Aggregates in a presence management system

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field of invention] The present invention relates to a presence management system used in a multiple access communication network, and is particularly limited to, but is not limited to, an existence management system used by aggregates of users. [0002]

[Conventional technology] Today's telecommunications users are faced with increasing choices about how to communicate. A typical user has several different types of communication terminals such as mobile phones, faximill devices, personal computers, laptop computers. Also, a typical user has one or more given forms of a communication terminal, such as one or more email accounts or home and business telephone numbers. This creates complexity and confusion for both the sender and receiver of the communication. [0003]

Recipients of communications need to work wisely to deal with all incoming communications, and such users are disturbed by phone calls and interrupts by alerts such as instant messages. I often feel that. [0004]

In general, the recipient of a communication has no control over what the time and mode of the received communication is. In face-to-face communication, people can control the degree of interaction they allow with respect to a particular person or group. However, in today's communication networks, there is no degree or patience of electronically intervening communication suppression. For example, telephone numbers are public (in the phone book) and will be issued upon request to those who explicitly inquire and know the full address. Also, once a phone number is open to others, it remains valid until it is very inconvenient and costly to change. Similar issues apply to email addresses. This means that it is easier for salesmen, nuisance callers, etc. to contact you more than necessary. To prevent this problem, it is possible not to provide a phone number and email address, but this has the disadvantage of isolating the "owner" of that phone number and email address. It ends up. [0005]

The sender of a communication also experiences problems due to the fact that it is often unclear between the two which mode to use at a given time for a particular destination. There are many things to consider when deciding on the most appropriate access method. These include things to do with the sender, such as trying to communicate, and things to do with the receiver, such as where the intended recipient is and what they are doing at that time. Describe two examples of immediate message services: [Microsoft® Network (MSN) Management Services] MSN Management Service is an instant message service used on the Internet. The user can confirm that the other person (the other person) is online and can send and receive an immediate message. By ensuring that others are online, it is possible to send an immediate message to each of the other onlines, or to communicate with each of several other onlines at once. Thus, communications and messages are more "real time" than traditional email, and traditional ones, for example, during some time before an email message is accessed, of each person. It's just left in your email box. This service allows users to verify that others have typed on their computer terminal keyboard in an Internet conversation. That is, instant messaging services can be used to "talk" with one or more people at a time, similar to an online chat session. A user can control which others can see or "see" when the user is online and send a message to the user. It is also possible to control who is possible. In this way, MSN services are different from traditional online chat programs. Automatic notification of message receipt is also provided. However, immediate messages in the MSN Message Service have a tentative nature. Unless the user intentionally saves these messages, they will be lost if the message service is shut down. This is in contrast to traditional email messages in many email systems that remain until the user actively erases them. Information about the MSN messaging service is available on the Internet at http://messenger.man.com. [0006]

[ICQ (I look for you)] ICQ is an instant messaging service for Internet users. This is a program that allows the user to confirm who is online and notifies the user when each designated person logs on to the ICQ service. This eliminates the need for a roster search that takes place every time a user wants to communicate with a particular person. [0007]

Using ICQ, messages, files and web pages will be sent to other ICQ online users in real time, and ICQ will also support chat, voice, message boards, conference data and internet games. To do. When a new user installs ICQ, he or she will be prompted to register with a server that is connected to the extensive network of other services that use the Internet. During the registration process, the user will be able to receive a unique ICQ identification number and enter personal information. When a registered user logs on to the Internet, the ICQ system detects it and allows other ICQ users to recognize that the user has logged on. Registered users can collect a list of friends and related parties (these friends and related parties must also be registered with ICQ or compatible immediate messaging services), and the ICQ system will , Determine that each of these people is logged on to the Internet. An informative message is sent to the user informing him or her that friends and members of the party list have started or terminated communication with the ICQ system. Users can also limit who comes into contact with them and hide their presence on the Internet if needed. Information about ICQ is given on the internet at http://www.icq.com. [0008]

Some immediate message services have a so-called "buddy list", which is a user list of immediate message services selected as more interested by each user. Each user is notified whether members of the "companion list" are currently using it and whether they can respond to contact through the immediate message service. Such a companion list is essentially an attribute of the owner user, has no voluntary state in the immediate message system, and plays only a passive role here. [0009]

Instant messaging systems such as America Online's Instant Messenger provide a wide range of similar capabilities to ICQ. [0010]

Known instant messaging systems such as MSN and ICQ do not handle multiple access communication networks and are only Internet compliant. The disadvantage of this is that the functionality of the immediate messaging system is only available via the Internet. [0011]

Integrated messaging systems such as Nortel Network's own product, CALL PILOT , are known. This allows fax, email and voice email messages to be received through a single "in box", allowing users to reach them only with certain messages. It is possible to set the filter to be used. For example, users can use their mobile phone to listen to text email messages that are automatically converted to voice and filter out non-immediate messages. However, this is not an existence management system and does not monitor user activity in the communication network. [0012]

Products that function as communication networks that comply with "secretaries" that call users are available. For example, WILD FIRE manufactured by Wildfire Communications Inc. and PORTICO manufactured by General Magic Inc. Wildfire products utilize voice recognition to help users manage their phone, fax and email communications. This product is going out It is possible to dial call), notify the caller using the played voice recording, record the contact details, and deliver the incoming call to any phone designated by the user. However, this system is not an existence management system because it does not acquire and manage information about user activity and does not monitor their "presence" in telecommunications networks. Also, this is not an immediate message system and does not allow users trying to contact other users to obtain information in the best possible format and at the best time to do so. More information on Wildfire products is available on the Internet at www.wildfire.com. More information about PORTICO is available on the internet at www.generalmagic.com. PORTICO is similar to WILD FIRE and is restricted to the same items as PORTICO. [0013]

