Patent ID: 7698648
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method in a computing device for indicating presence information, the computing device having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the method comprising: providing a hierarchy of presence states such that a non-leaf presence state is a high-level presence state with its child presence states being low-level presence states of that high-level presence state, each low-level presence state of a high-level presence state having an associated availability indicating availability of a contact who is in that low-level presence state, the availabilities being along a continuum of availability associated with the high-level presence state, wherein the availabilities include low, low medium, medium, medium high, and high; receiving an indication of a first low-level presence state of a contact; determining a high-level presence state associated with the first low-level presence state, wherein the contact is in the first low-level presence state of the contact and the high-level presence state of the contact simultaneously, the high-level presence state having an associated icon and a plurality of associated and distinct low-level presence states, including the first low-level presence state, each of the plurality of low-level presence states having an associated availability; displaying the icon associated with the high-level presence state for the contact without regard to the low-level presence state of the contact; and when a user indicates to view availability of the contact in the high-level presence state, wherein the receiving, determining, and displaying are performed by the processor executing instructions stored in the memory.