Patent ID: 6700967
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method comprising operating an availability service in a telecommunication system interconnecting a legacy telephone system with at least one presence system, said legacy telephone system including a plurality of terminals (T1 . . . T10), at least some (T1,T2) of which are terminals of subscribers to said availability service, including the steps of:(a) continuously monitoring each subscriber terminal (T1,T2) for a change of a call status of said subscriber terminal from the presence of a call to the absence of a call; (b) generating a first or â€œhigh availabilityâ€  signal when said call status of said subscriber terminal changes from said presence of a call into said absence of a call; (c) monitoring an interval of time beginning with said first signal; (d) generating a second or â€œavailability unknownâ€  signal after a predetermined time period &tgr; within said interval; and (e) making said availability signals accessible to any interconnected presence system.