Method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of communication applications

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications networks, and in particular concerns the interaction of a communication terminal with social network platforms. The invention relates in particular to a method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of communication applications. State of the art

[0002] Nowadays, with the increasing development of mobile terminals such as smartphone, or "smart phone" and other digital tablets connected to the Internet, users communicate and exchange more and more messages with their contacts using in particular communication applications commonly called "social network applications", which include in particular "instant messaging" type messaging. As a reminder, an instant messaging ( instant messaging,in English), allows the instantaneous (i.e., real-time) exchange of text messages and files between several people via terminals connected to the same computer network, most often the Internet. Unlike email, instant messaging allows for interactive dialogue, which makes this type of communication very popular. Examples of social networking applications available on the market for mobile devices include WhatsApp ™< (Facebook), iMessage ™< (Apple), Facebook Messenger ™< (Facebook), and Twitter ™<.

[0003] Each of the social network applications is installed in the terminal (natively or by the user) and allows the terminal to connect to the social network application platform via the communication network, such as the Internet.

[0004] A common feature of social networking applications and in particular the instant messaging services associated with them is the possibility offered to the user to provide their presence status, also referred to as "status" ( status in English), for the social networking application in question. Such a user "status" may be, for example: "available", "busy", "disconnected", "away", etc. In certain circumstances, it is the application itself that updates the user's status, for example by associating the user with the status "offline" when the user's terminal is not connected to the communication network.

[0005] There are circumstances of inactivation of the terminal's network interfaces in which the user is unable to update their status for the social networking application in question. This is the case, for example, when the terminal suddenly finds itself in an area where there is no network coverage, particularly when the user is moving (by train, for example); it is also the case when the terminal turns off due to its battery being exhausted.

[0006] Furthermore, a mobile terminal of the type smartphonetypically includes a number of user controls allowing the user to deactivate all or part of the terminal's network interfaces or the services provided by them, for example deactivating mobile data for the mobile network interface (3G, 4G networks) to limit the terminal's power consumption or the consumption of billed data, the Wi-Fi interface or the Bluetooth ™ interface, or all network interfaces simultaneously, i.e. switching the terminal to "Airplane Mode".

[0007] When the user implements the aforementioned terminal controls related in particular to the connection to the Internet network via a mobile access network (3G, 4G) or a Wi-Fi network, the user does not necessarily have the time or even the desire to temporarily update his status (presence status) for each of the social network applications for which he is registered. Indeed, the user will have to connect successively to each of the server platforms for these applications in order to modify his status, which is tedious. Document WO 03 / 037007 A1 describes a method of automatic presence notification. It details a system that detects and communicates changes in a user's presence status without his intervention.

[0008] The present invention aims in particular to improve the situation set out above. Statement of the invention

[0009] The present invention proposes, according to a first aspect, a method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, the terminal being connected to a communication network via at least one network interface.

[0010] The above-mentioned method is remarkable in that it comprises the following operations: detection in the terminal of a functional event, one consequence of which is a future deactivation of the network interface; sending by the terminal to a server on the network, called a "status update server", said server storing presence states associated with the communication applications respectively, of a notification of a deactivation event of the network interface, called an "event notification", this event notification including a user identifier; following receipt of the event notification by the server, determination from the user identifier, for communication applications, of specific presence states associated with the communication applications corresponding to the detected event, respectively;sending by the server, to the network platforms hosting the respective communication applications, of requests to update the current presence states of the user for the communication applications considered, with the specific presence states for the communication applications considered.;

[0011] By means of such a method, the detection in the terminal of an event - such as for example a switch to Airplane Mode, loss of network coverage, or a system notification warning that the battery level of the terminal is below a certain threshold - automatically triggers in the terminal the sending of a notification to a server on the network ("status update server"), before the actual disconnection of the network connection. This notification (event notification) results in the automatic updating of a current presence status of the user for each of the communications applications supervised by the aforementioned server, for example social network applications, with a specific predefined presence status (also referred to as "status").

