Abstract:
The present invention provides for an improved presence system, which can automatically and unobtrusively factor in the location of a person being monitored when creating presence information for dissemination to subscribers. Presence tags can be distributed at different locations, which may bear on the relative availability of the monitored person for communications. A mobile terminal associated with the monitored person is configured to automatically obtain tag information from the presence tags and deliver location-based state information to the presence server without human interaction. The presence server will process the location-based state information and any other applicable state information to create presence information for the person being monitored, and then deliver the presence information to subscribers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to providing presence information, and in particular to controlling the delivery of presence information in light of a user&#39;s location in an automated fashion. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Given the rapid expansion of mobile communications along with the pervasiveness of email and instant messaging, determining the right method or time to contact someone often proves difficult. Many people are associated with numerous telephone numbers associated with fixed and mobile terminals, email addresses, instant messaging identifiers, and the like. Trying to contact such people often leads to leaving one or more voicemails and perhaps sending email or instant messaging messages prior to making contact. Further, trading numerous messages or voicemails prior to finally connecting with one another is commonplace. 
     Presence systems have been developed to address the difficulty in determining if someone is available to communicate, and perhaps how best to communicate with that person when she is available. In general, presence systems monitor state information from one or more devices or networks associated with a particular person, and process the state information to create presence information bearing on the relative availability of that particular person. The presence information is then sent to those subscribers interested in knowing the relative availability of the particular person. The state information generally bears on a person&#39;s physical presence or activity with respect to a certain device. 
     Unfortunately, the relative availability of a person for communications is often dictated by her location, and in particular, the nature of the location. For example, an office environment has various locations in which communications are both desirable and undesirable. The person may not want to receive communications while they are in a conference room, a superior&#39;s office, a restroom, a designated quiet area, or an elevator for any number of reasons. There are other types of locations where receiving communications, or at least certain types of communications, is generally desirable, such as when the person is in her office or in a subordinate&#39;s office. Outside of the office, there are locations such as restaurants, theaters, churches, and hospitals where receiving communications, or at least certain types of communications, is also undesirable. 
     Accordingly, a person&#39;s relative availability to receive communications may change from minute to minute based on her location. Although attempts are being made to automate presence tracking, current presence systems are simply unable to readily take into consideration such location-based changes without requiring the person to provide some form of manual input. For example, when a presence system is configured to monitor the state of the person&#39;s mobile terminal, the person may need to turn her mobile telephone off when entering a conference room, restaurant, restroom, or the like, and then turn it back on upon leaving. Given the frequency with which the person may enter and leave the various locations, updating the presence system becomes impractical. Such impracticality is unfortunate because the concept of presence-controlled communications is very desirable, yet automation and resolution, especially with respect to location, is necessary to fully take advantage of presence information. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a technique to further automate the acquisition of location-based state information to provide an improved system for delivering presence information. There is a further need for a cost effective and efficient technique to automatically determine a person&#39;s location and provide location-based state information to a presence system based on the person&#39;s location. There is yet a further need to integrate location-based state information with other types of state information to provide an improved presence system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for an improved presence system, which can automatically and unobtrusively factor in the location of a person being monitored when creating presence information for dissemination to subscribers. Presence tags can be distributed at different locations, which may bear on the relative availability of the monitored person for communications. A mobile terminal associated with the monitored person is configured to obtain tag information from the presence tags and deliver location-based state information to the presence server. The location-based state information may include the tag information or a location-based state determined based on the tag information. The tag information may simply be a tag identification or other type of information bearing on a particular location or a type of location where the presence tag is located. Accordingly, certain embodiments of the present invention will allow the mobile terminal or the presence server to actually use the tag identification to determine an appropriate state to apply to the presence rules associated with the monitored person. These presence rules will then dictate the presence information to be delivered to the subscribers. With the present invention, the mobile terminal can automatically retrieve the tag information from the presence tags and provide the appropriate location-based state information to the presence server without requiring any input by the monitored person. As such, valuable location-based state information can be delivered to the presence server in real time and in an efficient manner. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present invention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block representation of a communication environment according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a process flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram providing basic operation of a mobile terminal gathering tag information and providing location-based state information according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram outlining a provisioning process according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram outlining overall operation of a presence system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram outlining the processing of state information according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a block representation of a presence server according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a block representation of a presence tag according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a block representation of a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims. 
