Communication system

Abstract

A communication system includes communications terminals connectable to a communications network for users to communicate with a user not necessarily being identified with a given communications terminal. The system monitors whether the user is connected to the network, and annunciates network connection status information relating to other users who are in a set of sought users. In operation, the system provides network connection information relating to users including monitoring whether or not a user is connected to a communications network independent of the communications terminal that user is employing, annunciating to a seeking user, currently connected to the communications network, network connection status information relating to other users who are in a set of sought users, which set is definable by the seeking user, and providing to the seeking user connection address information relating to those sought users who are currently connected to the communications network.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.