Patent ID: 6839735
Filing Date: 2005-01-04
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. In a computer network including a server computer system network connectable to at least a plurality of client computer systems for which the server computer system maintains presence information, a method of exercising control of access to the presence information using a plurality of access permission types used for accessing the presence information, the method comprising the following: an act of the server computer system receiving a request from a client computer system including an instruction to change an access permission status for at least a subset of the plurality of client computer systems, the access permission corresponding to one of the plurality of access permission types to the presence information; an act of the server computer system setting at least an entry in a data field in response to the request, the entry representing the changed access permission status; and an act of the server computer system determining whether or not to allow access to the presence information based on the entry in the data field, wherein the plurality of access permission types used for accessing the presence information comprises permission to view any presence information, permission to view only accurate presence information, and permission to restrict the ability to act on presence information.