[0012] Such a specific status will be chosen in advance by the user in order, for example, to indicate to his contacts, for the relevant communication applications, that he is unreachable due to a temporary network connectivity failure, but that everything is otherwise fine.

[0013] According to a particular implementation of the method, the set of at least one communication application comprises at least two communication applications, the server determining from the user's identifier a specific presence state for each of the communication applications, and sending to each network platform respectively hosting at least one of the communication applications, an aforementioned request for updating a current presence state of the user for the communication application considered.

[0014] According to a particular characteristic of the aforementioned method, the operation of determining the specific presence states associated with the communication applications comprises obtaining from the user's identifier, on the one hand, information for configuring the specific presence states corresponding to the detected event, for each of the communication applications, and on the other hand, information for accessing the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications.

[0015] Thus, according to this characteristic, the status update server can centralize the configuration of a specific presence status corresponding to the detected event, for each of the communication applications, and on the other hand, the information allowing access to the network platforms hosting the communication applications, to carry out the update of the presence status.

[0016] According to one embodiment feature, the method further comprises an operation of receiving by the server a response from each network platform, indicating the success or failure of the update of the user's presence states for each of the communication applications.

[0017] This makes it possible to have a history of the results (success or failure) of successive updates of the presence statuses for the communication applications concerned.

[0018] According to another embodiment characteristic dependent on the implementation of that set out above, the method further comprises an operation of transmitting from the server to the terminal a notification indicating, for each of the communication applications, the result of the updating of the user's presence status.

[0019] In this way, the user can be informed, for example by a notification displayed on the screen of his terminal, of the result of the update.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment of the method, the detection of a functional event includes the detection of an event belonging at least to the following set of events: receiving information indicating that the terminal's battery is low; receiving information indicating that network coverage is below a defined level or threshold; executing a command to deactivate a network interface; executing a command to switch the terminal to Airplane Mode.

[0021] According to further characteristics of the implementation of the proposed method: The event notification is sent to the status update server as a request using an HTTP-like protocol ( Hypertext Transfer Protocol).The configuration information of the specific presence states for each of said communication applications, and the access information to the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications, are obtained by the server by querying a database incorporated in the server or accessible by the latter via a communication network. The communication applications are social network applications in which the user can configure a presence status.

[0022] Correlatively, according to a second aspect, the invention relates to a communication terminal comprising at least one network interface allowing the terminal to connect to at least one communication network. This terminal is remarkable in that it comprises a client software element designed to cooperate in updating a presence status of a user of the terminal for a set of at least two communication applications.

[0023] This client software element includes: a detection module configured to detect, when the terminal is connected to the communication network, a functional event one consequence of which is a future deactivation of the network interface; a sending module configured to send to a server on the network, called a "status update server", said server storing presence states associated with the communication applications respectively, a notification of a deactivation event of the network interface, called an "event notification"; this event notification, once received by the server, causes the latter to send to the network platforms hosting the respective communication applications, requests to update the current presence states of the user for the communication applications, with the specific presence states of the user corresponding to the detected functional event.

[0024] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a server connected to a communication network, this server comprising a server software element designed to cooperate in updating a presence status of at least one user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications.

[0025] The aforementioned server software element includes: a notification receiving module configured to receive notifications from at least one user terminal relating to events detected in the terminal, these events resulting in a future deactivation of a network interface of the terminal, each of the event notifications received including an identifier of a user of the terminal; an analysis module configured to, following the reception of such an event notification, determine from the identifier of the user included in the notification, for each of the communication applications, a specific presence state corresponding to an event detected in the user terminal;a request sending module configured to send, via the network to the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications, a request to update the current presence states of the user for the communication applications considered, with the specific presence states for the communication applications considered.;

[0026] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a system for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least one communication application, the terminal being connected to a communication network via at least one network interface, the system comprising: a communication terminal as briefly explained above; and a server as briefly explained above.