     The present invention addresses the shortcomings of existing presence systems by providing an effective and efficient technique for obtaining and providing location-based state information to a presence system in an automatic fashion. An exemplary presence system according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . A communication network  10  is configured to support communications with any number of monitored entities  14 , directly or indirectly through another communication network  16 , as well as supporting communications with various subscriber entities  18  to which presence information is delivered. The monitored entities  14  are generally those with which a person to be monitored will directly or indirectly interact, and will provide state information bearing on the person&#39;s activity, presence, or location. A presence server  20  is provided and includes a presence function  22 , which processes the state information to create presence information to provide to the subscriber entities  18 . The subscriber entities  18  may include presence applications  24 , which process the presence information and operate to control the associated subscriber entity  18  as necessary to provide presence alerts to the subscriber based on the presence information. Accordingly, as state information for a monitored person changes, up-to-date presence information is provided to the subscriber entities  18 . The presence information will aid the subscribers associated with subscriber entities  18  in deciding when or how to communicate with the monitored person. 
     In an effort to make presence information more accurate and helpful, the present invention incorporates presence tags  26 , which are placed in a variety of different locations A, B, and C. The presence tags  26  are active or passive devices that are capable of supporting local wireless communications with a user&#39;s mobile terminal  28 . In general, the presence tags  26  will transmit tag information for the mobile terminal  28  to receive. The tag information may simply be a tag identification, which has been associated with a particular location or type of location by the mobile terminal  28 , the presence server  20 , or other accessible entity. Alternatively, the tag information may actually identify a particular location or type of location, and if appropriate provide other information on which presence decisions may be based. The mobile terminal  28  will then send location-based state information to the presence system for processing based on the tag information. 
     The mobile terminal  28  may simply forward the tag information as the location-based state information to the presence server  20 , or it may process the tag information to create the location-based state information for transmission to the presence server  20 . Regardless of whether the mobile terminal  28  processes the tag information, the location-based state information will provide information sufficient to alert the presence server  20  that the mobile terminal  28  is at a particular location or a certain type of location. The presence server  20  can then process the location-based presence information, if warranted, to create presence information to deliver to the presence applications  24  of the subscriber entities  18 . 
     Locations A, B, and C may represent any type and combination of locations, such as a conference rooms, workplace offices, work or public restrooms, designated quiet areas, elevators, restaurants, malls, theaters, churches, and hospitals. Regardless of type, these locations A, B, and C in which presence tags  26  are located represent locations likely to have presence implications for a particular user or users in general. For example, certain presence tags  26  may be specifically placed for a particular user, such as when a user places a presence tag  26  in her office. Other presence tags  26  may be placed for the general public or select groups of users, such as when a service provider, sponsor, or company places presence tags  26  in restrooms, restaurants, theaters, or other enterprise or commercial locations. 
     Since the state information provided to the presence server  20  includes state information bearing on a particular location or type of location, the rules established by the monitored person for creating the presence information will access valuable location-related information. The mobile terminal  28  may be configured to quickly recognize the presence of a presence tag  26 , retrieve the tag information, and send location-based state information to the presence server  20  in real time. As such, the new location-based state information can be immediately provided to the presence server  20  as the monitored person moves from one location to another or in and out of presence-related locations. If a presence tag  26  is located in a conference room and the tag information or related location-based state information corresponds to a location or state in which calls to the user should not be made, the presence server  20  will be able to immediately provide appropriate presence information to the subscriber entities  18 . The presence information can be updated when the monitored person leaves the conference room and the mobile terminal  28  recognizes that the conference room presence tag  26  is no longer within communication range. The monitored user may place a presence tag  26  in his or her office wherein, barring other presence states to the contrary, communications are welcome when the mobile terminal  28  is within communication range of the office presence tag  26 . Similar arrangements can be provided for any public, private, enterprise, or commercial locations. 
