Patent ID: 7990900

Claim:
A method implemented in a communication system in which end-users' wireless communication devices are provided with periodically updated presence status information for other end-users, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a presence packet wirelessly-transmitted from an end-user's wireless communication device where the packet contains both presence status information and data that represents conditions or attributes associated with the end-user's communication device, the presence status information representing the current capability of the end-user's device itself to support a voice call from another user; storing, in a notification profile at a communication infrastructure node, periodically updated presence status information and data for respective end-users, the updated data representing conditions associated with each end-user's communication device; storing at the communication infrastructure node predetermined rules that govern the establishment of a call in response to a call origination request directed to a destination end-user's device based at least in part on values contained in the respective stored data for the destination end-user's device; detecting a call origination request to a first end-user's device by the communication infrastructure node; determining by the communication infrastructure node whether a call with the first end-user's device is to be established in response to the call request based on the results of the rules and the data associated with the first end-user; periodically transmitting by a presence server a publication packet to a group of end-user's wireless communication devices registered to receive presence status information updates for the first end-user, the publication packet containing a header with addresses of members of the group, presence status information, and data associated with the first end-user's wireless communication device.