[0027] Finally, according to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a software element incorporated in a communication terminal or in a server as briefly described above, this software element comprising program instructions whose execution by a computer processor located in the terminal or the server causes the implementation of the corresponding actions of a method for updating a user's presence status for a set of at least one communication application, as explained above.

[0028] Such software may use any programming language, and comprise one or more programs in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0029] The invention therefore also relates, according to a final aspect, to a computer-readable information recording medium, on which is stored a software element (computer program) as set out above. Such a recording medium may consist of any device capable of storing such a software element.

[0030] For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a removable recording means such as a USB key or a magnetic recording means, such as a hard disk. Furthermore, a software element according to the invention may in particular be downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

[0031] The advantages provided by a communication terminal, a server, a software element, as briefly defined above, are identical or contribute to those mentioned above in relation to the method for updating a user's presence status, according to the invention, and consequently will not be repeated here. Brief description of the drawings

[0032] Other features, details and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description below, and upon analyzing the attached drawings, in which: There figure 1 represents an example of a telecommunications environment in which the method according to the invention can be implemented. The figure 2 represents the functional modules of a client software element incorporated in a communication terminal according to the invention. The figure 3represents the functional modules of a server software element incorporated in a status update server, according to the invention. The figure 4 represents in the form of a flowchart the main steps of a method for updating the presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of communication applications, according to the invention. Detailed description

[0033] There figure 1 represents a telecommunications environment in which the method according to the invention can be implemented. This environment comprises a communication terminal TU, such as a mobile telephone of the type smartphone,of a user, connected to a mobile telephone network (3G, 4G) not shown, giving access to a first network NW1 of the Internet type, to which is also connected an SVR server, associated with a DB database. The SVR server constitutes a "user status update" server within the meaning of the present invention, and is also connected to a second network NW2, such as a computer network, which may be a private network of the intranet type, separate from the network NW1, or included in the latter.

[0034] The telecommunications environment represented in the figure 1also includes network platforms PF1, PF2, PF3 (only three shown as examples) hosting respectively one or more communication applications. The platforms PF1-PF3 are here represented as being connected to the same network NW2, however each of these platforms can be connected to a network distinct from that to which the other platforms are connected. Furthermore, the terminal TU can also connect directly to the network NW2, for example so that the user of the terminal can update his user status directly with each of the communication applications for which he has a user account.

[0035] It should be noted here that the communication applications considered within the framework of this description are essentially online communication applications, which offer the user the possibility of configuring their presence status ( communication status) to indicate to its contacts its availability status for communication. Such applications are typically instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp ™< , or more generally so-called online social network applications such as Facebook ™< , Instagram ™< , Twitter ™< .

[0036] In the environment represented in the figure 1, the principle of the method for updating a presence state, according to the invention is as follows: the mobile terminal TU detects a functional event, a consequence of which is a future deactivation of a network interface of the terminal, for example the mobile network interface; following this detection, the terminal (TU) sends to the server SVR a notification indicating the next deactivation of its network interface; the server SVR receives this notification called "event notification" and extracts from it a user identifier, for example a subscriber number associated with the terminal; the server then determines for each application of a set of communication applications referenced in the server in correspondence with the user identifier, a specific presence state corresponding to the detected event;finally, the SVR server sends to each network platform (PF1-PF3) a request to update the presence status of the current user for the corresponding hosted communication application, with the specific presence status for this communication application.;

[0037] The implementation of the method for updating a presence status, briefly summarized above, is essentially based, on the one hand, on a software element called "client" natively incorporated in the user's terminal or downloaded and then installed by the latter in the terminal (in this case, we will rather speak of an application); and on the other hand, on a software element called "server" incorporated in the SVR server. Furthermore, the operator or provider of the presence status update service (or user status), described here, must have previously obtained from the providers of the communication applications hosted by the platforms (PFi), privileged access in order to be able to control the update of user statuses, with the corresponding communication applications, in place of the users themselves.