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an existence management system that overcomes or at least alleviates one or more of the above problems. [0014]

[Outline of Invention] According to the present invention, an existence management system used in a multiple access communication network by a watcher and a watcher: (i) The first input formed to receive notification requests from those who monitor during use, where each notification request relates to the person being monitored and at least one of them consists of multiple individuals. First input; (ii) A second input configured to receive information about events occurring within the multiplex access communication network; and (iii) When information about an event related to a particular watched person is received, the watcher who made the notification request for that particular watched person is provided to be notified about the event. Processor; An existence management system characterized by being composed of is provided. [0015]

A corresponding computer program stored on a computer-readable medium is provided, which is adapted to control the presence management system, which is accessed multiple times by the watcher and the watcher. Used within a communication network, the computer program is formed to control the existence management system: (i) Notification requests are received from the observer, each notification request is associated with the monitored person and at least one of them consists of multiple individuals; (ii) Information about events occurring within the multiplex access communication network is received; and (iii) When information about an event related to a particular watched person is received, the watcher who made the notification request for that particular watched person is notified of the event. [0016]

A multiplex access communication network consisting of an existence management system is provided and used by those who monitor and those who are monitored, said existence management system: (i) The first input formed to receive notification requests from those who monitor during use, where each notification request relates to the person being monitored and at least one of them consists of multiple individuals. First input; (ii) A second input configured to receive information about events occurring within the multiplex access communication network; (iii) When information about an event related to a particular watched person is received, the watcher who made the notification request for that particular watched person is provided to be notified about the event. Processor; consists of. [0017]

A method of operating an existence management system used in a multiple access communication network is provided, the existence management system being used by a watcher and a watcher, at least one of whom consists of multiple individuals. (i) Steps to receive notification requests from the person being monitored during use, where each notification request is relevant to the person being monitored; (ii) The step of receiving information about an event occurring within the multiplex access communication network, where the event relates to the monitored person; and (iii) When information about an event related to a particular watched person is received, the step of notifying the watcher who made the notification request for that particular watched person about the event; .. [0018]

The advantage this provides is that it provides an existence management system that utilizes a person to be monitored or a group or aggregate of people to be monitored. This enhances and extends the flexibility and functionality of the presence management system. For example, a group of people who are all interested in a particular topic form a group of people to be monitored so that they are notified of all appropriate events monitored by the existence management system. Also, the aggregate can be formed, for example, when setting up a conference telephone. Potential conference participants form an aggregate and are subsequently monitored by the conference telephone service as a watcher. Once the appropriate time is confirmed, the conference phone is set up; its aggregate is used to simplify the confirmation and setup process. [0019]

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will be further clarified by taking into account the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. [0020]

[Detailed description of the invention] Examples of the present invention will be described below only as examples. These examples represent forms suitable for the practical application of the present invention and are currently known to the inventor, although not the only achievable method. [0021] [0021]

"Multiple access communication The term "network)" is used to refer to a communication network that consists of several different types of communication networks and can be accessed using multiple different types of terminals that are part of the communication network. used. The communication network can be accessed by such a plurality of terminals at once. For example, a public switched telephone network connected to a mobile telephone network is a multiple access communication network. The reason is that the entire network consists of two different types of communication networks, and the entire network is accessed using many different types such as existing telephone handset, faximill device, mobile phone or modem. Because it is possible. A multiple access communication network can be considered as a "federated" network, and the communication network elements within the multiple access communication network are disconnected networks (eg, the Internet) or connected networks (eg, public exchange). It can be a telephone network). [0022]

The term "access communication network" is used to refer to a communication network that is located at or around the edge of a core communication network, through which users access the core communication network. .. [0023]

The term "presence management system" is used to refer to an automated system used in a telecommunications network that provides users of that telecommunications network with a single point of existence. The location is a source of information about whether or not a user is capable of contacting a communication network, and it is preferred that the user be found on that network and that the user be contacted in that form. Existence management systems provide a single location, regardless of whether the user has one or more terminals accessing the communication network, in different ways and by different access communication networks. Existence management systems provide not only raw existence information, but also contextual information. Raw existence information is unprocessed information about a user's responsiveness, location and capabilities in a communication network. Existence management systems process raw existence information according to rules or pre-specified criteria for users and provide background information that is easy and easy for human operators to understand. [0024]

FIG. 1 shows an existence management system 10 connected to the multiple access communication network 11. A plurality of watchers 12 and a plurality of watchers 13 are also connected to the multiple access communication network 11. In FIG. 1, each of the observers 12 and each of the observers 13 is shown to have a single connection to the multiplex access communication network 11. However, the monitored person 13 can also be someone who can access the multiplex access communication network through a mobile phone, a laptop computer and through two different personal computers. Similarly, the observer may have one or more connections to a multiplex access communication network. [0025]

