Presence administration method and device

• US 20040003037A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yuki, Okuyama, Satoshi, Fujimoto, Shingo, Ohno, Takashi, Murakami, Masahiko, Iwakawa, Akinori, Kakuta, Jun, Okada, Sumiyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

In a presence system in which one user users a plurality of terminals, dynamically changing buddy lists are synchronized between the terminals. A presence notification message is sent to all the terminals of the user. The timing of sending includes, for example, when the presence information of a buddy is updated, when a new buddy is set, when display attribute information is updated, when a buddy is cancelled, and when a presence notification of unknown presentity is made. Thus, when one user uses a plurality of terminals in the presence system, dynamically changing buddy lists can be synchronized between the terminals. In addition, the display formats of the buddy lists do not differ from one terminal to another, and the same display format is attained.

Claims

1. A presence administration method for use in a presence administration device administrating presence information of a group of users who operate a group of clients, the method comprising:

a presence-administrating step of accepting setting of presence information of the users included in the group of users and administrating the presence information;

a client-storing step of storing identifiers of one or more clients operated by each user among the group of users;

a watcher-storing step of storing watcher lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of watchers to whom a user'"'"'s presence information is distributed,

a buddy list-storing step of storing buddy lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of buddies who are in interest of a user,

a buddy list-updating step of accepting updating of the buddy list of a first user among the group of users from any of the clients operated by the first user, and updating the watcher list stored in the watcher-storing step and the buddy list stored in the buddy list-storing step according to content of the updating; and

a buddy list-synchronizing step of judging whether or not a buddy is added in the buddy list-updating step, and if a buddy has been added, transmitting the presence information of the added buddy and the identifier of the buddy to at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected to the presence administration device.

2. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in the buddy list-synchronizing step, using a command for notifying of the presence information, attribute information related to any user contained in the group of users is transmitted to the clients of the first user that is being connected with the presence administration device.

3. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the buddy list-storing step stores attribute information related to the buddies contained in the buddy list together with the buddies;

the buddy list-updating step further accepts setting of the attribute information related to the buddies contained in the buddy list; and

the buddy list-synchronizing step judges whether or not the attribute information of any buddy has been set, and if the attribute information has been set, transmitting, together with the presence information of the buddy, the identifier of the buddy and the attribute information related to the buddy to all the clients operated by the first user.

4. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first reconnection-detecting step of detecting a reconnection request from any of the clients of the first user, and transmitting the identifiers and the presence information of all the buddies of the first user to the client in response to the reconnection request.

5. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the presence-storing step further stores presence information set time in addition to the presence information of the users;

and

the method further comprises a second reconnection-detecting step of detecting a reconnection request containing the last connected time from any client of the first user, and transmitting, to the client, the identifier and the presence information of a buddy among the buddies of the first user whose presence information has changed after the last connected time.

6. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a log-off storing step of storing log-off time that is the latest time at which one or more clients of each user among the group of users have last been connected to the presence administration device;

a distribution canceling step of deleting the identifier of the first user from the watcher list stored in the watcher-storing step when a predetermined time has elapsed since the log-off time of the first user; and

a watcher re-storing step of judging whether or not the first user has been deleted from the watcher list when any client of the first user connects with the presence administration device, and if it is judged that the first user has been deleted, rewriting the identifier of the first user as the watcher of the presence information of the buddies of the first user into the watcher list.

7. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the watcher re-storing step performs a confirmation, with each buddy, of whether or not the presence information is permitted to be distributed to the first user, and deleting the identifier of a buddy who does not give the permission from the buddy list of the first user.

8. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the identifier of at least one buddy is to be deleted from the buddy list of the first user, and if it is determined to be deleted, at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected is notified of the identifier of the buddy to be deleted and a delete message that is in place of the presence information of the buddy.

9. The presence administration method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the buddy list-synchronizing step, prior to transmitting the presence information of a second user among the group of users to the clients of the first user, judges whether the identifier of the second user is contained in the buddy list of the first user, and if it is not contained, transmits a warning message in addition to the identifier and the presence information of the second user to at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected with the presence administration device.

10. A presence administration device administrating presence information of a group of users who operate a group of clients, comprising:

presence-administrating means for accepting setting of presence information of each user among the group of users and administrating the presence information thereof;

client-storing means for storing identifiers of one or more clients operated by each user among the group of users;

watcher-storing means for storing watcher lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of watchers to whom a user'"'"'s presence information is distributed;

buddy list-storing means for storing buddy lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of buddies who are in interest of a user;

buddy list-updating means for accepting updating of the buddy list of a first user included in the group of users from any of the clients operated by the first user, and updating the watcher list stored in the watcher-storing means and the buddy list stored in the buddy list-storing means according to content of the updating; and

buddy list-synchronizing means for judging whether or not a buddy is added in the buddy list-updating means, and if a buddy has been added, transmitting the presence information of the added buddy and the identifier of the buddy to at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected to the presence administration device.