[0038] There figure 2represents the functional modules of a client software element incorporated in a communication terminal according to the invention. As illustrated in the figure 2 , the terminal TU is made up of elements arranged according to a conventional computer hardware architecture, including in particular a processor (PRC-T) 21 and a memory 25 comprising memory components of the ROM and RAM type and communicating via a set of data buses (Bt). The terminal (TU) also includes a battery (BAT) 26, the charge level of which can be communicated to an operating system module OS-T (23) of the terminal.

[0039] From a functional point of view, the TU terminal, here a smartphone-type mobile terminal, includes in particular the functional modules detailed below: A network communication interface I / O module (22), configured to communicate, via a mobile telephone network (not shown) and the NW1 network (of the Internet type), with equipment connected to the NW1 network such as the SVR server. For this purpose, the network interface module 22 can use various communication protocols such as for example an HTTP type protocol ( HyperText Transfer Protocol ) or HTTPS ( HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure ), or SIP ( Session Initiation Protocol). The operating system module (OS-T) 23, for example the Android ™ operating system from Google, managing the interaction between the different modules of the terminal and the processor (PRC-T). A user interface module 24 (USR-INT) associated with a display screen (not shown) and where appropriate with a keyboard (touch or mechanical) and communicating with the different applications installed on the terminal to graphically present to the user of the terminal data relating to the operation of the applications installed in the terminal and in particular of the client software element according to the invention. The client software element (APP-T) 150, recorded in the memory 25, and comprising in particular a detection module (DET) of a functional event as defined above, and a sending module (TX-T) of a notification, as defined above, relating to a detection of a deactivation event of the network interface 22.A timer module (not shown) configured to trigger a timer (. timer ) in order to shift in time a deactivation of the network interface (22) following a voluntary action (command) of the user on the terminal, so as to allow the sending module (TXT-T) of the client software element (25) to communicate with the server software element (35) of the server (SVR) to control the updating of the presence status of the user for the communication applications supervised by the server.

[0040] There figure 3 represents the functional modules of a server software element incorporated in a server according to the invention, referred to herein as "status update server". As illustrated in the figure 3, the SVR server is also made up of elements arranged according to a conventional computer hardware architecture, including in particular a processor (PRC-S) 31 and a memory 35 comprising memory components of the ROM and RAM type and communicating via a set of data buses (Bs).

[0041] From a functional point of view, the SVR server includes in particular the functional modules detailed below: A network communication interface I / O module (22), configured to communicate, via the NW1 network (of the Internet type), with user terminals such as the TU terminal, and via the NW2 network with service platforms (PFi) hosting communication applications for which a user can configure a presence state ( presence status ) .For this purpose, the network interface module 32 of the server can also use various communication protocols such as for example a protocol of type HTTP, HTTPS or SIP. An operating system module (OS-S) 33, for example the Linux or UNIX operating system, managing the interaction between the different modules of the server and the processor (PRC-S). A database module (DB) 34 intended to store specific presence status configuration information for each of the communication applications whose updating of user statuses is managed by the server, and the access information to the network platforms respectively hosting the aforementioned communication applications. On the figure 3, the database is represented as being a functional module incorporated in the server, but according to other embodiments this database can be incorporated in other network equipment accessible by the SVR server. The server software element (APP-S) 350, recorded in the memory 35, and comprising in particular a module (REC) for receiving event notifications as defined above, an analysis module (ANA) configured to determine for each of the communication applications a specific presence state, as explained above, and a module for sending (TX-S) presence state update requests, to the service platforms (PFi) hosting the aforementioned communication applications.

[0042] In connection with the figure 4we will now detail, according to an implementation example, the main steps of the method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of communication applications. In this example, the method is implemented in the environment of the figure 1 and by the network equipment described in relation to the Figures 2 and 3 .

[0043] As shown in the figure 4 and with reference to the environment of the figure 1 , the method initially comprises in the user terminal TU a detection action T1 by the aforementioned DET detection module of a functional event, a consequence of which is an imminent deactivation of the network interface (22) of the terminal.

