Telephony usage derived presence information

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mechanism for providing state information, which bears on the presence of a telephone user, to a presence system. The state information is derived by monitoring events relating to telephony use. Once derived, the state information is directly or indirectly sent to a presence service, which provides presence information to applications requiring such information about the telephone user. The state information preferably bears on the presence, absence, or availability of the telephone user based on their interaction with a telephony device or function. In one embodiment, a telephony switching system is configured to monitor events associated with a telephony device or function and send messages to a presence service over a packet-switched network when the state of the telephony device or function changes. In another embodiment, an IP telephone system is configured to provide state information to the presence service.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing presence information associated with a user of a communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a presence server, usage information associated with the communication device, the usage information received from at least one network serving the communication device;   determining, from the usage information, state information for association with the communication device;   receiving, at the presence server, location information associated with the communication device;   determining presence information for association with the user of the communication device based on the state information and the location information; and   providing the presence information to a presence service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising registering the communication device with the presence service. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein registering the communication device comprises sending a registration message to the presence service, the registration message identifying the communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining, from the usage information, the state information for association with the communication device comprises detecting a change in a state of the communication device; and   providing the presence information to the presence service comprises providing presence information which has been updated based on the detected change in the state of the communication device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the usage information comprises information indicative of a communication event associated with the communication device; and   determining the state information for association with the communication device comprises determining state information based on occurrence of the communication event.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presence information comprises at least one of:
 user presence;   user absence;   user availability via the communication device;   whether the communication device is currently off or on; and   user's current use of the communication device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, at the presence server, usage information associated with the communication device, from the at least one network serving the communication device, comprises receiving the usage information from multiple networks serving the communication device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the presence server, respective usage information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user, the respective usage information received from at least one network serving multiple communication devices associated with the user;   determining respective state information for association with each of the communication devices associated with the user; and   determining the presence information for association with the user based on the respective state information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 receiving, at the presence server, respective location information for each of the multiple communication devices associated with the user; and   determining the presence information for association with the user based on the respective state information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user and the respective location information for each of the multiple communication devices associated with the user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device comprises a telephony device. 
     
     
         11 . A system for providing presence information associated with a user of a communication device, the system comprising a presence server having features enabling:
 reception of usage information associated with the communication device, from at least one network serving the communication device;   determination, from the usage information, of state information for association with the communication device;   reception, at the presence server, of location information associated with the communication device;   determination of presence information for association with the user of the communication device based on the state information and the location information; and   provision of the presence information to a presence service.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the presence server has features enabling registration of the communication device with the presence service. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the presence server has features enabling registration of the communication device by sending a registration message to the presence service, the registration message identifying the communication device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the presence service has features enabling determination, from the usage information, of the state information for association with the communication device by detecting a change in a state of the communication device; and   the presence server has features enabling provision of the presence information to the presence service by providing presence information which has been updated based on the detected change in the state of the communication device.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the usage information comprises information indicative of a communication event associated with the communication device; and   the presence server has features enabling determination of the state information for association with the communication device by determining state information based on occurrence of the communication event.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the presence information comprises at least one of:
 user presence;   user absence;   user availability via the communication device;   whether the communication device is currently off or on; and   user's current use of the communication device.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the features enabling the reception, at the presence server, of the usage information associated with the communication device, from the at least one network serving the communication device, comprise features enabling reception of the usage information from multiple networks serving the communication device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the presence server has features enabling:
 reception, at the presence server, of respective usage information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user, from at least one network serving multiple communication devices associated with the user;   determination of respective state information for association with each of the communication devices associated with the user; and   determination of the presence information for association with the user based on the respective state information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the presence server has features enabling:
 reception, at the presence server, of respective location information for each of the multiple communication devices associated with the user; and   determination of the presence information for association with the user based on the respective state information associated with each of the communication devices associated with the user and the respective location information for each of the multiple communication devices associated with the user.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the communication device comprises a telephony device.