Contact Proximity Notification

• US 20090030999A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bran, Cary A., Kerr, Jim M., Gatzke, Alan D.
• Application Number:
  US11/829,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a contact proximity notification application identifies a contact in a contact list of a user, determines a current proximity between the contact and the user and automatically generates a notification of the current proximity between the contact and the user for automatic communication to the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

identify a contact in a contact list of a user;

determine a current proximity between the contact and the user; and

automatically generate a notification of the current proximity between the contact and the user for automatic communication to the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the notification indicates an approximate distance between the contact and the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processors are operable when executing the instructions to automatically generate the notification according to a set of rules specified by the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rules specify the contact list.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rules specify a maximum proximity between a contact in the contact list and the user for notification.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rules specify whether to automatically generate the notification for communication to the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to download the contact list from a database, an exchange server, or a contacts application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processors are operable when executing the instructions to determine the current proximity according to information from a location appliance server.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processors are operable when executing the instructions to determine the current proximity according to information from a global positioning system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to withhold the notification if the contact has disabled notification of the current proximity between the user and the contact.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current proximity between the contact and the user comprises the contact and the user being currently located on a same floor of a same building.

12. A method comprising:

identifying a contact in a contact list of a user;

determining a current proximity between the contact and the user; and

automatically generating a notification of the current proximity between the contact and the user for automatic communication to the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification indicates an approximate distance between the contact and the user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically generating the notification comprises automatically generating the notification according to a set of rules specified by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the rules specify the contact list.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the rules specify a maximum proximity between a contact in the contact list and the user for notification.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the rules specify whether to automatically generate the notification for communication to the user.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising downloading the contact list from a database, an exchange server, or a contacts application.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the current proximity according to information from a location appliance server.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the current proximity comprises determining the current proximity according to information from a global positioning system.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising withholding the notification if the contact has disabled notification of the current proximity between the user and the contact.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the current proximity between the contact and the user comprises the contact and the user being currently located on a same floor of a same building.

23. A system comprising:

a first endpoint coupled to a network; and

a proximity notification server coupled to the network, the server operable to;

identify a contact in a contact list of a user associated with the first endpoint;

determine a current proximity between the contact and the user;

automatically generate a notification of the current proximity between the contact;

automatically communicate the notification to the user; and

the first endpoint operable to present the notification to the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

a contacts server is coupled to the network and a location server is coupled to the network; and

the proximity notification server is operable to;

receive the contact list from the contacts server to identify the contact; and

receive an indication of current proximity from the location server to determine the current proximity.