Efficient transmission of presence update information to presence service clients

Abstract

To promote efficient transmission of presence update information to a presence service client associated or integrated with a communication client such as an instant messaging (IM) client, a separate computing device may be notified when the communication client becomes dormant. The separate device may buffer presence updates destined for the communication client, each presence update containing information regarding availability of at least one of a set of contacts for intercommunication via said communication client. When the separate device learns that either the communication client has ceased being dormant or that an event has occurred which shall cause the communication client to cease being dormant, the buffered presence updates may be sent to the presence service client. Presence updates within the buffered set may be reconciled to eliminate obsolete information. The result may be a conservation of wireless connection bandwidth or reduction in device power consumption.

1 . A method performed by a server that is configured to wirelessly transmit presence updates to a presence service client associated with a communication client executing on a wireless communication device, comprising:
 receiving an indication that the communication client has become dormant;   in response to receiving the indication, buffering presence updates destined for the presence service client, each presence update indicating availability of a contact for communication with the communication client;   receiving a further indication that an event has occurred that will cause, but has not yet caused, the communication client to cease being dormant; and   in response to receiving the further indication, transmitting the buffered presence updates to the presence service client.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the indication is a communication from the communication client. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communication client is an instant messaging client. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the further indication is based on a condition that is known to the server before it is known to the communication client. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition comprises a communication, other than a presence update, destined for the communication client. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the condition is that a contact of interest of the communication client has logged into an instant messaging service. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitting occurs despite the server not having received an unhold message from the communication client. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communication client becoming dormant comprises presence information being undisplayable on a screen of the communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitting includes reconciling the presence updates into a single presence update and transmitting the single presence update. 
     
     
         10 . A method performed by a server that is configured to wirelessly transmit presence updates to a presence service client associated with a communication client executing on a wireless communication device, comprising:
 receiving an indication that the communication client has become dormant;   in response to receiving the indication, buffering presence updates destined for the presence service client, each presence update indicating availability of a contact for communication with the communication client;   receiving a further indication that an event has occurred that will cause the communication client to cease being dormant; and   in response to receiving the further indication, transmitting the buffered presence updates to the presence service client, despite the server not having received a notification from the communication client that the communication client has ceased being dormant.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the communication client is an instant messaging client, and the indication is an instant message from the communication client. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the further indication is based on a condition that is known to the server before it is known to the communication client. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the condition comprises a communication, other than a presence update, destined for the communication client. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the condition is that a contact of interest of the communication client has logged into an instant messaging service. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the communication client becoming dormant comprises presence information being undisplayable on a screen of the communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the transmitting includes reconciling the presence updates into a single presence update and transmitting the single presence update. 
     
     
         17 . A method performed by a server that is configured to wirelessly transmit presence updates to a presence service client associated with a communication client executing on a wireless communication device, comprising:
 receiving an indication that the communication client has become dormant;   in response to receiving the indication, buffering presence updates destined for the presence service client, each presence update indicating availability of a contact for communication with the communication client;   receiving a further indication that an event has occurred that will cause the communication client to cease being dormant;   reconciling the presence updates into a single presence update; and   in response to receiving the further indication, transmitting the single presence update in place of the buffered presence updates.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the reconciling includes retaining only a most recent of the buffered updates. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the communication client is an instant messaging client, and the indication is an instant message from the communication client. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the communication client becoming dormant comprises presence information being undisplayable on a screen of the communication device.