Presence and geographic location notification based on a delegation model

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US007124370B2

United States Patent

Fish

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,124,370 B2 Oct. 17, 2006

PRESENCE AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION NOTIFICATION BASED ON A DELEGATION MODEL

Inventor: Edmund J. Fish, Great Falls, VA (US)

Assignee: America Online, Inc., Dulles, VA (US)

Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

Appl. No.: 10/849,565

Filed: May 20, 2004

Prior Publication Data

US 2004/0260762 Al Dec. 23, 2004

Related U.S. Application Data

Provisional application No. 60/471,743, filed on May 20, 2003.

Int. CI.

G06F 3/00 (2006.01)
G06F 9/00 (2006.01)
G06F17/00 (2006.01)

U.S. CI 715/741; 715/758; 715/743;

715/753

Field of Classification Search 715/500,

715/741,758,743,753; 709/206; 455/456.1 See application file for complete search history.

References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

A user of an instant messaging system may store names of other users of the instant messaging system on a participant list (which may be referred to as a "buddy list"), and the names may be categorized into one or more groups. Similarly, a user of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, may store contact information about people on the mobile device. Information describing the on-line presence of the user within the instant messaging system or geographic location of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone associated with the user system, may be disseminated to users on the participant list or people on the contact list based on notification information that is associated with groups of users or contacts. A delegation model is used to control whether a user is permitted to make modifications to the notification information.

31 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets

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* cited by examiner