Apparatus and method for providing presence service in communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10313515-B2
Application number	US-200913122304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2009
Priority date	Oct 2, 2008
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for determining a state of a counterpart without executing a separate program executed in order to determine a current state of the counterpart in a communication apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes a state information server and a communication apparatus. When receiving state information, the state information server provides the received state information to a user who has registered the communication apparatus that has provided the state information. When receiving state information from the state information server, the communication apparatus outputs the user's state information corresponding to the state information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first apparatus for providing presence service, the first apparatus comprising:
a plurality of output elements;
at least one transceiver configured to:
transmit user information for a second apparatus to a server for registering the second apparatus,
transmit, to the server, a signal for requesting a current state of a user, and
receive, from the server, state information indicating the current state of the user of the registered second apparatus, wherein the state information is transmitted in response to searching the first apparatus which registers the second apparatus according to the signal by the server; and

at least one processor configured to:
identify an output element corresponding to the registered second apparatus among the plurality of output elements on the first apparatus based on the state information, and
provide the current state of the user by using the output element without displaying the current state on a screen for a graphic user interface (GUI),

wherein the plurality of output elements on the first apparatus correspond to a plurality of registered apparatuses, respectively.

2. The first apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the output element is a light emitting diode (LED) on the first apparatus,
wherein the plurality of output elements is a plurality of LEDs on the first apparatus, and
wherein the at least one processor is, in order to provide the current state, further configured to:
emit a first color by using the output element on the first apparatus if the current state is a first state of the user, and
emit a second color by using the output element on the first apparatus if the current state is a second state of the user.

3. The first apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, in order to identify the output element, is further configured to:
obtain identification information indicating the user of the second apparatus from the state information; and
identify the output element among the plurality of output elements according to the obtained identification information,
wherein each of the plurality of output elements provides a current state of a user of a registered apparatus corresponding to each of the plurality of output elements.

4. The first apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the state information is transmitted in response to detecting that a state of the user of the registered second apparatus is changed to the current state according to a input of the user of the second apparatus.

5. A second apparatus for providing presence service, the second apparatus comprising:
at least one processor configured to determine state information indicating a current state of a user of the second apparatus according to an input of the user of the second apparatus, and
at least one transceiver configured to transmit the determined state information to a server,
wherein the determined state information is provided from the server to a first apparatus which has registered the second apparatus at the server in response to searching the first apparatus according to a signal for requesting the current state of the user by the server,
wherein the first apparatus transmits user information for the second apparatus to the server to register the second apparatus and transmits the signal to the server,
wherein the current state of the user is provided by using an output element without displaying the current state on a screen for a graphic user interface (GUI),
wherein the output element corresponding to the registered second apparatus is identified based on the state information among a plurality of output elements on the first apparatus, and
wherein the plurality of output elements on the first apparatus correspond to a plurality of registered apparatuses, respectively.

6. The second apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is, in order to transmit the state information, further configured to transmit the state information in response to detecting a state of the user of the second apparatus is changed to the current state according to the input.

7. A server for providing presence service, the server comprising:
at least one transceiver; and
at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one transceiver,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive user information for a second apparatus from a first apparatus,
store the user information for the second apparatus to register the second apparatus,
receive state information indicating a current state of a user of the second apparatus from the second apparatus,
store the received state information of the second apparatus,
receive, from the first apparatus, a signal for requesting the current state of the user,
search an apparatus which has transmitted the user information for the second apparatus to the server to register the second apparatus, according to the signal, and
in response to the first apparatus being searched, transmit the stored state information of the second apparatus to the searched first apparatus,

wherein the current state of the user is provided by using an output element without displaying the current state on a screen for a graphic user interface (GUI),
wherein the output element corresponding to the registered second apparatus is identified based on the state information among a plurality of output elements on the first apparatus, and
wherein the plurality of output elements on the first apparatus correspond to a plurality of apparatuses registered at the server, respectively.

8. The server of claim 7 ,
wherein the first apparatus is searched to transmit the state information, in response to detecting that a state of the user of the second apparatus is changed to the current state according to a input of the user of the second apparatus,
wherein the state information comprises identification information indicating the user of the second apparatus to identify the user among users of the plurality of registered apparatuses, and
wherein the current state comprises a communication state, an absent state, or an on-line state.

9. A method for operating a first apparatus to provide presence service, the method comprising:
transmitting user information for a second apparatus to a server for registering the second apparatus;
transmitting a signal for requesting a current state of a user to the server;
receiving, from the server, state information indicating the current state of the user of the registered second apparatus, wherein the state information is transmitted in response to searching the first apparatus which register the second apparatus according to the signal by the server;
identifying an output element corresponding to the registered second apparatus among a plurality of output elements on the first apparatus based on the state information; and
providing the current state of the user by using the output element without displaying the current state on a screen for a graphic user interface (GUI),
wherein the plurality of output elements on the first apparatus correspond to a plurality of registered apparatuses, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the output element is a light emitting diode (LED) on the first apparatus,
wherein the plurality of output elements is a plurality of LEDs on the first apparatus, and
wherein the providing of the current state comprises:
emitting a first color by using the output element on the first apparatus if the current state is a first state of the user; and
emitting a second color by using the output element on the first apparatus if the current state is a second state of the user.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein

Assignees

• Kim Si Baek
• Yeom Eung Moon
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Si-Baek
• Yeom Eung-Moon

Classifications

• H04M1/2757

  by data transmission, e.g. downloading · CPC title

• H04M1/82

  Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination {(for detecting caller identity H04M1/573)} · CPC title

• H04L65/1073

  Registration or de-registration · CPC title

• H04M3/42374 Primary

  where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server · CPC title

• H04M2203/2044

  Group features, e.g. closed user group · CPC title