[0044] Such an event may be independent of the user, linked for example to the physical environment of the terminal or to the charge of the terminal's battery, more precisely: receiving information from the operating system (OS-T) indicating that the battery charge level (BAT) of the terminal is low, for example that it reaches a predefined threshold (for example below 10%); receiving information from the operating system indicating that the network coverage (mobile network) becomes limited, for example below a predefined threshold or when the 4G network becomes inaccessible, only 3G access being possible.

[0045] Such an event may also be the result of a voluntary action by the user on the terminal, such as, for example, the execution of a command to deactivate the network interface, for example to save the terminal's battery or limit the number of data transmitted or received in order to limit the billing cost of the data exchanged (outside operator coverage, for example); such a command may also be a command to switch the terminal to Airplane Mode, in particular when traveling by plane.In the case of a voluntary action by the user on the network interface of the terminal aimed at deactivating the network interface, it is recalled here that the client software element of the terminal (25) implements a time delay in order to shift this deactivation in time so as to allow the client software element (25) to communicate with the server software element (35) of the server (SVR) in order to update the presence status of the user for the communication applications supervised by the server.

[0046] Back to the figure 4 , following step T1 of detecting such a functional event, the sending module (TX-T) of the client element (250) generates and sends an event notification (NT(EVT)) to the SVR server during step T2.This notification is for example an HTTP type request and includes a user identifier for example a subscriber identifier for the presence status update service provided by the SVR server, this identifier can also be, according to an exemplary embodiment, a telephone number of a subscriber to an operator's mobile network, in practice an MSISDN number ( Mobile Station ISDN Number ) stored in a SIM card ( Subscriber Identity Module ) incorporated into the TU terminal.

[0047] To the next step S3, the event notification (NT(EVT)) is received by the SVR server via the NW1 network and more precisely by the notification reception module (REC) of the server element (APP-S) 350, then is analyzed, at step S4,by the analysis module (ANA). For this purpose, the analysis module extracts the user identifier (UID) contained in the event notification and performs a search in the BD database to obtain user profile information (PR(UID)) associated with the extracted user identifier.

[0048] According to the described embodiment, the user profile information stored in the database BD with the user identifier as the entry key, comprises two types of information: on the one hand, configuration information of a specific presence state, corresponding to the detected event, for each of the communication applications supervised by the server entity (for the identified user); and on the other hand, access information to the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications.

[0049] The aforementioned configuration information is information previously configured by the user during a prior configuration phase making it possible to define a specific presence state for each of the communication applications for which the user is subscribed to the service according to the invention. The objective of this "specific presence state" is thus to allow the user's contacts for a communication application in question to be informed of a disconnection of the user from the application, prior to the actual disconnection due to a detected event.

[0050] The preliminary configuration phase of the presence status update service (hereinafter referred to as "user status") consists, for example, of entering data via a user interface into a configuration file stored in the BD database.

[0051] This "specific presence state" which must replace the current presence state for each of the communication applications, following the detection of a given event in the user's terminal, can be configured by the user so that this presence state is different depending on the communication application considered (for the same event). Furthermore, the specific presence state configured for a given communication application can also vary according to a type of event indicated in the notification transmitted to the server by the terminal. Thus, if the event corresponds to a low battery level, the user's status for the application considered could be, for example: "disconnected due to empty battery" ; if the event corresponds to poor network coverage, the new user status for this same communication application could be, for example, "disconnected due to loss of network coverage"; if the event results from a command executed by the user on the terminal, such as switching to Airplane Mode, the new user status for the communication application in question could be, for example, "disconnected after switching to Airplane Mode ".

[0052] Back to the figure 4 , as mentioned above, the user profile information searched in the database BD with the user identifier as an input key, during step S4, also contains access information to the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications. The aforementioned access information to the platforms hosting the communication applications, for example, consists of web addresses (URL - Uniform Resource Locator ) or any other means allowing a server (SVR) offering a status update service according to the invention, to remotely access a communication application management module, in such a platform.

