Granted Patent B2

US 6,990,353 · App. 10/370,332 · Granted Jan 24, 2006

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an application server component that communicates to one or more mobile stations, of a plurality of mobile stations, one or more updates of one or more statuses of respective one or more mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations;

wherein the plurality of mobile stations comprise a first mobile station and a second mobile station, wherein the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile stations comprise an update of a status of the first mobile station;

wherein one or more databases store a buddy list and a reverse-buddy list, wherein the buddy list is administered by a user of the second mobile station and comprises an indication of the first mobile station, wherein the reverse-buddy list is associated with the first mobile station and comprises a list of one or more mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations that administer a buddy list that comprises an indication of the first mobile station;

wherein based on an inclusion of the second mobile station on the reverse-buddy list associated with the first mobile station, the application server component communicates the update of the status of the first mobile station to the second mobile station to indicate to the second mobile station whether the first mobile station is available for participation in a call with the second mobile station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the update of the status of the first mobile station comprises a first update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the first mobile station comprises a status-change component, wherein a user of the first mobile station manually activates the status-change component to initiate communication of a change in the status of the first mobile station to the application server component;

wherein based on the change in the status of the first mobile station, the application server component communicates a second update of the status of the first mobile station to the second mobile station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the update of the status of the first mobile station indicates to the second mobile station that the first mobile station is available for participation in the call with the second mobile station, the apparatus further comprising:

a telecommunications network component;

wherein upon an involvement by the first mobile station in a call with a third mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations, the telecommunications network component communicates to the application server component the involvement of the first mobile station in the call with the third mobile station.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the update of the status of the first mobile station comprises a first update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile stations comprise a second update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein based on the involvement of the first mobile station in the call with the third mobile station the application server component communicates to the second mobile station the second update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the second update of the status of the first mobile station indicates to the second mobile station that the first mobile station is unavailable for participation in a call with the second mobile station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein upon completion of the call with the third mobile station, the telecommunications network component communicates to the application server component the completion of the call with the third mobile station;

wherein the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile stations comprise a third update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein based on the completion of the call with the third mobile station the application server component communicates to the second mobile station the third update of the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the third update of the status of the first mobile station indicates to the second mobile station that the first mobile station is available for participation in a call with the second mobile station.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second mobile station comprises a database of the one or more databases, wherein the database stores the buddy list that is administered by the user of the second mobile station;

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to monitor the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to generate the update of the status of the first mobile station.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mobile station notifies the application server component upon a change in the status of the first mobile station.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a telecommunications network component, wherein the application server component communicates the update of the status of the first mobile station to the second mobile station through the telecommunications network component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications network component notifies the application server component upon a change in the status of the first mobile station.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications network component comprises a user profile database of the one or more databases, wherein the user profile database stores the buddy list that is administered by the user of the second mobile station,

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to monitor the status of the first mobile station;

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to generate the update of the status of the first mobile station.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the buddy list comprises the indication of the first mobile station and one or more additional mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations, wherein the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile stations comprise one or more updates of one or more statuses of the one or more additional mobile stations, respectively;

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to monitor the one or more statuses of the one or more additional mobile stations, respectively;

wherein the application server component employs the buddy list to generate the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the one or more additional mobile stations, respectively.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the call comprises a first call, wherein the telecommunications network component comprises a user profile database of the one or more databases, wherein the user profile database stores a reverse-buddy list that is associated with the second mobile station;

wherein the reverse-buddy list that is associated with the second mobile station comprises a list of one or more mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations that administer a buddy list that comprises an indication of the second mobile station;

wherein the one or more updates of the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile stations comprise an update of a status of the second mobile station;

wherein the application server component communicates the update of the status of the second mobile station to the one or more mobile stations, that administer the buddy list that comprises the indication of the second mobile station, to indicate whether the first mobile station is available for participation in a second call.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications network component comprises a user profile database of the one or more databases, wherein the user profile database stores the buddy list that is administered by the user of the second mobile station;

