System and method for the distribution and use of presence

• US 9,037,647 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Buzescu, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US12/345,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/200, 709/220, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automating the implementing and use of presence information in a network and/or for automatically selecting the most efficient means for sending a message. In an embodiment of the system, presence information is transmitted to a presence server. The presence server then ascertains presence information for the entries in a user'"'"'s network address book after a user'"'"'s device provides presence information about the user to the presence server. This presence information can then used to determine whether a message is to be sent through session based messaging (if presence information indicates that a message recipient is available) or immediate messaging (if the other user is not available or no presence information is available). A system and method is also provided to automatically send the message using an efficient protocol.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic updating of presence information in a communications system, comprising:

receiving updated presence information automatically by a presence server;

determining at least one subscriber of the received presence information by the presence server; and

at least one of;

informing the at least one subscriber about the received updated presence information, and obtaining the updated presence information about the at least one subscriber from the presence server without requiring the entry of additional information,

wherein the determining at least one subscriber includes reviewing information in a network address book associated with the received presence information;

wherein the network address book is stored on a network address book server; and

wherein the presence server receives pre-screened entities for which the presence information is ascertainable and/or desirable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing the presence information by a first device with the network address book before communicating the presence information to the presence server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization occurs via SyncML Data Synchronization (SyncML DS).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information is transmitted via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence server accesses information in the network address book using XML Configuration Access Protocol (XCAP) through XML Data Management Server (XDMS).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering to Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) by a first device before communicating the presence information to the presence server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information is provided by a first device and is updated on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information of the at least one subscriber is updated on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a database of a first device is updated on any changes to the presence information of the at least one subscriber on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received updated presence information automatically is from a first device, wherein the first device is a mobile telephone.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the updated presence information is viewable via a second device associated with the same user as the first device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the updated presence information is viewable via the Internet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein only the presence information of one entity is transmitted to the network address book and the presence server.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address book monitors devices such that only the devices capable of transmitting presence information to the presence serve are communicated with later.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interface is connected to a communications system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a presence user agent interfaces between the user interface and the presence server.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the presence user agent periodically notifies the presence server when the device is still online and/or capable of sending and/or receiving communications.

14. A system for dynamic communication of updating presence information in a communications system, comprising:

a presence server configured to receive updated presence information of an entity;

wherein the presence server automatically receives updated information based on extracted information from a network address book upon request by the presence server without requiring the entry of additional information,

wherein the presence server communicates via a synchronization protocol;

wherein the network address book is stored on a network address book server; and

wherein the presence server receives pre-screened entities for which the presence information is ascertainable and/or desirable.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the presence server provides updated presence information to any authorized entities, the extracted information indicating which entities are authorized.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the updated presence information is viewable via a second device having a same authorization to view presence information as a first device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the presence information provided by a first device is updated on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the presence information of at least one subscriber is updated on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein a database of a first device is updated on any changes to the presence information of at least one subscriber on at least one of:

an immediate basis, periodic interval, intermittent interval, and manual request.

26. The system of claim 14, further comprising a communications device, the communications device configured to transmit updated presence information of an entity to a presence server.

27. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second server, the second server configured to extract information from a network address book and to automatically transmit the updated information.

20. A system for dynamic communication of updating presence information in a communications system, comprising:

a second server, the second server configured to extract information from a network address book and to automatically transmit updated information based on the extracted information upon request by the presence server without requiring the entry of additional information,

wherein the presence information of the at least one subscriber is updated on an intermittent basis;

wherein the network address book is stored on a network address book server; and

wherein the presence server receives pre-screened information for which information is ascertainable and/or desirable.

21. A system for dynamic communication of updating presence information in a communications system, comprising:

a presence server; and

a second server, the second server configured to extract information from a network address book and to automatically transmit updated information based on the extracted information upon request by the presence server without requiring the entry of additional information;

wherein the network address book is stored on a network address book server; and

wherein the network address book server pre-screens the network address book to transmit only information to the presence server for which presence information is ascertainable and/or desirable.