Patent ID: 8135809

Claim:
A computer-implemented capabilities communication system, the system comprising: a processor; and a capabilities component executed by the processor for aggregating capabilities information associated with a local user of the system as part of a capabilities document and for uploading the capabilities document to a presence server that is accessible by a remote user, wherein: the capabilities component automatically computes hardware capabilities and software capabilities based on a device manifest associated with a device of the local user, the capabilities document, when presented to the remote user, indicates a preferred realtime communications modality that the local user desires to use to communicate with the remote user, the capabilities document includes modality information related to a plurality of independent realtime communications modalities, the modality information conveys an ability or inability of the local user to use each of the plurality of independent realtime communications modalities, the capabilities document includes preferences information related to each independent realtime communications modality that the local user is able to use, and the preferred realtime communications modality is based on the modality information and the preferences information included in the capabilities document.