Distributing presence information
AssigneeSkype
InventorMark McLaughlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of distributing availability information from a first user terminal to at least one further user terminal connected via a communication network, comprising: executing a communication client at the first user terminal; the communication client accessing schedule data stored on a storage means relating to a user of the first user terminal; the communication client analysing the schedule data to determine a current status of the user; mapping the current status of the user to a selected one of a group of predefined availability settings at the communication client; and transmitting a message comprising the selected availability setting over the communication network to the at least one further user terminal.
Claims20
A method of distributing availability information from a first user terminal to at least one further user terminal connected via a communication network, comprising:
- executing a communication client at the first user terminal;
- the communication client accessing schedule data stored on a storage means relating to a user of the first user terminal;
- the communication client analysing the schedule data to determine a current status of the user;
- mapping the current status of the user to a selected one of a group of predefined availability settings at the communication client;
- and
- transmitting a message comprising the selected availability setting over the communication network to the at least one further user terminal.
A computer program product comprising program code means which, when executed by a computer implement the steps of:
- executing a communication client at the first user terminal;
- the communication client accessing schedule data stored on a storage means relating to a user of the first user terminal;
- the communication client analysing the schedule data to determine a current status of the user;
- mapping the current status of the user to a selected one of a group of predefined availability settings at the communication client;
- and
- transmitting a message comprising the selected availability setting over the communication network to the at least one further user terminal.
A user terminal comprising:
- a storage means;
- and
- a processor configured to execute a communication client, wherein the communication client is programmed so as when executed to allow a user of the user terminal to establish communications with at least one further user terminal via a packet-based communication network;
- and
- wherein the communication client is arranged to access schedule data stored on the storage means relating to the user of the user terminal, analyse the schedule data to determine a current status of the user, map the current status of the user to a selected one of a group of predefined availability settings, and transmit a message comprising the selected availability setting over the communication network to the at least one further user terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.