Real-time notification of presence availability changes

• US 7,395,329 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Scott, David, Patel, Navneet, Holt, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/144,425
• Time in Patent Office: 2,241 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.13, 379/93.01, 709/203, 709/224, 709/270.1, 709/206, 709/226, 710/52, 455/414.1, 702/65, 702/79, 702/62
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for providing presence and availability status information of a first user to a second user. The system includes a presence availability server for storing presence and availability status information of the first user. The presence availability server is configured to detect a change in the presence and availability status of the first user. The presence availability server also informs a notification server of a change in the presence and availability status of the first user. The notification server sends a notification message to a communication device of the second user. The notification message contains current presence and availability status information of the first user. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for providing presence and availability status information of a first user to a second user, comprising:

a presence availability server for storing presence and availability information of a first user, wherein the presence availability server is configured to detect a change in the presence and availability status of the first user; and

a notification server communicating with the presence availability server, the notification server configured to generate a notification message for the second user, wherein the first user designates a group of individuals, including the second user, that are eligible to receive presence and availability status of the first user in notification messages and the group of individuals are provided a code that is to be used in electing to receive the notification messages, the notification message containing current presence and availability status of the first user, wherein the notification server is to be notified by the presence availability server of a change in the presence and availability status of the first user and the notification server is configured to send the notification message to the second user unilaterally based upon the presence status of the first user and not based upon a current network state of the second user, wherein the second user elected to receive presence and availability status of the first status by previously registering with the notification server and providing the code during a registration process as proof that the second user was designated by the first user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification server is further configured to generate the notification message for a communication device of the second user.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a profile database coupled to the notification server, the profile database storing a profile of the second user, wherein the profile of the second user contains notification preferences.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the profile database stores a profile of the first user, wherein the profile of the first user designates the second user as a monitor of the presence and availability status of the first user.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the profile database stores a profile of the first user;

the profile of the first user contains a userID and password of the first user; and

the profile of the second user contains the userID and password of the first user.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification preferences include an email address for the second user.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification preferences include an instant messaging address for the second user.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification preferences include a WAP address for the second user.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the notification preferences include a phone number for the second user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence availability server is configured to detect the presence and availability status of the first user from a communication device of the first user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device of the first user is a mobile telephone.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device of the first user is personal digital assistant.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device of the first user is a paging device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device of the first user is a computer having an instant messaging client.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication network for transmitting presence and availability information from the communication device of the first user to the presence availability server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication network is the internet.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a messaging server communicating with the notification server, wherein;

the notification server sends a notification message to the messaging server; and

the messaging server forwards the notification message to the communication device of the second user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the messaging server is an instant messaging server.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the messaging server is an email server.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the messaging server is a voiceXML server.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the messaging server is a WAP push proxy.

22. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication device of the second user has an instant messaging client program.

23. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication device of the second user has an email client program.

24. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication device of the second user has a WAP client program.

25. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication device of the second user is a PSTN telephone.

26. A system for providing presence and availability status information, comprising:

means for storing presence and availability status information of a first user;

means for detecting a change in the presence and availability status of the first user, wherein the first user designates a group of individuals, including a second user, that are eligible to receive presence and availability status of the first user in notification messages and the group of individuals are provided a code that is to be used in electing to receive the notification messages; and

means for sending a notification message to the second user, wherein the notification message contains the current presence and availability status of the first user and the notification message is sent to the second user unilaterally based upon the presence status of the first user and not based upon an online status of the second user, wherein the second user elected to receive presence and availability status of the first status by previously registering with a notification server and providing the code during a registration process as proof that the second user was designated by the first user.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for storing a profile of the second user, wherein the profile of the second user contains notification preferences.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for storing a profile of the first user, wherein the profile of the first user designates the second user as a monitor of the presence and availability status of the first user.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

means for storing a profile of the first user, wherein;

the profile of the first user contains a userID of the first user; and

the profile of the second user contains the userID of the first user.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the notification preferences include an email address for the second user.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the notification preferences include an instant messaging address for the second user.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the notification preferences include a WAP address for the second user.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the notification preferences include a phone number for the second user.

34. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for providing the presence and availability status of the first user.

35. The system of claim 26, the means for sending comprising:

means for transmitting the notification message to a messaging server via the internet; and

means for forwarding the notification message from the messaging server to a communication device of the second user.

36. The system of claim 35, the means for sending further comprising:

means for converting the notification message into a format that is compatible with the communication device of the second user.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the messaging server is an instant messaging server.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the messaging server is an email server.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the messaging server is a voiceXML server.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the messaging server is a WAP gateway.

41. A method for providing presence and availability status information, comprising:

storing presence and availability status information of a first user, wherein the first user designates a group of individuals, including a second user, that are eligible to receive presence and availability status of the first user in notification messages and the group of individuals are provided a code that is to be used in electing to receive the notification messages;

detecting a change in the presence and availability status of the first user; and

sending a notification message to the second user, wherein the notification message contains the current presence and availability status of the first user and the notification message is sent to the second user unilaterally based upon the presence status of the first user and not based upon an online status of the second user, wherein the second user elected to receive presence and availability status of the first status by previously registering with a notification server and providing the code during a registration process as proof that the second user was designated by the first user.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

storing a profile of the second user, wherein the profile of the second user contains notification preferences.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

storing a profile of the first user, wherein the profile of the first user designates the second user as a monitor of the presence and availability status of the first user.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

storing a profile of the first user, wherein;

the profile of the first user contains a userID of the first user; and

the profile of the second user contains the userID of the first user.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification preferences include an email address for the second user.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification preferences include an instant messaging address for the second user.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification preferences include a WAP address for the second user.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification preferences include a phone number for the second user.

49. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

providing the presence and availability status of the first user.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein sending the notification message further comprises:

converting the notification message into a format that is compatible with a communication device of the second user.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the messaging server is an instant messaging server.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the messaging server is an email server.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the messaging server is a voiceXML server.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the messaging server is a WAP gateway.

55. The method of claim 41, wherein sending the notification message further comprises:

transmitting the notification message to a messaging server via the internet; and

forwarding the notification message from the messaging server to a communication device of the second user.

56. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

determining that the presence and availability status of the first user is being monitored by the second user.