Presence and Geographic Location Notification based on a Delegation Model
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.
1 . A method for controlling dissemination of a geographic location of a mobile communications device, the method comprising:
accessing delegation information accessible to the mobile communications device, the delegation information including multiple categories of communications identities and, for at least one of the multiple categories, identifying modifications to information used to control dissemination of the geographic location of the mobile communications device;
receiving, from a first communications identity associated with a category of the multiple categories, a proposed modification to information used to control dissemination of the geographic location of the mobile communications device, the information controlling dissemination of the geographic location relating to a second communications identity;
accessing delegation information accessible to the mobile communications device and associated with the category;
determining whether the first communications identity is permitted to perform the proposed modification based on the delegation information associated with the category; and
permitting modification to the information used to control dissemination of the geographic location of the mobile communications device conditioned upon the first communications identity being permitted to perform the proposed modification.
2 - 28 . (canceled)