     In addition to handling state and presence information, the primary responsibility of the communication network  10  is to facilitate communications among various communication terminals, including the mobile terminal  28 , or between a communication terminal and another network entity, such as an application server (not shown). Notably, the monitored entities  14  and the subscriber entities  18  may take the form of a communication terminal, which may be embodied by mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, circuit-switched or packet-based telephones, personal computers, or other communication devices. 
     The local wireless communications between the presence tag  26  and the mobile terminal  28  may be supported by any number of short range communication techniques, such as those incorporated in passive or active transponder or radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, Bluetooth systems, and IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network systems. In passive transponder or RFID systems, the mobile terminal  28  will transmit signals sufficient to power the presence tags  26 , which will transmit the tag information for the mobile terminal  28  to receive. As described further below, the mobile terminal  28  is capable of providing wireless communications with the communication network  10  through an appropriate access network or access point using virtually any type of wireless communications, including cellular and wireless local area network techniques. Local wireless communications with the presence tags  26  are provided along with or in addition to the other wireless communications used to support communications with the communication network  10  and remote terminals. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the basic flow for presence processing is illustrated. In operation, the monitored entities  14  will recognize certain states or state changes in light of a monitored person&#39;s interaction, use, or physical presence. For the presence tags  26 , the mobile terminals  28  will receive the tag information for the presence tags  26  and provide the corresponding location-based state information. The monitored entity  14 , which includes the mobile terminal  28 , will provide regular or location-based state information to the presence function  22  as locations or states change, on a periodic basis, or upon request from the presence function  22 . Notably, the communication network  16  may actually generate the state information in light of certain interactions with the monitored entity  14 , or may simply pass state information from the monitored entity  14  to the presence function  22 . Regardless of how the state information is received, the state information for a monitored person is processed in light of defined presence rules and the state information to create presence information for the monitored person. Presence information is then sent to subscribing presence applications  24 . The presence information may be provided to the presence applications  24  when the presence information changes, on a periodic basis, or upon request from the presence application  24 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 through 6 , flow diagrams are provided for various aspects of the presence operation. With particular reference to  FIG. 3 , a flow diagram is provided from the perspective of the mobile terminal  28  as it obtains tag information and delivers location-based state information. Initially, the mobile terminal  28  will receive tag information from a presence tag  26  within local wireless communication range (step  100 ). The presence tag  26  may be configured to constantly or systematically transmit the tag information or an initiation signal capable of being received by the mobile terminal  28 . The mobile terminal  28  may either receive the tag information or enter into communications with the presence tag  26  to obtain the tag information. Alternatively, the mobile terminal  28  may constantly or systematically transmit a signal configured to activate or otherwise initiate communications with the presence tag  26 , which will immediately or ultimately transmit the tag information for receipt by the mobile terminal  28 . Upon receipt, the mobile terminal  28  will process the tag information, if necessary, to provide the location-based state information (step  102 ). 
     In one embodiment, the location-based state information may be the tag information. In another embodiment, the tag information may be used to determine location-based state information specially configured for processing by the presence server  20 . For example, the tag information may be processed by the mobile terminal  28  to determine a particular state, such as busy, available, temporarily unavailable, or the like, which can be readily used by the presence server  20 . If the tag information is simply forwarded to the presence server  20  as the location-based state information, the presence server  20  may need to interpret the tag information. In yet another embodiment, the tag information simply provides a particular state, such as busy or available. Once the location-based state information is generated, it is provided to the presence server  20  via any available communication technique directly or indirectly via the communication network  10  (step  104 ). Notably, the mobile terminal  28  may provide other state information in addition to that derived from a presence tag  26 . This additional state information may relate to the monitored user using the mobile terminal  28  for a communication session, silencing the mobile terminal  28 , and the like. The presence server  20  may use various types of state information from various devices to determine the presence information ultimately provided to the subscriber entities  18 . 
