Patent ID: 7792913

Claim:
A method for displaying an instant messaging (IM) presence indicator for each of a plurality of devices associated with a first user, wherein the plurality of devices include a first device representing a first type of instant messaging device and a second device representing a second type of instant messaging device different from the first type of instant messaging device, the method comprising: acquiring presence information for the first and second devices; associating a first device type identifier corresponding to the first type of instant messaging device with a first activation/deactivation flag indicative of whether or not the first device is activated to receive incoming instant messages based upon the presence information for the first device; associating a second device type identifier corresponding to the second type of instant messaging device with a second activation/deactivation flag indicative of whether or not the second device is activated to receive instant messages based upon the presence information for the second device; and transmitting the first and second device type identifiers and first and second activation/deactivation flags to a third device associated with a second user for display on the third device; wherein the first device type identifier indicates a first platform on which the first device is capable of communicating, and the second device type identifier indicates a second platform on which the second device is capable of communicating.