METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING APPLICATION LEVEL PRESENCE INFORMATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20080034033A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anuraag
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining and maintaining user presence information include capturing user presence data with an application presence server. The application presence server can be configured to update user presence data as a user initiates or exits an application. Applications associated with user presence data are configured to query an application proxy client concerning user presence data of a selected user and, based on a returned user status, deliver, discard, or redirect a message intended for the user. User presence data is stored in a user presence repository and can be provided via Internet-based or other connections to applications executed on external networks. User activity status can be used to select or update user presence data. In some examples, an application server of an external network is configured to receive user presence data from the presence server.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

a plurality of clients each configured to execute a messaging application, a portion of the plurality of clients being associated with a user;

a presence server configured to store application presence data associated with each of the plurality of clients and the messaging application; and

an application server configured to provide the messaging application to the plurality of clients and for each client, determine application presence data for the messaging application and provide the application presence data associated with the client and messaging application to the presence server,

the application server being further configured upon receipt of a message for the user sent by the messaging application executed by a sending client of the plurality of clients to query the presence server for user application presence data associated with the messaging application and the portion of the plurality of clients associated with the user, use the user application presence data to identify at least one of the clients in the portion to which to provide the message, and provide the message to the at least one of the clients identified.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the clients in the portion of the plurality of clients associated with the user is a mobile client.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to provide application presence data to an external application server.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to provide application presence data to an external presence server.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the presence server is configured to provide application presence data to an external presence server.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the application presence data associated with each client and the messaging application indicates how often or how recently the messaging application was accessed by the client.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein the application presence data associated with each client and the messaging application comprises an indication the client has initiated the messaging application and has not yet terminated the messaging application.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein the at least one client in the portion of the plurality of clients associated with the user is configured to respond to an alert, the application server is configured to send an alert to the at least one client and receive a response therefrom, the application server is configured to send application presence data to the presence server determined as a function of the response received by the application server from the at least one client, and the presence server is configured to store the application presence data in the recipient activity status record associated with the at least one client and the messaging application.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one client in the portion of the plurality of clients associated with the user is configured to send application presence data associated with the at least one client and the messaging application to the presence server without use of the messaging application and the presence server is configured to store the application presence data associated with the at least one client and the messaging application.

13. The network of claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to send application presence data associated with the user and the messaging application to the sending client and the sending client is configured to notify a sending user thereof whether the user is available to receive the message.

14. The network of claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to send application presence data associated with the user and the messaging application to a predetermined portion of the plurality of clients.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the predetermined portion of the plurality of clients are identified by the user.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

16. A network, comprising:

a plurality of clients each configured to execute a plurality of messaging applications;

a presence server configured to store application presence data associated with each of the plurality of clients and each messaging application; and

an application server configured to communicate with the plurality of clients and for each client and each messaging application, determine application presence data based on use of the application by the client and provide the application presence data to the presence server,

the application server being further configured upon receipt of a message having a message type from a sending client of the plurality of clients to evaluate application presence data stored by the presence server associated with a recipient client of the plurality of clients and at least one application executed by the recipient client and configured to receive the message type, and if the evaluation indicates the recipient client is available, provide the message to the recipient client via the at least one application executed by the recipient client and configured to receive the message type.

17. The network of claim 16, wherein the recipient client is configured to send application presence data to the presence server associated with the recipient client and at least one of plurality of messaging applications the recipient client is configured to execute without use of the at least one messaging application and the presence server is configured to store the application presence data associated with the recipient client and the at least one messaging application.

18. The network of claim 16, wherein the application server is configured to send application presence data associated with the recipient client and the selected application to the sending client and the sending client is configured to notify a user thereof whether the recipient client is available to receive the message.

19. The network of claim 16, wherein the application server is configured to send application presence data associated with the recipient client to a predetermined portion of the plurality of clients.

20. The network of claim 16, wherein if the evaluation indicates the recipient client is not available, the application server is configured to reroute the message.

21. The network of claim 16, wherein if the evaluation indicates the recipient client is not available, the application server is configured to discard the message.

22. The network of claim 16, further comprising a network gateway coupled to the application server, wherein the recipient client is a wireless device connected to the network gateway, and the evaluation indicates the recipient client is unavailable when the application presence data stored by the presence server associated the recipient client indicates the recipient client is not executing at least one application configured to receive the message type.