Each of the monitored persons 13 is registered in the existence management system 10 and given a unique existence management identifier. During the registration process, each of the monitored persons 13 enters personal information, which is recorded in the vault 14 of the existence management system 10. For example, this information includes the email address, telephone number and other contact information of the person being monitored. Background information also includes information as if the person being monitored is a domestic worker or a wandering salesman. Details of the observer's preferences are also recorded, which is like which communication mode is preferred at what time, for example, email is always acceptable, but phone calls are only during working hours. May be preferable. Some of this information is stored in form 15 of the rules within the existence management system. Some rules are preformed default rules, others are entered by the watcher. However, it is not mandatory to store this information in the form of Rule 15. Any form of this information can be used. [0026]

The first input 16 is supplied from the multiple access communication network 11 to the existence management system 10. This input 16 is called an event input and is provided in the form of an event gateway (detailed below). Through this first input 16, information about an event that has occurred in the multiple access communication network is provided to the existence management system 10. In this way, the event related to the monitored person 13, for example, the event that the monitored person logs on to the Internet is accessed by the existence management system 10. Other examples of events include the movement of a monitored person between cells in a cellular communication network, a remote login event, or keyboard operation by a monitored person on an Internet terminal. [0027]

If the observer 12 requests that the observer 13 be contacted, the observer 12 sends a contact request to the existence management system 10. The contact request reaches the existence management system through a second input 17, which is called a connection suction input. These requests are received through protocols such as ICQ, IMPP (Immediate Message and Existence Protocol) or WAP (Wireless Access Protocol ). In making this request, the observer does not need to know the details of the observer's direct contact information; the existence management system identifier for the observer is used. [0028]

The observer 12 can also make a notification request with respect to the observer and optionally with respect to a particular event. In this case, rather than requesting to establish contact with the monitored person, the watcher 12 requires notification in the event of a particular form of event. When users enter details of their preferences into the existence management system, these may include notification preferences. That is, the idea of when, how, and under what circumstances notifications should be provided or allowed. [0029]

When the existence management system receives the contact request, it is determined whether the requested monitored person is able to respond to the contact, and information about this is provided to the monitoring person who made the request. For example, an existence management system can respond by providing specific contact details about a monitored person, such as a telephone number. In doing so, the presence management system considers the observer's preferences and the observer's identity as described by the rules, and the best form of communication (eg, cellular phone, email or fax). Select. Alternatively, the existence management system notifies the monitoring person that the monitored person is not available. [0030]

The observer can set up a monitor through which the existence management system notifies the observer when the person being monitored becomes available. That is, when the state change of the monitored person occurs, the existence management system sends a notification about the state change to the monitoring person who is interested in the monitored person. [0031]

When determining whether the requested monitored person is available for contact, the existence management system may include stored information about the monitored person 14, information about the requested connection (eg, for example). Size and format), and rule 15. In addition, information about events from the multiplex access communication network 11 is also used. For example, a request is made to send an immediate message at 10pm. If the person being monitored is not online, but the rules stipulate that no immediate message should be received after 9pm, the existence management system rejects the request. However, the observer can set the preference to allow the family to send an immediate message at any time. [0032]

The existence management system allows the observer to send messages and communications to the observer, even if the observer does not "exist" or is unresponsive to the communication network. To do. For example, if the monitored person is not logged on to the Internet, he or she may have the presence management system forward email messages and faxes. In this way, the existence management system is different from the immediate message system. [0033]

[service] One or more monitored persons 13 can be services (service providers), and similarly, one or more monitored persons 12 can be services. .. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the observer could be the conference telephone service 20. [0034]

The term "service" is used to refer to an automated service that can operate without human intervention. For example, a computerized movie ticket service. By allowing the observer or the observer to be such a service, the user of the existence management system is notified of the status or availability of the goods or services without the intervention of a human operator. It will be possible to receive. [0035]

With reference to FIG. 2, the conference telephone service 20 is capable of sending a connection request to the presence management system in a format similar to what other observers 12 as described above could do. If the conference phone service requires setting up a conference phone between three or more monitored persons, it exists to be notified in the event of a change of state of the requested monitored person. Apply for the management system. The existence management system 10 notifies the observer, which is the conference telephone service 20 in the present example, when each of the requested monitored persons 13 becomes available. In this way, the conference telephone service 20 can set the conference telephone when the necessary monitored person can handle it. [0036]

However, if the state change of the monitored person occurs after a conference call attempt, the information about the availability from the existence management system is effectively "real" so that the person does not participate in the conference call. "Time". In one example, the conference telephone service advantageously forms the required watchers into groups or aggregates as detailed below. A conference call is then attempted when the availability notification is given to a predetermined number of group members or to a quorum of group members. [0037]

Observer 13 records preferences and rules for services such as conference telephone service 20, which are taken into account by the existence management system in responding to requests by conference telephone service 20. Be done. Similarly, for other services that are the observer 12, the observer's preferences, information and rules are taken into account. [0038]

Those who are monitored can also be services. For example, FIG. 3 shows the ticket handling service 30, which is the monitored person. For any other monitored person 13, the monitored person, who is a service, can store information 14 and rule 15 in the existence management system 10 and register it in the system 10. The observer sends a connection or notification request to the existence management system 10 for the ticket handling service. The notification request includes additional information in addition to a simple request for notifying a state change in the ticket handling service. For example, a notification request can be a request to be notified about a particular form of concert ticket. Many such various requests by various observers 12 are made by the existence management system 10. After that, when a ticket for a particular concert becomes available, the ticket handling service 30 provides information about it to the existence management system. This information is provided to the existence management system by a contract between the ticket handling service provider and the existence management system provider. The ticket event itself that has become available is an example of a "partially interpreted event trigger" detailed below. The presence management system can send a notification to each of the interested observers and notify them that the ticket is available. [0039]

