Patent ID: 8103736
Filing Date: 2012-01-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A status notifying method performed in a server operating in a communication system, including a plurality of clients and the server, for notifying a connection status and a user status of the plurality of clients regarding connection to a communication network, at least a selected client of the plurality of clients having a plurality of user names for connecting to the communication network, the method comprising: storing, in a memory, an on-line flag that indicates the connection status of the selected client, a status flag that indicates the user status of the selected client, and information on whether notification of one of the connection status and the user status is allowed, the on-line flag and the status flag each being stored in association with all of the plurality of user names of the selected client; receiving, from the selected client, a first instruction for updating the on-line flag of the selected client to one of an online status and an offline status; updating the on-line flag stored in association with all of the plurality of user names of the selected client to the one of the online status and the offline status in response to the first instruction; receiving, from the selected client when the on-line flag of the selected client is the online status, a second instruction for updating the status flag of the selected client to one of an away, a busy, a hiding, and an undefined status; updating the status flag stored in association with all of the plurality of user names of the selected client to the one of the away, the busy, the hiding, and the undefined status in response to the second instruction; receiving a request for notification of one of the connection status and the user status from one of the plurality of clients; determining, in response to the received request, whether the one of the connection status and the user status is allowed to be notified based on the information stored in the memory; and notifying the one of the connection status and the user status via one of the on-line flag and the status flag stored in the memory only when it is determined that the one of the connection status and the user status is allowed to be notified, wherein the on-line flag and the status flag of the selected client are collectively associated with all of the plurality of user names of the selected client, each of the user names of the selected client is updated to the one of the online status and the offline status in response to receiving only the first instruction, and each of the user names of the selected client is updated to the one of the away, the busy, the hiding, and the undefined status in response to receiving only the second instruction.