Geographic Location Notification Based on Identity Linking
A user maintains notification setting information having temporal periods capable of controlling, at least in part, the dissemination of information describing the on-line presence of the user within an instant messaging system or the geographic location of one or more mobile communications devices used by the user. The user may use multiple identities to communicate within the instant messaging system and/or with the mobile communications device or devices. The user can maintain sets of temporal periods for each of the multiple identities. Only one identity may be used at a specific time to communicate to a specific other identity, but the multiple identities of the user may be linked such that on-line presence and/or geographic location associated with one of the identities is disseminated based on the temporal periods set for one or more of the multiple identities.
1 . A computer-implemented method for providing notification information regarding geographical location, the method comprising:
for a first communications identity of a user, accessing geographic information stored in a computer storage medium indicating a location of a mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated; and
for a second communications identity of the user, determining geographic information that can be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device, with which the first communications identity is associated, wherein the first communications identity and the second communications identity correspond to the same natural person.
2 .- 21 . (canceled)