[0053] Once the new presence state has been determined for each of the communication applications, as explained above, in step S5, the server software element (250) of the SVR server sends via its sending module TX-S, to each network platform (PF1-PF3) respectively hosting one or more of the communication applications configured for the user in the database (BD), a request (RQ(UPD)) to update the current presence state (currently active) for the communication application considered, with the new presence state ("specific" presence state) obtained previously (step S4) by consulting the database BD.

[0054] At the stage P6i(i varying from 1 to n, n being the number of platforms to be joined), the communication application management modules of the platforms receive the status update requests (RQ(UPD)) and trigger the requested user status update (UPD(STAT)), then send to the SVR server (REC module) response messages (RESULT) indicating the result of the requested status update (success or failure).

[0055] The REC module of the server element 35 of the SVR server receives at step S7, via the I / O module (32), the update responses (RESULT) from the PFi platforms and transmits them to the analysis module (ANA). Depending on the chosen implementation, the analysis module (ANA) can be configured to trigger a new sending of an update request to a platform after receiving a response indicating an update failure.

[0056] At the stage S8, the sending module TX-S of the server element 35 sends to the terminal TU, for each communication application for which the change of user status has been requested, a notification (NT(RESULT)) indicating the result (success or failure) of the initial update request (step S5).

[0057] At the stage T9, if the network interface (I / O) 22 of the terminal (TU) has not yet switched to the inactive state, the client software element 250 receives the aforementioned notifications (NT(RESULT)) indicating the result of the update of the user status for the communication applications concerned, and causes the communication (DISP(RESULT)) of these results to the user by means of a determined user interface. In practice, according to an exemplary embodiment, these results are communicated to the user in the form of notification bubbles (designated by pop-up notifications or toasts in English) displayed on the terminal screen.

[0058] By means of the method according to the invention, implemented according to the embodiment given as an example and described above, the user of a communication terminal such as a smartphone will be able to define a specific presence status for a certain number of communication applications - of the instant messaging type or more generally of the social network type - in order to indicate in substance, by this specific status, to his contacts for the communication applications concerned, that he is unreachable due to a temporary network connectivity fault, but that everything is otherwise fine, and this before the network interface of the terminal is deactivated. The method is based on a client software element installed in the user terminal, natively or subsequently (in the form of an application) by the user, and on a server software element equipping a server on a communication network to which the terminal has access.This so-called "status update" server can thus centralize configuration information for specific presence states corresponding to predefined events that are detected in the terminal, for each of the communication applications, and on the other hand, information allowing access to the network platforms hosting the communication applications, to carry out the update of the presence states. It is also possible to have in the server a history of the result (success or failure) of the successive updates of the presence states for the communication applications concerned and to inform the user of the terminal, by notifications transmitted by the server to the terminal, as to the result of each update of his presence state for the communication applications supervised by the server on behalf of the user.

Claims

1. Method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, the terminal being connected to a communication network via at least one network interface, the method comprising the following actions: - detecting (T1), in the terminal, of a functional event of which a consequence is a future deactivation of the network interface; - sending (T2), by the terminal to a server on the network, called "status update server", said server storing presence statuses associated with the communication applications, respectively, of a deactivation event notification concerning said network interface, called "event notification", said event notification including an identifier of the user; - following the reception (S3) of said event notification by the server, determining (S4), based on the identifier of the user, for communication applications, specific presence statuses associated with the communication applications corresponding to the detected event, respectively; - sending (S5), by the server, to the network platforms hosting the respective communication applications, of requests to update current presence statuses of the user for the communication applications concerned, with the specific presence statuses for the communication applications concerned.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein said action of determining (S4) specific presence statuses associated with the communication applications comprises obtaining, based on the identifier of the user, on the one hand, configuration information concerning specific presence statuses corresponding to the detected event, for each of said communication applications, and, on the other hand, information on access to the network platforms respectively hosting said communication applications.