Other examples of services that can be monitored include news services, sports scoring services and stock trading services. Any form of service that requires a member or subscriber to be notified of a change can be the person being monitored. [0040]

Other examples of services that can be watchers include security services and fraud detection services. Another example is a service that notifies the user of the nearest car parking lot available. It uses information about the geographic location of the monitored person from the existence management system. Any suitable form of service that needs to obtain information about the activity and communication status of the person being monitored can be the person being monitored. Other examples include sales contact services that initiate contact when the monitored person is available and highly expected to accept. [0041]

[Aggregation] The person being monitored can also be a collection or group of people being monitored. Similarly, the watcher can be a collection of watchers. For example, FIG. 4 shows the situation regarding the group 40 of the monitored persons and the group 41 of the monitored persons. A group of monitored persons can, in an advantageous way, be formed for a number of reasons. For example, several monitored persons with common interests, such as friends, form an aggregate, allowing the observer to monitor the existence of the aggregate of friends as a whole. This is useful for setting up meetings within members of a group of friends. In another example, a union of contractors within a given geographic area forms a group of monitored persons so that they can be easily contacted as a group rather than individually. Further examples include sales departments with multiple operators making calls (which can be telephone calls, email messages and other well-formed calls). An aggregate of operators is formed, and the observer requesting contact with the aggregate is assigned to the first available operator using appropriate means of communication. Another example is a routing application that requires a purchase requisition to be signed by two people in an authorized signer group. By utilizing a collection of authoritative signers, the approval request is directed towards the most appropriate signer combination, taking into account matters such as the presence or absence of the signer in the office and the current activity of the signer. Be done. There are many similar reasons why groups of observers can be created. [0042]

Aggregates differ from "companion lists" in some respects (Buddy lists are described in the prior art described above). Aggregates have an "autonomous state" of the existence management system 10 and are capable of taking action for themselves, which is not the case with peer lists. That is. By forming an aggregate with a voluntary state, it is possible to ensure that the aggregate is used in any form that can be used by the observer or the observer. However, the companion list is only used for a limited number of pre-specified features. [0043]

It is possible to assign an owner to each of the aggregates in order to manage the members and existence of the aggregates. This owner can be a member of the aggregate, but this is not mandatory and the owner can simply modify or dissolve the aggregate. In this way, the members and existence of the aggregate are controlled. However, it is also possible to utilize other control mechanisms that do not include the observer or the owner who is the observer. For example, it is possible to perform this function in accordance with the rules in the existence management system. [0044]

Aggregates can be formed by individual observers or observers who come into contact with and form groups with others. Alternatively, the aggregate can be dynamically formed, for example, by an application or service relating to a particular task. In the case of the conference telephone service described above, this service can form a collection of all monitored persons (or those who make conference telephones) who are necessary members of the conference telephone. .. The conference telephone service monitors the status of the aggregate, for example, until 80% of the members of the aggregate are available for conference telephones. A conference call is then set up and initiated by the owner of the aggregate (for example). Once the call is set, the aggregate is destroyed or maintained until the call ends, allowing late arrivals to enter the ongoing call. [0045]

Aggregates are capable of interacting with the existence management system 10 as well as the watcher 13 or watcher 12 described above, except that the "quorum" condition is used. For example, when the monitored person is an aggregate, when should the existence management system notify the observer that a state change has occurred in the aggregate? 50% of the aggregate members are in the state. Should it be done when the state is changed, or when all the members have changed the state? Such matters are necessary for the whole aggregate to change the state prior to changing the state. It is solved by setting a threshold, that is, a "fixed number of legs" condition for the members of various aggregate members. Similarly, when the observer is an aggregate, the "quorum" condition is used to determine what to do with respect to the request made by the observer. For example, when a request should be made and what is the request? A person being monitored or a person being monitored can be a member of one or more aggregates. [0046]

[Anonymity] In another example, the presence management system 10 provides the monitored person with a connection address. This connection address can be either the direct address of the monitored person, or an indirect or forwarding address. This makes it possible to manage the anonymity of the monitored person in certain situations. For example, an address can be given to the observer or used by the existence management system 10 to forward connection requests from the observer to the monitored person. In the latter case, the observer cannot find out what the observer's connection address is. [0047]

This offers four possibilities. The existence management system 10 can be provided to the person who monitors the direct connection address. For example, this is desirable for those designated by the family and observers. In the second case, the existence management system 10 can provide an indirect connection address to the monitored person. In this case, the monitored person transmits the communication content to a forwarding address such as a PO Box or something similar, and transfers the communication content to the monitored person. This means that the observer does not access the observer's direct connection address. In the third case, the existence management system 10 itself transfers the communication content from the person who monitors to the person who is monitored. Again, in this case, the observer does not access the observer's direct connection address. Finally, in the fourth case, the existence management system 10 transfers the communication content from the observer to a forwarding address such as a PO Box or something similar. The person who monitors again does not access the direct connection address of the person being monitored, but the existence management system 10 itself does not "know" the direct address. [0048]

The observer can store criteria 14 and rule 15 in the existence management system 10 and use them to determine the method and format of the connection address provided. [0049]

