System and Method for Updating User Availability for Wireless Communication Applications

A method comprising:

• detecting a facial expression of a user associated with a mobile communications device at a presence system, the presence system comprising a transceiver, a presence device, and a set-top box;
• determining, by the presence device, an emotional state of the user;
• determining, by the presence system, a presence of the user based upon the emotional state;
• obtaining, at the presence system, program data from a program signal obtained by the set-top box, the program data comprising information indicating a time remaining until a program signal change;
• determining, by the presence system, an availability status of the user based on the presence and the program data, the availability status indicating if the user is accepting communications;
• and
• transmitting, via the transceiver, the availability status to a communications network to allow access to the availability status by a requesting mobile device in communication with the communications network.

A device comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a processor;
• a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
• receiving, by the transceiver, an availability status generated by a presence system associated with a user of a mobile communications device, the availability status indicating a presence of the user and a time until a change of a program signal associated with the user,
• displaying the availability status indicating that the user is unavailable, a timeframe during which the user is unavailable, the timeframe comprising an indication of a time remaining until a change of the program signal as indicated in the availability status, and
• play, via an audio device, a message indicting that the user is unavailable, the timeframe when during which the user is unavailable, the timeframe comprising the indication of the time remaining until the change of the program signal as indicated in the availability status.