Method and apparatus for providing presence information

• US 9,661,092 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wallrust, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wallrust, Inc.
• Inventors: Tamas, Endre, Patvarczki, Jozsef, Kornafeld, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/873,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 4554143, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for a user to send presence information to authorized contacts in her device'"'"'s address book and to receive the presence information of those contacts in her device'"'"'s address book that have authorized her. A user can authorize any contact in her address book. Optionally, a user can only authorize a contact and be authorized by a contact if she is in that contact'"'"'s address book. A local application on the device interacts with and displays the device'"'"'s address book, manages the authorization of contacts, updates the user'"'"'s presence, and receives and displays the presence of contacts. The local application updates the user'"'"'s presence manually, semi-automatically, or automatically. Semi-automatic updates involve synchronizing with the device'"'"'s calendar. Automatic updates may involve the use of location data, the device'"'"'s built-in sensors, and augmented reality.

Claims

1. A client-server system for distributing presence information among a plurality of devices operated by a corresponding user, the system comprising:

(a) a central server operatively connected to a global computer network;

(b) the plurality of devices remote from the central server and operatively connected to the global computer network, each of the devices having access to an address book with at least one contact, and each of the devices having a display on which the address book can be viewed by the user;

(c) a device application with access to the address book and the display, the device application including instructions for carrying out a method for distributing presence information, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) accepting a change in authorization for the contact from the user, verifying that the device is in the contact'"'"'s address book before authorizing the contact, identifying the contact that is authorized as an authorized contact, and notifying the central server of the change in authorization of the contact;

(2) updating the presence information of the device and sending the device presence information to the central server;

(3) receiving contact presence information for authorizing contacts from the central server; and

(4) including the contact presence information when displaying the address book on the display;

(d) a server application running on the central server, the server application including instructions for carrying out a method for distributing presence information among a plurality of devices, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) registering a device with the system as a registered device;

(2) receiving the presence information from the registered device;

(3) determining which of the authorized contacts of the registered device are themselves on a registered device; and

(4) sending the presence information to only those authorized contacts on a registered device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the device application runs on the device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the device application runs on the central server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the address book is on the device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the address book is on a server operatively connected to the global computer network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the device application automatically authorizes a predetermined subset of contacts in the address book.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the subset of contacts in the address book includes all of the contacts in the address book.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the server application further comprises the steps of, after a device is registered, determining if the new registered device has been authorized by a device and, if so, notifying the user of the new registered device that it is an authorized contact.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the server pushes the presence information to the authorized contact.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the server sends the presence information to the authorized contact in response to a query from the authorized contact.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the presence information includes a location of the device.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the presence information includes a message describing a situation of the user.