Presence Server Deriving Device Status from Message Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional instant messaging protocols face challenges in maintaining accurate presence information for mobile devices in wireless networks due to intermittent connections, leading to reduced battery life and increased network traffic.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate presence server analyzes and monitors traffic to and from mobile devices, differentiating between interactive and background messages to determine the device's active status without introducing significant new traffic, using appended bits or bytes in outgoing messages to indicate activity states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dedicated presence messages are sent over the wireless network to maintain accurate presence information, then presence accuracy is improved, but battery life is reduced due to increased network traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network node (such as a gateway or server) as an intermediary that monitors message traffic between the mobile device and the network. This intermediary derives presence information by analyzing existing message patterns without requiring the mobile device to send dedicated presence updates, thereby maintaining accuracy while reducing device energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The presence information system utilizes the mobile device's existing communication activities (message traffic) to automatically determine presence state. The system serves itself by deriving presence information from the device's natural communication behavior rather than requiring additional dedicated signaling from the device
2Measurement precision
If dedicated presence messages are sent over the wireless network to maintain accurate presence information, then presence accuracy is improved, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network node acts as an intermediary that monitors and analyzes existing message traffic between the mobile device and network. By deriving presence information from this existing traffic analysis, the system avoids the need for additional dedicated presence messages, thereby maintaining accuracy without increasing overall network traffic volume
Solution Approach 2:
The existing message traffic infrastructure serves multiple functions: it carries both user communication data and presence information derivation. This multi-functionality allows the system to obtain accurate presence information without requiring separate dedicated presence signaling channels, thus avoiding additional network traffic
3Measurement precision
If the mobile device continuously monitors and reports presence information, then presence accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network node serves as an intermediary that performs the complex task of monitoring message traffic patterns and deriving presence information. This shifts the computational and analytical complexity from the mobile device to the network infrastructure, maintaining presence accuracy while keeping the device relatively simple
Solution Approach 2:
The system derives presence information automatically from the device's existing communication activities without requiring complex device-side monitoring or reporting mechanisms. The device simply continues its normal communication operations while the network infrastructure automatically extracts presence information from these patterns
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for deriving presence information of a mobile device at a presence node in a wireless system, the method having the steps of: analyzing a message received from the mobile device to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step. The apparatus is a presence node for deriving and maintaining presence information of a mobile device in a wireless system, the mobile device communicating with a network node, the presence node having: a communication system for communicating with the network node; a processor; and an application running on the processor, the application having means for analyzing a message received from the mobile device at the network node to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step.