     An exemplary process for initializing a presence function  22  of the presence server  20  to retrieve state information and disseminate presence information is outlined in  FIG. 4 . Initially, the monitored person may establish an identification for the presence service provided by the integrated presence server  20  (step  200 ). The presence server  20  will then receive a profile for the monitored person (step  202 ). Based on the profile, the presence server  20  is provisioned to receive state information, including location-based state information, from the monitored entities  14 , including the mobile terminal  28  (step  204 ). Preferably, the presence function is configured to receive the state information from the monitored entities  14  and the monitored entities  14  are configured to provide the state information. The presence tags  26  may need to be configured in addition to being placed in appropriate locations. Alternatively, the mobile terminal  28  or presence function  22  may need to be configured to properly respond to a simple tag identification. For example, either the mobile terminal  28  or the presence function  22  may be able to respond to certain tag information to determine an appropriate location-based state or like presence input. 
     Next, the rules for evaluating the state information are established at the presence function  22  based on the profile (step  206 ). At this point, the presence function  22  is configured for the monitored entity. The rules typically define how to evaluate the state information and deliver the resultant presence information. The monitored person may use the profile to establish rules to control how they should be contacted based on the state of one or more associated devices. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize limitless variations in profile and rule constructions for evaluating state information and generating presence information to send to subscribing subscriber entities  18 . Further, any combination of current and past state information may be used to determine the presence information. Preferably, the presence information is automatically updated, if necessary, when state changes are detected. Depending on the presence rules, a state change from a given monitored entity  14  may or may not impact the presence information. If the presence information does not change, then there may not be a need to update the subscribing subscriber entities  18 . 
       FIG. 5  provides an exemplary process for subscribing to presence updates for a monitored person through the presence server  20 . Initially, a subscriber, via a subscriber entity  18 , will send a request to subscribe to the presence server  20 . The presence function  22  will receive the request for presence information from the subscriber entity  18  (step  300 ). The presence function  22  will authorize the request (step  302 ), and, if authorized, provide initial presence information to the subscribing subscriber entity  18  (step  304 ). The initial presence information may be default presence information or that based on current state information as evaluated by the rules. Once subscribed, the presence server  20  will provide presence information to the subscriber entities  18  as state information from the monitored entities  14  change in a manner warranting a presence update (step  306 ). 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary process for evaluating state information from the monitored entities  14 , including the mobile terminal  28 . The presence server  20  continuously receives state information from the applicable monitored entities  14  (step  400 ) and applies the rules for the monitored person based on her profile (step  402 ). Notably, the subscriber entities  18  or subscriber associated therewith can also provide a profile to configure or otherwise filter delivery of presence information for the monitored person. Finally, the presence application  22  will evaluate the state changes and create presence information, if necessary, to send to the subscriber entities  18  (step  404 ). 
     Accordingly, the present invention automatically receives state information, including location-based state information, from interactions with various devices and evaluates the state information with a rules-based presence system that may take into account relatively static preferences supplied directly by the monitored person wishing to project an indication of presence. Those skilled in the art will recognize that manually provided state information may be used in combination with those initiated from naturally occurring interactions as well as those influenced by the monitored person being in a specific location or type of location. 
     Although many communication protocols may be used to facilitate communications, including delivery of state and presence information between the various devices, the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or the SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE) protocol is implemented in one embodiment of the present invention. The specification for SIP is provided in the Internet Engineering Task Force&#39;s RFC 3261: Session Initiation Protocol, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. SIP messages may be used to deliver state information to the presence server  20  and well as deliver presence information to the subscriber entities  18 . Additional presence system information may be found in The Internet Engineering Task Force&#39;s “RFC 3903: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Extension for Event State Publication,” and “RFC 3863: Presence Information Data Format (PIDF),” which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , a block representation of a presence server  20  is illustrated as having a control system  30  with sufficient memory  32  for the requisite software  34  and data  36  to operate as described above. The presence function  22  may be implemented in the software  34 . The control system  30  may also be associated with one or more network interfaces  38  to facilitate communications with the various monitored entities  14  and subscriber entities  18 , as well as any other network entity. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , a block representation of a presence tag  26  is illustrated. The presence tag  26  may take on any number of embodiments as noted above. In most of these embodiments, the presence tag  26  will include some form of a control system  40  having sufficient memory  42  for the requisite software (or firmware)  44  and data  46  to operate as described above. The control system  40  may also be associated with one or more communication interfaces  48  to facilitate communications with various mobile terminals  28 . Such communications may be active or passive wherein the presence tag  26  can operate under its own power to transmit tag information or derive power from an interrogation signal from a mobile terminal  28  to transmit the tag information. Depending on the configuration of the presence tag  26 , a configuration interface  50  may be provided to load the tag information. The tag information may also be loaded via the communication interface  48  by the mobile terminal  28  or other compatible device. 
