Telephony usage derived presence information

• US 8,644,475 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Consortium US LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoakum, John H., Christie, Samuel H. IV, McKinnon, Steve J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Thjuan K
• Application Number:
  US10/079,237
• Time in Patent Office: 4,367 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.06, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/201.01, 379/207.04, 379/207.05, 379/207.06, 379/207.07, 379/207.12, 379/93.01, 379/211.01, 379/157, 379/201.1, 379/111, 379/112.06, 379/112.07, 370/352, 370/356, 370/912, 455/418, 455/414.1, 709/204, 709/224
• US Class Current: 379/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mechanism for providing state information, which bears on the presence of a telephone user, to a presence system. The state information is derived by monitoring events relating to telephony use. Once derived, the state information is directly or indirectly sent to a presence service, which provides presence information to applications requiring such information about the telephone user. The state information preferably bears on the presence, absence, or availability of the telephone user based on their interaction with a telephony device or function. In one embodiment, a telephony switching system is configured to monitor events associated with a telephony device or function and send messages to a presence service over a packet-switched network when the state of the telephony device or function changes. In another embodiment, an IP telephone system is configured to provide state information to the presence service.

Claims

1. A method for providing state information for a communication device to a presence service comprising:

registering the communication device, the communication device having a presence identification;

receiving usage information regarding the communication device;

generating presence information of the communication device from the presence identification of the communication device and the usage information regarding the communication device;

determining a state of the communication device based on the presence information; and

notifying the presence service of the state of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of registering further comprises sending a registration message including a current state of the communication device and the presence identification to the presence service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication device also has a telephone network identification and further comprising provisioning the telephony device using the telephone network identification to notify the presence service of the state of the telephony device using the presence identification.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying occurs upon a change in the usage information regarding the communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the state of the communication device further comprises identifying an occurrence of an event in association with the communication device over a telephony network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the event is a telephony event defined in a telephony protocol for a public switched telephone network.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the event is a telephony event defined in a telephony protocol for a wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining location indicia bearing on the location of the communication device and notifying the presence service of the location indicia of the communication device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the location indicia is provided to the presence service with the state of the communication device.

10. The method of claim 1 where the communication device is a circuit-switched device and the notifying step further comprises sending a message to the presence service over a packet-switched network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a packet-switched device and the notifying step further comprises sending a message to the presence service over a packet-switched network.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence service provides information relating to the state of the communication, device to an application associated with a user.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifying occurs upon a change in the generated presence information.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifying occurs upon a change in the determined state.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating of the presence information occurs upon a change in the usage information regarding the communication device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the determining a state of the communication device occurs upon a change in the generated presence information.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the notifying, occurs upon a change in the determined state.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the usage information is received from the communication device.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the usage information is received from a node in communication with the communication device.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the state of the communication device is indicative of user presence.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the user presence bears on at least one of presence, absence and availability of the user in relation to the communication device.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating of the presence information comprises identifying an occurrence of an event in association with the communication device over a network.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step occurs at a node in communication with the communication device;

and wherein the generating step is performed by the node.

12. A system for providing state information pertaining to usage of a communication device to a presence service on a packet-switched network comprising:

a) a first interface facilitating communications with the presence service over the packet-switched network;

b) a communication device having a presence identification that correlates to a communication function; and

c) computing logic associated with the first interface and adapted to;

i) register the communication device with the presence service using the presence identification;

ii) receive usage information regarding the communication device;

iii) generate presence information of the communication device from the presence identification of the communication device and the usage information regarding the communication device;

iv) determine a state of usage of the communication device based on the presence information; and

v) notify the presence service of the state of usage of the communication device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the computing logic is further adapted to register the communication device by sending a registration message including a current state of the communication device and the presence identification to the presence service.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the computing logic is further adapted to notify the presence service upon a change in the usage information regarding the communication device.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the computing logic is further adapted to determine the state of the communication device by identifying an occurrence of an event in association with the communication device.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the computing logic is further adapted to determine location indicia bearing on the location of the communication device and notify the presence service of the location indicia of the communication device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the location indicia is provided, to the presence service with the state of the communication device.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein user presence bears on presence, absence, or availability of a user in relation to the communication device.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the presence service provides information relating to the state of the communication device to an application associated with a user.