Presence and geographic location notification based on a delegation model

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using delegation information associated with a communications identity to manage modifying notification setting information to control dissemination of notification information relating to the communications identity, the method comprising:
 accessing delegation information associated with a communications identity, the delegation information including multiple categories of communications identities and, for at least one of the multiple categories, identifying notification information modifications to be controlled;   receiving, from a communications identity associated with a category of the multiple categories, a modification of notification information regarding the notification setting information;   accessing delegation information associated with the category;   determining whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification based on the delegation information associated with the category; and   only permitting the modification to the notification setting information when the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the multiple categories comprise multiple categories in which at least two categories of the multiple categories are arranged in a hierarchical relationship such that a lower category is related to a higher category, 
 delegation information associated with the higher category also is associated with the lower category, 
 the communications identity is associated with the lower category, and 
 determining whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification is based on the delegation information associated with the higher category. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the multiple categories include a government category, an equipment owner category, and a user category. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the equipment owner category comprises a business enterprise and the user category comprises an employee. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the equipment owner category comprises a parent and the user category comprises a child of the parent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein controlling dissemination of notification information comprises restricting notification of availability of the communications identity to communicate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein controlling dissemination of notification information comprises permitting notification of availability of the communications identity to communicate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein controlling dissemination of notification information comprises restricting notification of the geographic location of the communications identity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein controlling dissemination of notification information comprises permitting notification of the geographic location of the communications identity. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon a computer program configured to use delegation information associated with a communications identity to manage modifying notification setting information to control dissemination of notification information relating to the communications identity, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:
 access delegation information associated with a communications identity, the delegation information including multiple categories of communications identities and, for at least one of the multiple categories, identifying notification information modifications to be controlled;   receive, from a communications identity associated with a category of the multiple categories, a modification of notification information regarding the notification setting information;   access delegation information associated with the category;   determine whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification based on the delegation information associated with the category; and   only permit the modification to the notification setting information when the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification.   
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein:
 the multiple categories comprise multiple categories in which at least two categories of the multiple categories are arranged in a hierarchical relationship such that a lower category is related to a higher category, 
 delegation information associated with the higher category also is associated with the lower category, 
 the communications identity is associated with the lower category, and 
 the one or more code segments configured to determine whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification do so based on the delegation information associated with the higher category. 
 
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein the multiple categories includes a government category, an equipment owner category, and a user category. 
     
     
         13 . The medium of  claim 12  wherein the equipment owner category comprises a business enterprise and the user category comprises an employee. 
     
     
         14 . The medium of  claim 12  wherein the equipment owner category comprises a parent and the user category comprises a child of the parent. 
     
     
         15 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more code segments configured to control dissemination of notification information comprise one or more code segments configured to restricting notification of availability of the communications identity to 30 communicate. 
     
     
         16 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more code segments configured to control dissemination of notification information comprise one or more code segments configured to permit notification of availability of the communications identity to communicate. 
     
     
         17 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more code segments configured to control dissemination of notification information comprise one or more code segments configured to restrict notification of the geographic location of the communications identity. 
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 10  wherein the one or more code segments configured to control dissemination of notification information comprise the one or more code segments configured to permit notification of the geographic location of the communications identity. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for using delegation information associated with a communications identity to manage modifying notification setting information to control dissemination of notification information relating to the communications identity, the apparatus being configured to:
 access delegation information associated with a communications identity, the delegation information including multiple categories of communications identities and, for at least one of the multiple categories, identifying notification information modifications to be controlled;   receive, from a communications identity associated with a category of the multiple categories, a modification of notification information regarding the notification setting information;   access delegation information associated with the category;   determine whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification based on the delegation information associated with the category; and   only permit the modification to the notification setting information when the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein:
 the multiple categories comprise multiple categories in which at least two categories of the multiple categories are arranged in a hierarchical relationship such that a lower category is related to a higher category, 
 delegation information associated with the higher category also is associated with the lower category, 
 the communications identity is associated with the lower category, and 
 the apparatus is further configured to determine whether the communications identity is permitted to perform the modification based on the delegation information associated with the higher category.