In one example, an existence management system can provide an indirect connection address to a watcher who is capable of performing only a limited number of actions. The advantage this provides is that the monitored person may, for example, receive a call from a salesperson, but may limit the number of times the salesperson can be contacted. In this way, the monitored person can control the degree of interaction with a particular monitored person. Similarly, an existence management system may be formed to forward connection requests from observers only for a predetermined limited period of time. It is also possible to combine these two situations by providing an indirect connection address to the observer who can only perform a limited number of operations within a limited period of time. For example, a connection address that can be used up to four times a week can be issued. [0050]

In another example, the presence management system provides the indirect connection address to the observer, which is valid only for a limited number of call or connection attempts. Further criteria can be used by limiting the effectiveness for a given number of good calls, ending the validity if a bad call is made, and so on. An existence management system may also be formed to forward connection requests from a watcher only for a predetermined limited number of calls or connection attempts. [0051]

[Partial Interpretation Event Trigger] The functionality of the existence management system 10 is extended by using so-called "partial interpretation event triggers". These consist of non-communication related events provided by third party services and occur outside the multiplex access communication network. Information about these events is provided to the existence management system 10 through event input or gateway 16. [0052]

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing how the partial interpretation event trigger is used. A third-party service 902, such as a hotel booking system or an air check-in system, is provided, and the operator of this system 902 inputs a business relevance 905 for the provider of the presence management system 900. The monitored person 903 applies for subscription to the existence management system 900 by the method described above in order to enjoy the benefits from the existence management system service. When this monitored person 903 makes an accommodation procedure at a hotel using the hotel reservation service 902, information regarding the accommodation procedure event is managed by the pre-arrangement 905 between the hotel reservation service 902 and the existence management system 900. Provided to System 900. Check-in events are referred to as "partial interpretation event triggers" and are provided to the existence management system 10 through event gateways in multiple access communication networks (not shown). [0053]

When the monitored person 903 applies to join the existence management system 900, the monitored person 903 makes a check-in event from a third party hotel reservation (or other) service available to the existence management system. It is possible to specify whether or not it should be. Alternatively, when using the external service 902, the monitored person can specify whether or not the partial interpretation event trigger from the service 902 should be supplied to the existence management system. [0054]

The external service 902 itself may include forms of human input and non-automation, but some of the external services 902 that provide partial interpretation event triggers to the event gateway 904 are automated. [0055]

Partial interpretation event trigger information is very useful because it is up-to-date and accurate. The response to the observer's request is improved as a result of utilizing the partial interpretation event trigger information. Thus, the use of partial interpretation event triggers contributes to the abundance and accuracy of the information provided by the existence management system 10. The presence management system effectively models the presence of the monitored person for multiple access communication networks and partial interpretation event trigger information. [0056]

One problem is that when an existence management system gives an inaccurate response to an observer, the consequences are often severe. For example, if a commercial contract fails due to a communication failure between individuals, the user's credibility in the existence management system is rapidly damaged. In general, this causes the user to stop using the existence management system. For this reason, allowances are made to reduce error and inaccurate responses, and the use of partial interpretation event triggers is one way to achieve this. Without the partial interpretation event trigger, the information provided by the existence management system 10 needs to be stored in its specifications to avoid rejection of the existence management system by the user. [0057]

Examples of external services that provide partial interpretation event triggers include: security budge swipe system, hotel reservation system, aviation check-in system and call card system. "Partially The term "interpreted)" is used to refer to that more information than just geolocation is available from a partially interpreted event. That is, background information is acquired in relation to events of different styles. For example, an aviation check-in event at a particular airport not only means that the user is geographically located at that location at the airport, but also (for example) that the user is about to board an airplane. This background information is quickly retrieved without the need for an existence management system 10 to determine that its geographic location is within the airport (eg, from the user's mobile phone location), and at the airport. Under that circumstance, what is likely to happen is that the user is trying to board the plane. Check-in information provides this information quickly and accurately. For example, existence management systems can make false guesses that, without partial interpretation event triggers, a user was trying to board an airplane when they were visiting the airport to meet someone. is there. [0058] [0058]

Further details about the existence management system will be explained. The observer is also referred to as the "watchers" and the observer is also referred to as the "individuals", "entity" or "client". Some definitions are given: Existence: A property exhibited by being in the network. It consists of location, adaptability and capability. [0059]

Position: Some spatial coordinate format for the object. These can be geographical or more abstract, such as network topologies. The location can correspond to any address. [0060]

Possibility: The subject's ability to communicate at a given time. In addition to "on-line" / "off-line", responsiveness can represent the willingness of the subject to be involved in communication. [0061]

Capability: A measure of communication format and capacity. The subject can be connected, for example, according to the restrictions imposed by the available devices. [0062]

Entity: The target of existence information. The target can be a person or a service. Also referred to as a person or individual being monitored. [0063]

Group: A collection of objects, which itself is an object. That is, the group may be exposed and subject to subscription. [0064]

Watcher: Target for existence information. The observer can be a person or a service. A person (or service) can be both an object and an observer. It is possible for various observers to grasp various tastes regarding the same object. [0065]

Subscribe: The act of the observer when registering an interest in the existence of an object. [0066]

Notice: Actions directed at the observer regarding changes in the existence of the subject who were previously eligible for subscription. [0067]

Existence indicator: An event outside the existence system that is directly related to the existence of the object. [0068]

Raw presence: A raw collection of presence indicators (which may be associated with a single object). [0069]

Context presence: An abstract state derived from the unprocessed existence of an object, according to the rules specified for the object. The entire new existence indicator does not change to the existence situation. [0070]

