Patent ID: 7219303

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for providing notification information corresponding to a first communications identity, the method comprising: accessing notification setting information stored in a computer storage medium that identifies a temporal condition including at least one temporal period during which notification information is to be provided or withheld, wherein a beginning and an end of the at least one temporal period are specified in the notification setting information in advance of the beginning of the temporal period; determining whether the temporal condition is satisfied; accessing information indicating that the first communications identity associated with a first mobile device is associated with a second communications identity such that the first communications identity corresponds to a person and the second communications identity corresponds to the same person, wherein the first communications identity is a different communications identity than the second communications identity; receiving geographical location information associated with the first mobile device; accessing a participant list of an instant messaging system, the participant list identifying communications identities designated by a user that are associated with the second communications identity; and controlling dissemination of notification information related to the first communications identity based on whether the temporal condition is satisfied by, at least, making available the geographical location information associated with the first mobile device to the communications identities of the participant list associated with the second communications identity conditioned on the temporal condition being satisfied.