contacts by selecting at least one contact from an original list of contacts based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with the user of the device, the list of inactive contacts included in the original list and not included in the list of active contacts; and

publishing a second status indication associated with the user of the device to the other one of the list of active contacts or the list of inactive contacts, the first status indication different from the second status indication.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the status indication comprises at least one of off-line, busy, at home, or at work.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first status indication is one of at work or at home, and the second status indication is one of busy or off-line.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the personal rule set comprises:

a set of one or more rules defining a relationship between members of the list of active contacts and grouping information included in an instant messaging address book.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving, at the device a request for emergency services from a contact in the list of inactive contacts; and

publishing an alert message on the device responsive to the request.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving a connection configuration option to determine network change communication operations.