Exposed presence: A perspective from the context presence of the subject that is exposed to the observer. Derived according to the rules stipulated for the object. Subjects may exhibit different exposures to different audiences. [0071]

Audience: A class of potential observers defined by or in connection with the subject. The actual observer can be part of some audience with a given coping luck. [0072]

Partial enrollment: An act of enrollment that registers an interest in some of the subject's existence. Changes to other parts of the subject's existence do not derive a notification. Objects can consist of other objects (eg, groups), but can have elements that are not themselves, but their existence can still be discussed. [0073]

Micro-subscription: An act of subscription performed by an observer that supports differences in rules regarding the subject between enrollments by the same observer. That is, for the same subject, for different micro-subscriptions, the observer is presented with two different perspectives on existence. [0074]

Communication: An interaction involving one or more entrants, in which information is transmitted. Communication is characterized by patterns of interaction and by the medium of information transfer. [0075]

Interaction pattern: Message interaction, conversational interaction or stream interaction (in the architectural background). [0076]

Message interaction: Immediate message, deferred message, or authentication message. [0077]

Immediate message: A message delivered to other participants without explicit action on their part. [0078]

Intermittent messages: Messages delivered to other entrants after explicit action on their part, such as email and voice mail. [0079]

Authentication message: The message that the sender expects to receive from the recipient. [0080] [0080]

Sender: The originator of the message interaction. [0081]

Conversational Interaction: The exchange of (interleaved) messages, such as Internet chat sessions. [0082]

Stream Interaction: An interaction that involves one or more continuous data flows between participants. Separate flows proceed in opposite directions among the participants. There can be multiple separate flows between the same participants in the same direction. Stream interactions are categorized as simplex, half-duplex, or full duplex. Two-way voice calling is a terminal-level stream interaction. Conversation patterns only apply to (human) participants. [0083]

Caller: The originator of a conversational or stream interaction. [0084]

Medium: The style of expression used to transfer information. Possible media are files (various), text, sound (including audio), fax and video. [0085]

Mediation: The act of translating one type of communication into another. This requires medium conversion and / or interaction pattern conversion. [0086]

Proxy communication: Communication where there is an intermediary between entrants. [0087]

Third Party Communications: Communications initiated by non-entrants. [0088]

Service discovery: The process of making you aware of the existence of the right service. [0089]

Service Description: A description of what a service does, in a format understood by the service provider and by the users of the service. [0090]

Service: An object, such as a voluntary software element that can participate in communications. [0091]

FIG. 5 shows in detail the existence management system 10 of FIG. The plurality of observers 12 and the plurality of monitored persons 13 can access the existence management system 10 through the multiple access communication network 11. In this example, the multiple access communication network consists of an Internet Protocol communication network 50, a wireless communication network 51 and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 52. However, this is not essential, and various forms and combinations of communication networks can be used to form multiple access communication networks. [0092]

Input from the multiplex access communication network 11 to the existence management system 10 is provided in the form of an event gateway 53. Also, the connection request from the observer 12 to the existence management system is accepted through, for example, a connection request input where it can be provided using IMPP protocol 60, WAP protocol 61 or ICQ protocol 59. Event gateway 53 is described below. If a connection is established between the observer and the monitored person using the existence management system 10, the connection from the existence management system to the multiple access communication network 11 is provided in the form of a connection gateway 54. [0093]

The monitored person's information 14 and rule 15 are stored in the existence management system 10. When the monitored person 13 is registered to use the existence management system 10, the profile of the monitored person 13 is constructed and stored in the existence management system. The profile management system 56 in the existence management system is provided to manage these profiles. [0094]

For example, the profile of interest may include the following, which may be default information entered or pre-specified by the subject or monitored person: A contact address for an object in each member of the access communication network, or an element part of the access communication network. [0095]

-A collection of possible existence status values for the subject, such as "home", "working", "moving", "unreachable" or "unknown". For many of these, the system also retains attributes such as geographic location. [0096]

-Minor changes in default values by moving from one existence to another. [0097]

The subject's own perspective on what the exposure entity has, for example, a potential audience such as family, friends, or peers. Each member of the potential audience sees a projection of the existence of the object. In practical applications, administrators may provide audience definitions for many common objects (cf. Email Delivery List). [0098]

The level of observer certification for each audience to allow the subject to have protective measures against the actual attribution of the observer to the audience. [0099]

For some communications (eg, immediate messages announcing new emails), the subject wants to perform fine-grained controls and insists that the observer make a micro-subscription. The attributes of such subscriptions can also be delegated to the target rule (cf. Email Filter). [0100]

When an object is first registered by the existence management system 10, there is a significant amount of data that needs to be captured. To reduce the workload of the subject, default information is provided and a "wizard" format is used to help the user enter the required information quickly and easily. Subsequently, the data may be modified by the monitored person or subject. These functions are performed by the profile management system 56. [0101]

For example, in the case of an object representing a human user, the interactions performed by the "wizard" data capture process could be: -The user selects "clerk", "sales" or "manager" from a large number of "lifestyles". Each lifestyle is represented in a template with default values. [0102]

Each of the choices begins a dedicated dialogue with that choice. For example, set the geographical location of homes and offices. Additional positions are formed if necessary. [0103]

In one example, the presence management system can detect and capture details about the device the subject uses for communication. [0104]

-Definition of a potential audience for the presence of the user (family, friends, etc.). [0105]

