Patent ID: 7373428

Claim:
A method for facilitating communication between a watched party and a watching party over a multiple access network where the watching party wishes to contact the watched party and the watching party uses a first type of device on a first type of access network and the watched party uses a second type of device on a second type of access network comprising: storing, on a personal communications portal device, a plurality of contact addresses for said watched party in a common location which is accessible via said multiple access network, each contact address being associated with corresponding ones of a plurality of different types of devices; receiving a request from a watching party via a first type of access device on the first access network to contact said watched party, wherein said request includes an indication of a contact address associated with a watched party access device of the first type; directing the request to the personal communications portal device having access to the stored contact addresses; determining, by the personal communications portal device, presence information for the watched party including identifying which of said different devices are in active communication with the multiple access network; selecting, by the personal communications portal device, one of the plurality of contact addresses associated with at least one device identified as being in active communication with the multiple access network and being of a different type than the watching party device operating in response to a watched party defined contact rule, the watched party defined contact rule associating watched party presence and user preferences with each of the plurality of contact addresses; determining whether to permit the watching party to contact the watched party based at least in-part on which type of device is the active device and identity of the watching party; and if it is determined to permit the watching party to contact the watched party, prompting, by the personal communications portal device, redirection of communications between the first type of device associated with the first access network and used by the watching party to the second type of device associated with the second access network and used by the watched party by forwarding the selected contact address to the watching party to enable the watching party to contact the watched party at the selected contact address in response to the watched party contact rules, whereby quickly contacting the watched party may be facilitated and controlled, and personal mobility is supported.