3. Method according to either of Claims 1 and 2, further comprising an action of receiving (S7), by the server, a response from each network platform, indicating the success or failure of the updating (P6) of the presence statuses of the user for each of the communication applications.

4. Method according to Claim 3, further comprising an action of transmitting (S8), from the server to the terminal, a notification indicating, for each of the communication applications, the result of the updating of the presence statuses of the user.

5. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection (T1) of a functional event includes the detection of an event belonging to at least the following set of events: - reception of information indicating that the battery of the terminal is weakly charged; - reception of information indicating that the network coverage is below a defined level or threshold; - execution of a network interface deactivation command; - execution of a command to switch the terminal to airplane mode.

6. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said event notification is sent (T2) to the status update server in the form of a request using a protocol of HTTP type.

7. Method according to any one of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the specific presence status configuration information for each of said communication applications, and the information on access to the network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications, are obtained (S4) by said server by the interrogation of a database that is incorporated in the server or that can be accessed by the latter via a communication network.

8. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein said communication applications are social network applications in which the user can parameterize a presence status.

9. Communication terminal comprising at least one network interface allowing the terminal to connect to at least one communication network, said terminal comprising a client software element designed to cooperate in the updating of a presence status of a user of the terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, said client software element comprising: - a detection module configured to detect, when the terminal is connected to the communication network, a functional event of which a consequence is a future deactivation of the network interface; - a sending module configured to send, to a server on the network, called "status update server", said server storing presence statuses associated with the communication applications, respectively, a deactivation event notification concerning said network interface, called "event notification"; said event notification, once received by said server, provoking the sending, by the latter to the network platforms hosting the respective communication applications, of requests to update current presence statuses of the user for the communication applications, with the specific presence statuses of the user corresponding to the functional event detected.

10. Server connected to a communication network, said server comprising a server software element designed to cooperate in the updating of a presence status of at least one user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, said server software element comprising: - a notification reception module configured to receive, from at least one user terminal, notifications relating to events detected in the terminal, said events resulting in a future deactivation of a network interface of the terminal, each of the event notifications received including an identifier of a user of the terminal; - an analysis module configured to determine, following the reception of one said event notification, based on the identifier of the user included in the notification, for each of the communication applications, a specific presence status corresponding to an event detected in the user terminal; - a request sending module configured to send, via said network to network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications, a request to update current presence statuses of the user for the communication applications concerned, with the specific presence statuses for the communication applications concerned.

11. System for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, the terminal being connected to a communication network via at least one network interface, said system comprising: - a communication terminal according to Claim 9; and - a server according to Claim 10.

12. Software element for implementing a method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, said software element being intended to be installed in the terminal and comprising instructions, the execution of which by a processor with which the terminal is equipped provokes the performance of the following actions: - detection, when the terminal is connected to a communication network, of a functional event of which a consequence is a future deactivation of a network interface of the terminal; - sending, to a server on the network, called "status update server", said server storing presence statuses associated with the communication applications, respectively, of a deactivation event notification concerning said network interface, called "event notification"; said event notification, once received by said server, provoking the sending, by the latter to the network platforms hosting the respective communication applications, of requests to update current presence statuses of the user for the communication applications, with the specific presence statuses of the user corresponding to the functional event detected.

13. Software element for implementing a method for updating a presence status of a user of a communication terminal for a set of at least two communication applications, said software element being intended to be installed in a server connected to a communication network and comprising instructions, the execution of which by a processor with which the server is equipped provokes the performance of the following actions: - reception, from at least one user terminal, of notifications relating to events detected in the terminal, said events resulting in a future deactivation of a network interface of the terminal, each of the event notifications received including an identifier of a user of the terminal; - following the reception of one said event notification, determination, based on the identifier of the user included in the notification, for each of the communication applications, of a specific presence status corresponding to an event detected in the user terminal; - sending, via said network to network platforms respectively hosting the communication applications, of a request to update current presence statuses of the user for the communication applications concerned, with the specific presence statuses for the communication applications concerned.