-Finally, the user decides that the contact information is notified to the members of the audience due to the change in the existence situation. Some of this configuration is cumbersome and they are masked to the user until the "further select" button is pressed. [0106]

The existence management system also includes the unprocessed existence management unit 55, and manages an unprocessed collection of existence indicators. The unprocessed management unit 55 organizes the presence indicators in a table or other structure as directed by the subject. In this way, each presence indicator is accessible based on what it is associated with. A large number of presence indicators can be stored in the unprocessed management unit 55. However, as many recent presence indicators become available for a given subject, their nature makes the presence indicators redundant and to those indicators based on the process or age of updating the presence indicators. A process of weighting is provided. [0107]

The multiplex access communication network 11 comprises one or more communication networks such as the public switched telephone network 52 and the wireless communication network 51. An event gateway specific to the form of the communication network is provided for each communication network or method, such as mobile and wired telephones. The Internet is a logical union of several access communication networks and core data networks that utilize the Common Internet Protocol (IP) structure. [0108]

The event gateway receives the raw data from the access communication network, processes it in advance, and transmits it to the raw existence management unit through one or more event inputs 16. Examples of these events are keyboard behavior on terminals, movement between cells in cellular communication networks, and changes in off-hook events in VLRs (visitor registration) and PSTN. Other events are "last offered incoming" Includes the use of "call)", services on the public switched telephone network, detailed information through calendar services and the opening of PalmPilot 7 . The event gateway produces authenticated chronologically ordered location data events that are filtered and homogenized. That is, only the information about the user tracked by this existence system is transmitted to the unprocessed existence management unit. This is achieved by utilizing a filter within the event gateway or a filter at event input 16. Events are also presented to the Unprocessed Management Department in a technically neutral form (all of the idiosyncraisies of various access network technologies are hidden by event gateways as much as possible). .. [0109]

The event gateway is divided into two parts. The first part is the interface to the existence management system and the second part is the interface to the access network. The two parts of the event gateway use protocols to communicate over the Internet. Different types of event gateways are provided according to the type of access network used. [0110]

As mentioned above, when the observer registers that he / she is interested in the existence of the subject, the subscription is made. The subscription management unit 57 is provided in the existence management system 10 and manages the subscription process. [0111]

A user or service (monitorer) outside the existence management system applies for existence information for a specific client (monitored person) of the existence system. If the existence management system consists of multiple servers, this request is delivered to the home server for the client (monitored person). Join requests are made by one of several protocols such as IMPP, WAP or possible ICQ. In each case, the subscription request requires a reply address for notification (eg, IMPP address), some identification information for the subscriber or observer (to comply with the propagation restrictions of existing clients), and existence information. Includes the identity of existing clients. [0112]

In one example, the duration of subscription is controlled by the subscriber, i.e., declared by the subscriber (monitorer) when there is no interest in the existence of a given client. However, if the observer does not declare that he is no longer interested, the old subscription will eventually be destroyed. In some cases, subscription applications are continuously maintained (to recover from mistakes), which creates garbage collection work. For example, all inactive subscription applications for one hour can be deleted. In the case of immediate email notifications that make emails noticeable, for example, determining whether a client is "online" for a particular email notification is the sender, size, and keywords in the email. Depends on the certainty of. The initial subscription may capture all information where reachability is determined, rather than the subscriber presenting this second information at the time of sending the immediate message. A single subscription application through the Email Notification Service for a single client is replaced by a detailed subscription application, each associated with the client's willingness to receive a given email notification. [0113]

In this case, IMPP is extended to carry additional parameters. This is in XML string format. For example, in the case of an email notification service, the IMPP subscription application includes <subscription-detail type = IM reftype = e-mail from = fred>. One possibility is that the existing system responds to such subscriptions by asking for more information, for example, the rules inserted by the client cover the "To" field of the email. If (ie, someone else receives it), the response is to reject the subscription offer with good reason. [0114]

The existence management system 10 includes an exposure existence management unit 58 as shown in FIG. As described above, the "exposed existence" is the viewpoint of the existence of the object exposed to the observer. According to the rules so established for the subject, the subject exhibits different exposures to different audiences. The function of the Exposed Presence Control Unit 58 "determines" what information is available to the observer, based on Rule 15 and other criteria set by the observer or specified as the default. That is. [0115]

When the available information changes, for example, the exposure presence management unit 58 is activated because new information arrives through the event gateway 53. The Exposed Existence Management Department inspects the actual subscription application for the monitored person where new information arrives. If any valid subscription application exists, the Exposure Existence Management Department 58 queries Rule 15 to determine what information (if any) is available to the observer with a valid subscription application. .. [0116]

Existence management system 10 has an interface for ICQ and / or IMPP60 or WAP61 protocol output. Information available to observers with valid subscription applications is formed through this interface 59 or their output. [0117]

The existence management system also includes a connection management unit 59 in some examples. When the existence management system itself transfers the communication request directly to the monitored person, the connection management unit 59 uses the connection gateway 54 to provide this transfer function. At least one connection gateway 54 is provided for each form of access network. Part of the function of the connection management unit 59 is to "determine" which connection gateway 54 should be used for a specific communication request, and to manage changes between connection gateways 54 according to communication conditions. .. In addition to this, the connection management unit determines which access medium is used for a given interaction if one or more access media are available and appropriate. [0118]

In one embodiment, the connection management unit 59 comprises an intermediary element 62. This allows one format of a message, such as voice, to be transformed into another format, such as email, providing flexibility for those who are monitored and those who are monitored. The mediator element 62 uses the rules to determine if and how best to change the format of a given message. [0119]

