Managing user-to-user contact with inferred presence information

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to control and utilization of personal information management (PIM) data such as calendar and contact information in the context of personal and professional activities. More specifically, the present invention relates to control and utilization of PIM data in the context of mobile devices such as smart phones and PDAs.

#2. Description of Related Art

#FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary communication network architecture comprising a mobile network, a communication management system and a private network.

#FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary dynamic data aggregation and management system comprising an exemplary data aggregation server, an exemplary client device and various sources of Personal Information Management (PIM) data.

#FIG. 3 is an exemplary data aggregation server providing for aggregation and management of PIM data.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication network architecture 100. Communication network architecture 100 comprises a mobile network 105, a communication management system 110 and a private network 115. Communication management system 110 generally manages communications between the mobile network 105 and the private network 115.

#A network should be generally understood as a group of associated devices (e.g., computing devices) that are coupled to one another via a communications facility. For example, mobile network 105 is illustrative of an exemplary group of mobile computing devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs, tablet PCs and WI-FL equipped laptops. Private network 115 is illustrative of an enterprise server and various workstation clients such as that found in any number of corporate entities and businesses. Private network 115 may also be embodied as a single computer (e.g., a home computer) coupled to a series of other computing devices via an Internet connection as provided by an ISP. Mobile network 105, communication management system 110 and private network 115 may also be reflective of a network in that they relate a variety of computing devices coupled to one another via a variety of communications channels (e.g., mobile telephone base stations, Internet and so forth). In that regard, networks should be interpreted as being inclusive rather than exclusive.

#Private network 115 may be separated from the communication management system 110, mobile network 105 and any other networks by a firewall 120. Firewall 120 is traditionally a set of software applications located at a network gateway server (not shown) to protect the resources of the private network 115 (e.g., corporate or private data) from unauthorized users and/or malicious data entities (e.g., viruses and spy-ware) that might exist outside the private network 115. Firewall 120 may also be a security policy used with the aforementioned software application. Firewall 120, in the case of a personal computer (PC), may be software directly implemented on the PC.