Patent ID: 7720719

Claim:
A method of utilizing an instant messaging protocol to monitor updated information relating to a transient object, the method comprising: specifying, with a monitoring device, characteristics of a transient object to be continuously monitored by a participant at least until an expiration of the transient object; receiving, at the monitoring device, a list of transient objects matching the specified characteristics; displaying the list of transient objects on a display of the monitoring device; receiving at the monitoring device, context specific information relating to at least one transient object in response to participant selection of the at least one transient object from the list; displaying on the display of the monitoring device, the context specific information; continuously monitoring the at least one transient object in response to participant selection of the at least one transient object from the list, using the monitoring device, at least until an expiration of the at least one transient object; receiving at the monitoring device, in response to a change in state of the continuously monitored of the at least one transient object, updates relating to about the at least one transient object using presence messages of an immediate messaging and presence protocol of the monitoring device; and displaying on the display of the monitoring device, the updates relating to the at least one transient object using an immediate messaging and presence protocol interface at the monitoring device.