     The basic architecture of the mobile terminal  28  is represented in  FIG. 9 . In the illustrated embodiment, a tag reader  52  and associated antenna  54  may be added to the normal electronics required by the mobile terminal  28 . The tag reader  52  may include the requisite communication electronics to communicate with passive presence tags  26 , active presence tags  26 , or both. Alternately, the mobile terminal  28  may be configured to use portions of the existing communication circuitry to facilitate local wireless communications with active or passive presence tags  26 . 
     In either embodiment, the mobile terminal  28  may include a receiver front end  56 , a radio frequency transmitter section  58 , an antenna  60 , a duplexer or switch  62 , a baseband processor  64 , a control system  66 , a frequency synthesizer  68 , and an interface  70 . The receiver front end  56  receives information bearing radio frequency signals from one or more remote transmitters provided by a base station. A low noise amplifier  72  amplifies the signal. A filter circuit  74  minimizes broadband interference in the received signal, while downconversion and digitization circuitry  76  downconverts the filtered, received signal to an intermediate or baseband frequency signal, which is then digitized into one or more digital streams. The receiver front end  56  typically uses one or more mixing frequencies generated by the frequency synthesizer  68 . The baseband processor  64  processes the digitized received signal to extract the information or data bits conveyed in the received signal. This processing typically comprises demodulation, decoding, and error correction operations. As such, the baseband processor  64  is generally implemented in one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). 
     On the transmit side, the baseband processor  64  receives digitized data, which may represent voice, data, or control information, from the control system  66 , which it encodes for transmission. The encoded data is output to the transmitter  58 , where it is used by a modulator  78  to modulate a carrier signal that is at a desired transmit frequency. Power amplifier circuitry  80  amplifies the modulated carrier signal to a level appropriate for transmission, and delivers the amplified and modulated carrier signal to the antenna  60  through the duplexer or switch  62 . 
     As noted above, the mobile terminal  28  may be able to communicate with the presence tag  26  as well as with a wireless or cellular network. Accordingly, the receiver front end  56 , baseband processor  64 , and radio frequency transmitter section  58  cooperate to provide either a cellular interface for the wireless network or a local access interface for the presence tag  26 . The radio frequency transmitter section  58  may be configured to transmit signals and information to the presence tag  26 . These functions may be implemented using redundant circuitry, or by configuring common circuitry to operate in different modes. The configuration of the mobile terminal  28  will be dictated by economics and designer choice. Alternately, the mobile terminal  28  could have both the local wireless interface and the wireless network interface in operation at the same time and select one of the two for communication at any given time as needed. 
     A user may interact with the mobile terminal  28  via the interface  70 , which may include interface circuitry  82  associated with a microphone  84 , a speaker  86 , a keypad  88 , and a display  90 . The interface circuitry  82  typically includes analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, amplifiers, and the like. Additionally, it may include a voice encoder/decoder, in which case it may communicate directly with the baseband processor  64 . The microphone  84  will typically convert audio input, such as the user&#39;s voice, into an electrical signal, which is then digitized and passed directly or indirectly to the baseband processor  64 . Audio information encoded in the received signal is recovered by the baseband processor  64 , and converted by the interface circuitry  82  into an analog signal suitable for driving the speaker  86 . The keypad  88  and display  90  enable the user to interact with the mobile terminal  28 , input numbers to be dialed, address book information, or the like, as well as monitor call progress information. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.