11. A presence administration computer product for causing to function as:

presence-administrating means for accepting setting of presence information of each user among a group of users and administrating the presence information thereof;

client-storing means for storing identifiers of one or more clients operated by each user among the group of users;

watcher-storing means for storing watcher lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of watchers to whom a user'"'"'s presence information is distributed;

buddy list-storing means for storing buddy lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of buddies who are in interest of a user;

buddy list-updating means for accepting updating of the buddy list of a first user included in the group of users from any of the clients operated by the first user, and updating the watcher list stored in the watcher-storing means and the buddy list stored in the buddy list-storing means according to content of the updating; and

buddy list-synchronizing means for judging whether or not a buddy is added in the buddy list-updating means, and if a buddy has been added, transmitting the presence information of the added buddy and the identifier of the buddy to at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected to the presence administration device.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a presence administration program administrating presence information of a group of users who operate a group of clients, the program executing:

a presence-administrating step of accepting setting of presence information of each user among the group of users and administrating the presence information thereof;

a client-storing step of storing identifiers of one or more clients operated by each user among the group of users;

a watcher-storing step of storing watcher lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of watchers to whom a user'"'"'s presence information is distributed;

a buddy list-storing step of storing buddy lists that are created for each user and that include one or more identifiers of buddies who are in interest of a user;

a buddy list-updating step of accepting updating of the buddy list of a first user included in the group of users from any of the clients operated by the first user, and updating the watcher list stored in the watcher-storing step and the buddy list stored in the buddy list-storing step according to content of the updating; and

a buddy list-synchronizing step of judging whether or not a buddy is added in the buddy list-updating step, and if a buddy has been added, transmitting the presence information of the added buddy and the identifier of the buddy to at least one of the clients of the first user that is being connected to the presence administration device.

13. A presence-referencing method used for a first client operated by a user, the method comprising:

a connecting step of connecting with a computer that administrates presence information of one or more buddies who are in interest of the user;

a buddy list-displaying step of receiving one or more identifiers and the presence information of the buddies from the computer and displaying the presence information of the buddies;

a synchronizing step of, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying step, receiving from the computer the presence information and the identifier of a new buddy of the user that has been set from a second client operated by the user; and

a buddy list-updating step of displaying the presence information of the new buddy.

14. The presence-referencing method as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

the synchronizing step receives attribute information related to the buddies in addition to the presence information and one or more identifiers of the buddies; and

the buddy list-updating step updates a display related to any of the buddies and/or a display related to the presence information thereof based on the attribute information.

15. The presence-referencing method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising

a time-storing step of storing last connection time that is the time at which the client has last communicated with the computer;

and

a buddy list-reacquiring step of, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying step, notifying the computer of the last connection time, and acquiring the identifier and the presence information of at least one of the buddies of the first user whose presence information has changed after the last connection time from the computer.

16. The presence-referencing method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a buddy deleting-step of, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying step, receiving the identifier of a given buddy of the user and a delete message that is in place of the presence information of the one of the buddy from the computer, and erasing the display of the presence information of the buddy.

17. The presence-referencing method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a warning-receiving step of receiving, from the computer, the presence information of a second user who is not the buddies of the user, the identifier of the second user, and a warning message.

18. The presence-referencing method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising a confirming step of, subsequent to the warning-receiving step, confirming with the first user whether or not the second user is to be added as a buddy.

19. A presence-referencing device serving as a first client operated by a user, comprising:

connecting means for connecting with a computer that administrates presence information of one or more buddies who are in interest of the user;

buddy list-displaying means for receiving one or more identifiers and the presence information of the buddies from the computer and displaying the presence information of the buddies;

synchronizing means for, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying means, receiving from the computer the presence information and the identifier of a new buddy of the user that has been set by a second client operated by the user; and

buddy list-updating means for displaying the presence information of the new buddy.

20. A presence-referencing computer product for causing a computer that is a first client operated by a user to function as:

connecting means for connecting with a computer that administrates presence information of one or more buddies who are in interest of the user;

buddy list-displaying means for receiving one or more identifiers and the presence information of the buddies from the computer and displaying the presence information of the buddies;

synchronizing means for, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying means, receiving from the computer the presence information and the identifier of a new buddy of the user that has been set by a second client operated by the user; and

buddy list-updating means for displaying the presence information of the new buddy.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a presence-referencing program used in a first client operated by a user, the program executing:

a connecting step of connecting with a computer that administrates presence information of one or more buddies who are in interest of the user;

a buddy list-displaying step of receiving one or more identifiers and the presence information of the buddies from the computer and displaying the presence information of the buddies;

a synchronizing step of, subsequent to the buddy list-displaying step, receiving from the computer the presence information and the identifier of a new buddy of the user that has been set by a second client operated by the user; and

a buddy list-updating step of displaying the presence information of the new buddy.

22. A presence-referencing method used in a first client operated by a user, the method comprising:

a connecting step of connecting with a computer that administrates the presence information of one or more buddies who are in interest of the user; and

a buddy list-setting step of accepting specifying of one or more identifiers of the buddies and/or setting of the attribute information related to the buddies, and transmitting the identifiers and the attribute information of the buddies to the computer.