Patent ID: 6448978
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method comprising:maintaining a watch list for each of a plurality of network end points, each of the plurality of network end points associated with a particular user of a plurality of users, the watch lists each identifying network end points corresponding to those of the other users of the plurality of users, if any, whose proximity to their respective network end points is being monitored by the network end point associated with the watch list; maintaining an access list for each of the plurality of network end points, the access lists each identifying those of the other network end points, if any, that are authorized to receive proximity information associated with the user of the particular network end point; each of the plurality of network end points operating as (1) an observer, (2) an observee, or (3) both an observer and an observee; those of the plurality of network end points operating as observers periodically requesting user proximity information associated with those of the plurality of network end points included on their respective watch lists; and those of the plurality of network end points operating as observees periodically determining local proximity information regarding the proximity of their respective users and responding to requests received from the observers by providing the local proximity information only to those of the observers that are included in the access list of the observee.