Methods and apparatus to provide presence information

• US 9,300,493 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suryanarayana, Lalitha, Grannan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/538,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-226, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249, 709/232, 707501-513, 707/530, 707/535, 370227-235, 370352-360, 715/215, 715735-740, 345170-175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to present presence information are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing information from a monitoring sensor associated with the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method, and sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method.

Claims

1. A method for presenting presence information, the method comprising:

in response to a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing (a) information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment external to a mobile device of the second user, and (b) a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device, the information from the monitoring sensor identifying an external environmental factor that affects a user'"'"'s availability to communicate using at least one of the first communication method and the second communication method; and

sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second communication method is an audio communication method.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first communication method is a text communication method.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring sensor monitors a noise level.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the external environmental factor includes an ambience.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein analyzing the information from the monitoring sensor to determine that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method includes determining that the second user is available for communication when the user indication of availability indicates that the second user is available and the information from the monitoring sensor indicates that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further including:

initiating a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

receiving a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determining that the first communication session is in progress and determining a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, sending a second message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory including machine readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

access a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user;

analyze (a) information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment external to a mobile device of the second user, and (b) a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device, the information from the monitoring sensor identifying an external environmental factor that affects a user'"'"'s availability to communicate using at least one of the first communication method and the second communication method; and

send a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the second communication method is an audio communication method.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first communication method is a text communication method.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the monitoring sensor is to monitor a noise level.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the external environmental factor includes an ambience.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to analyze the information from the monitoring sensor to determine that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method by determining that the second user is available for communication when the user indication of availability indicates that the second user is available and the information from the monitoring sensor indicates that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to:

initiate a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

receive a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determine that the first communication session is in progress and determine a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, send a second message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.

15. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

accessing a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user;

analyzing (a) information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment external to a mobile device of the second user, and (b) a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device, the information from the monitoring sensor identifying an external environmental factor that affects a user'"'"'s availability to communicate using at least one of the first communication method and the second communication method; and

sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method.

16. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the second communication method is an audio communication method.

17. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 16, wherein the first communication method is a text communication method.

18. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the monitoring sensor monitors a noise level.

19. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the external environmental factor includes an ambience.

20. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein analyzing the information from the monitoring sensor to determine that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method includes determining that the second user is available for communication when the user indication of availability indicates that the second user is available and the information from the monitoring sensor indicates that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method.

21. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the method includes:

initiating a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

accessing a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determining that the first communication session is in progress and determining a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, sending a second message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.

22. A method for presenting presence information, the method comprising:

in response to a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment associated with a mobile device of the second user, and a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device;

sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method; and

initiating a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

receiving a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determining that the first communication session is in progress and determining a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, sending a message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing machine readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

in response to a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing\information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment associated with a mobile device of the second user, and\a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device;

sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method; and

initiating a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

receiving a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determining that the first communication session is in progress and determining a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, sending a message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.

24. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

in response to a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing information from a monitoring sensor that is monitoring a physical environment associated with a mobile device of the second user, and a user indication of availability from the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method supported by the mobile device and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method supported by the mobile device;

sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method; and

initiating a first communication session between the first user and the second user using the first communication method;

receiving a second request from a third user for presence information associated with the second user;

in response to the second request, determining that the first communication session is in progress and determining a first priority stored for the first user and a second priority stored for the second user; and

in response to determining that the first priority is lower than the second priority, sending a message to the third user indicating that the second user is available for communication.