Apparatus and method for sharing information through presence service in a communication network

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication unit; and

a controller configured to:

control the communication unit to transmit, to a server, a request for information regarding a user of another electronic device;

receive, via the communication unit, the information regarding the user of the other electronic device, the information comprising application information identifying an application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing an activity with respect to the application;

control to output, for display based on the received information, a visual indication identifying the user, the application information, and the user activity information describing the activity with respect to the application executed in the other electronic device;

receive, via the communication unit, additional information comprising application information identifying another application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing another activity with respect to the other application executed in the other electronic device; and

control to output, for display based on the received additional information, the application information identifying the other application, and the user activity information describing the other activity with respect to the other application,

wherein user activity information describes an activity which the user has been doing with respect to an application executed in the other electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, via the communication unit, additional application information identifying another application executed in another device and user activity information describing another activity which another user has been doing with respect to the other application; and

control to output, for display based on the received additional application information and the received other user activity information, a visual indication identifying the other user, the additional application information, and the user activity information describing the other activity with respect to the other application.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application information includes a title of the executed application.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user activity information includes information describing an activity with respect to a web browser being executed on the other electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user activity information includes information describing an activity associated with a media player executed on the other electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the user activity information indicates a video content is playing.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user activity information includes a music title of a music content and indicates the music content is playing.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit, to the server, additional application information identifying another application executed in the electronic device and user activity information describing another activity which another user has been doing with respect to the other application.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to output, to an external display, the visual indication identifying the user, the application information, and the user activity information describing the activity with respect to the application.

10. A device for providing information of a user, the device comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive, from another electronic device, application information identifying an application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing an activity with respect to the application;

a memory configured to store the received application information and the received user activity information; and

a controller configured to:

receive, from an electronic device via the communication unit, a request for information regarding the user of the other electronic device,

transmit, to the electronic device via the communication unit, the information comprising the stored application information and the stored user activity information, and

transmit, to the electronic device via the communication unit, additional information comprising application information identifying another application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing another activity with respect to the other application executed in the other electronic device,

wherein user activity information describes an activity which the user has been doing with respect to an application executed in the other electronic device.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:

the communication unit is configured to receive, from another device, additional application information identifying another application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing another activity which another user has been doing with respect to the other application;

the memory is configured to store the received additional application information and the received user activity information; and

the controller is configured to:

receive, from the electronic device, the request for the information from the other electronic device, and

transmit, to the electronic device via the communication unit, the information comprising the stored additional application information and the stored user activity information.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the user activity information includes information describing an activity with respect to a web browser being executed on the other electronic device.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the user activity information includes information describing an activity associated with a media player executed on the other electronic device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program, which, when executed by an electronic device, performs a method of providing information of a user, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the electronic device to a server, a request for information regarding a user of another electronic device;

receiving the information comprising application information identifying an application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing an activity with respect to the application;

outputting, for display based on the received information, a visual indication identifying the user, the application information, and the user activity information describing the activity with respect to the application;

receiving additional information comprising application information identifying another application executed in the other electronic device and user activity information describing another activity with respect to the other application executed in the other electronic device; and

outputting, for display based on the received additional information, the application information identifying the other application, and the user activity information describing the other activity with respect to the other application,

wherein user activity information describes an activity which the user has been doing with respect to the application executed in the other electronic device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving additional application information identifying another application executed in another device and user activity information describing another activity which another user has been doing with respect to the other application; and

outputting, for display based on the received additional information, a visual indication identifying the other user, the additional application information, and the user activity information describing the other activity with respect to the other application.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 14 , wherein the user activity information includes information describing an activity associated with a media player executed on the other electronic device.