Presence information
First Claim
1. A method for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;
maintaining a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes;
associating a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and
transmitting a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node, wherein the transmission of said presence messages comprises transmitting a respective number of presence messages to each of said plurality of contacts over a portion of time, the numbers being determined having relative ratios dependent on the respective presence update priority level for each contact.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, program and user node for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system. The method comprises, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes: maintaining a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from the plurality of user nodes; associating a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and transmitting a presence message to each of a plurality of the contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of the presence messages comprising at least one of: a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node.
25 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;
maintaining a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes; associating a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and transmitting a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node, wherein the transmission of said presence messages comprises transmitting a respective number of presence messages to each of said plurality of contacts over a portion of time, the numbers being determined having relative ratios dependent on the respective presence update priority level for each contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;
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15. A system for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- the system comprising code embodied on a computer-readable hardware medium and being configured so as when executed on a first one or more of the user nodes to;
maintain a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes; estimate a likelihood of communication between a first user node and each respective contact, by determining a count of past communication events involving the respective contact over the communication system; associate a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and transmit a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- the system comprising code embodied on a computer-readable hardware medium and being configured so as when executed on a first one or more of the user nodes to;
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16. A first user node for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- the first user node comprising;
a processing unit configured to maintain a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes, and further configured to associate a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact, wherein the processing unit is configured to estimate the likelihood of communication between the first user node and each respective contact, by determining a count of past communication events involving the respective contact over the communication system; and a transmitter, coupled to the processing unit, and configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit in order to transmit a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- the first user node comprising;
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30. A communication system implemented over a network, the communication system comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- wherein each of the first user nodes comprises;
a processing unit configured to maintain a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes, and further configured to associate a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to an estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and a transmitter, coupled to the processing unit, and configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit in order to transmit a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node, wherein the transmitter is configured to operate in conjunction with the processing unit to transmit a respective number of presence messages to each of said plurality of contacts over a portion of time, the numbers being determined having relative ratios dependent on the respective presence update priority level for each contact.
- wherein each of the first user nodes comprises;
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31. A method for use in a communication system implemented over a network comprising a plurality of user nodes, each being associated with a respective presence status indicating an availability of the user node for communication within the communication system;
- the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;
maintaining a contact list specifying a selection of contacts from said plurality of user nodes; estimating a likelihood of communication between the first user node and each respective contact, by determining a count of past communication events involving the respective contact over the communication system; associating a presence update priority level with each of the contacts, the presence update priority level relating to the estimated likelihood of communication between the first user node and the respective contact; and transmitting a presence message to each of a plurality of said contacts in dependence on the respective presence update priority level, each of said presence messages comprising at least one of;
a request for the presence status of the contact, and a notification of the presence status of the first user node. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
- the method comprising, at each of a first one or more of the user nodes;
Specification