The existence management system consists of the unprocessed existence management unit 55. The unprocessed existence management unit 55 acquires and stores information from the event gateway 53, processes this information, and forms an "existence status" for each of the monitored persons. Multiple default situations are defined as "at home", "work desk", "on the move", and are specific using the information received from Event Gateway 53 along with information from other monitored persons. Determine which situation applies to a given monitored person at the time. Use rules to assist in this decision process. For example, a rule that maps a position index to the existence status is set in advance. Observers can enter their own rules and the existence status used by the Unprocessed Existence Management Unit 55. [0120]

The rules used by the Unprocessed Existence Control Unit 55 and the Exposed Existence Control Unit 59 are always locally decomposable. Many other elements of the existence management system also utilize rules. These are stored in a single rule, or in relation to a particular element of the existence management system. For example, the connection management unit 59 uses a rule to determine which of several possible connection options is preferred. [0121]

The interface between the unprocessed presence control unit 55 and the exposed presence control unit 58 can be distributed. The two management units 55,58 have different conditions. The unprocessed existence management unit 55 only locally updates the stored data 14 based on the input data. This causes a short delay and eliminates the need for persistent return of location data from event gateway 53. That is, when processed by the unprocessed existence management unit 55, significant changes are retained in the stored data 14. [0122]

The exposure presence control unit 58 needs to engage in a number of external interactions in order to transmit presence information to subscribers over various protocols. It can be invoked directly from the stored data 14 as a reflexive effect on the update by the unprocessed existence management unit 55, or there can be a direct interface between the two. [0123]

In one example, a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium is provided. FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the method performed by a computer program. This computer program is suitable for controlling the existence management system so that the connection is managed between the observer and the observer. The presence management system is suitable for use in multiple access communication networks, and computer programs have been created to control the presence management system: (i) Information about the monitored person is stored (Box 701 in Figure 6); (ii) A set of rules regarding connection criteria has been formed (Box 702 in Figure 6); (iii) Information about events occurring in multiple access communication networks is received through the inputs used (box 703 in Figure 6); (iv) When a connection request is received from the observer; and a request from the observer for a connection with the monitored person is received, whether the monitored person currently allows the connection to be established. Information is provided about the event, which is determined based on the contents, rules, and input information about the event; at least one person is the service (box 704 in Figure 6). [0124]

FIG. 7 is another flowchart of such a method performed by a computer program. In this case, the person being monitored first registers with the existence management system 801, and enters the information used to create the rule 802. This information relates to the monitored person's communication standards and preferences, such as what terminal format he or she uses and which mode of communication is preferred at different times of the day. [0125]

The existence management system may then receive a number of different types of input. For example, a subscription application from a watcher is received 803, in which case the details of the subscription application are recorded 809. For example, this may be a request by the observer to be notified of the change of state of the observer. [0126]

The existence management system also receives incoming events 804. In this case, the method examines all current subscription applications to see if incoming events are appropriate for these 805. If so, a notification will be sent to the observer who has made the appropriate subscription 806. And the record of subscription application is updated 805. For example, a subscription application may be formed to be deleted after being activated only once. [0127]

The presence management system also receives incoming connection requests from the observer 807. In this case, the presence management system checks the responsiveness of the monitored person and, if appropriate, establishes a connection or forwards the connection request to the monitored person 808. [0128]

In one example, an existence management system: has a first input formed to receive a request from an actual observer, each of which is one of three forms: They are: (a) notification requests for monitored persons and selectively specific events, (b) contact requests for monitored persons, or (c) fetch requests for monitored persons. request). The existence management system also has a second input formed to receive information about the event for the monitored person, and the event occurs in the multiple access communication network used. In addition to this, a third input is provided and is formed to receive and store information input by the monitored person. This information is relevant to the watched person and is used to transform incoming events and to control the watcher with respect to the information received about the watched person. Information is stored so that it can be associated with the associated watcher. The presence management system has a processor so that when information about an event related to a particular watcher is received during use, that information is translated according to the information received from the pre-watcher. To. When information about an event related to a particular watched person is received, the watcher who made the notification request for that particular watched person is notified. This is done assuming that the stored information does not prohibit or limit the sending of notifications at that time. For example, a watcher may specify that he or she does not want to be disturbed between 9am and 10am. When the contact request is received, the contact is established by the existence management system when the requested terminal is available and both user preferences allow the contact to be established. When the acquisition request is received, all or part of the information about the monitored person is transmitted to the monitoring person according to the user preferences and criteria set by the monitored person. In this way, the watcher can quickly and easily obtain all of the available information about the watched person. [0129]

The present invention has various uses. These include an existence management system in which the person being monitored or the person being monitored is a group or aggregate of the person being monitored or the person being monitored . The present invention also includes a computer program that controls a multiple access communication network consisting of such an existence management system and an existence management system.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an existence management system. [Figure 2]

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the existence management system of FIG. 1 regarding the conference telephone service as a monitor. [Fig. 3]

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the existence management system of FIG. 1 regarding the ticket handling service as a monitored person. [Fig. 4]

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the existence management system of FIG. 1 regarding a group of observers and a group of monitored persons. [Fig. 5]

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the existence management system. [Fig. 6]

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the event gateway. [Fig. 7]

FIG. 7 is another flowchart of a computer program that controls an existence management system. [Fig. 8]

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram when a cooked event trigger is used.