wherein upon receipt by the application server component of a call request from the second mobile station to the first mobile station the application server component translates the call request from the indication of the first mobile station to a termination address of the first mobile station.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the telecommunications network component comprises a session control component and a user profile database of the nine or more databases, wherein upon a change in the status of the first mobile station, the session control component retrieves a profile of the first mobile station from the user profile database;

wherein the session control component employs the profile to determine permissions for the first mobile station.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mobile stations comprises a plurality of mobile telephones, wherein the first mobile station comprises a first mobile telephone of the plurality of mobile telephones, wherein the second mobile station comprises a second mobile telephone of the plurality of mobile telephones.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the call comprises any one or more of voice communication, data communication, and messaging.

17. A method, comprising the steps of:

monitoring one or more statuses of respective one or more mobile telephones of a plurality of mobile telephones, wherein the plurality of mobile telephones comprise a first mobile telephone and a second mobile telephone, wherein one or more databases store a buddy list and a reverse-buddy list, wherein the buddy list is administered by a user of the first mobile telephone and comprises an indication of the second mobile telephone, wherein the reverse-buddy list is associated with the second mobile telephone and comprises a list of one or more mobile telephones of the plurality of mobile telephones that administer a buddy list that comprises an indication of the second mobile telephone; and

communicating to the first mobile telephone, based on an inclusion of the first mobile telephone on the reverse-buddy list associated with the second mobile telephone, an update of a status, of the one or more statuses, of the second mobile telephone.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of monitoring the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile telephones of the plurality of mobile telephones comprises the steps of:

detecting by a telecommunications network component the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile telephones; and

storing the one or more statuses of the respective one or more mobile telephones in a user profile database.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of communicating to the first mobile telephone, based on the inclusion of the first mobile telephone on the reverse-buddy list associated with the second mobile telephone, the update of the status of the second mobile telephone comprises the steps of:

accessing the buddy list of the first mobile telephone that comprises the indication of the second mobile telephone;

retrieving the status of the second mobile telephone; and

communicating to the first mobile telephone an update of the status of the second mobile telephone.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of communicating to the first mobile telephone, based on the inclusion of the first mobile telephone on the reverse-buddy list associated with the second mobile telephone, the update of the status of the second mobile telephone comprises the steps of:

receiving from the second mobile telephone an indication of a change in the status of the second mobile telephone; and

sending the indication of the change in the status of the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of:

sending the indication of the change in the status of the second mobile telephone to one or more mobile telephones of the plurality of mobile telephones that are listed on the reverse-buddy list of the second mobile telephone.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:

translating a call request made by the first mobile telephone to initiate a call with a third mobile telephone of the plurality of mobile telephones from an indication of the third mobile telephone to a termination address that corresponds to the third mobile telephone; and

connecting the first mobile telephone with the termination address for mobile communication with the third mobile telephone.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of communicating to the first mobile telephone, based on the inclusion of the first mobile telephone on the reverse-buddy list associated with the second mobile telephone, the update of the status of the second mobile telephone comprises the step of:

notifying a telecommunications network component of a busy status of the second mobile telephone to alert one or more mobile telephones of the plurality of mobile telephones that the second mobile telephone is unavailable for mobile communication.

24. An article, comprising:

one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media;

means in the one or more media for monitoring one or more statuses of respective one or more mobile telephones of a plurality of mobile telephones, wherein the plurality of mobile telephones comprise a first mobile telephone and a second mobile telephone, wherein one or more databases store a buddy list and a reverse-buddy list, wherein the buddy list is administered by a user of the first mobile telephone and comprises an indication of the second mobile telephone, wherein the reverse-buddy list is associated with the second mobile telephone and comprises a list of one or more mobile telephones of the plurality of mobile telephones that administer a buddy list that comprises an indication of the second mobile telephone; and

means in the one or more media for communicating to the first mobile telephone, based on an inclusion of the first mobile telephone on the reverse-buddy list associated with the second mobile telephone, an update of a status, of the one or more statuses, of the second mobile telephone.

Assignments (6)