Patent ID: 7685315

Claim:
A method comprising: specifying, via a particular terminal, at least one content type acceptable by the particular terminal for non-session based messaging via an accept-type header field of a registration or subscription message associated with establishing terminal sessions; specifying, via the particular terminal, rules pertaining to the content type via an extension to the accept-type header field of a session initiation protocol message, wherein the rules establish terminal-specific conditions in which the content type will be accepted at the particular terminal; including the rules pertaining to the content type in the registration or subscription message; and sending the registration or subscription message from the particular terminal to a session initiation protocol presence server via a session initiation protocol proxy sewer for storage and subsequent use by at least the presence server in formatting and delivering the terminal-compliant, non-session-based messages addressed to the particular terminal from a source terminal as mandated by the rules, wherein the non-session-based messages comprise presence notifications that communicate changes in one or more of communications means, communications address, and status of a user.