Apparatus for notifying a system administrator or an operator of reception of a message containing monitored information in a manner selected according to user situation

• US 20020129141A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Izumi, Yuji, Sogabe, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

In a message notification apparatus, message-type information defining one or more types of messages of which an operator is to be notified, and notification-manner information defining at least one manner in which the operator is to be notified of reception of each of the one or more types of messages are defined and stored. The message notification apparatus receives user-situation information indicating a situation of the operator. When the message notification apparatus receives a message, the message is compared with the one or more types of messages, and at least one notification manner is determined based on the notification-manner information and the user-situation information when the message is one of the one or more types of messages. Then, the message notification apparatus notifies the operator of reception of the message in the at least one notification manner.

Claims

1. A message notification apparatus comprising:

a condition setting unit which receives message-type information defining one or more types of messages of which an operator is to be notified of reception, and notification-manner information defining at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of each of the one or more types of messages;

a condition storing unit which stores said message-type information and said notification-manner information;

a message comparing unit which receives user-situation information indicating a situation of said operator and a message output from a monitored system, and compares the message with said one or more types of messages based on said message-type information;

a notification-manner determining unit which determines at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of the message, based on said notification-manner information and said user-situation information when said message is one of said one or more types of messages; and

a notification unit which notifies said operator of reception of said message in the at least one manner determined by said notification-manner determining unit.

2. A message notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said user-situation information indicates whether or not said operator is present at said message notification apparatus.

3. A message notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said user-situation information is input into said message notification apparatus by said operator.

4. A message notification apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user-location detection unit which detects information indicating whether or not the operator is present at said message notification apparatus, and generates said user-situation information.

5. A message notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said message-type information indicates at least one of a system type, a system name, a message identifier, a job name, and a message text.

6. A message notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one manner defined by said notification-manner information includes at least one of telephone notification, voice notification, pop-up display notification, e-mail notification, and user-defined notification.

7. A message notification method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving user-situation information indicating a situation of an operator;

(b) receiving a message from a monitored system;

(c) acquiring message-type information and notification-manner information from a storage unit, where said message-type information defines one or more types of messages of which said operator is to be notified of reception, and said notification-manner information defines at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of each of the one or more types of messages;

(d) comparing said message received in step (b) with said one or more types of messages defined by said message-type information;

(e) determining at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of the message, based on said notification-manner information and said user-situation information when said message is one of said one or more types of messages; and

(f) notifying said operator of reception of said message in the at least one manner determined in step (e).

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program which makes a computer behave as a message notification apparatus comprising:

a condition setting unit which receives message-type information defining one or more types of messages of which an operator is to be notified of reception, and notification-manner information defining at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of each of the one or more types of messages;

a condition storing unit which stores said message-type information and said notification-manner information;

a message comparing unit which receives user-situation information indicating a situation of said operator and a message output from a monitored system, and compares the message with said one or more types of messages based on said message-type information;

a notification-manner determining unit which determines at least one manner in which said operator is to be notified of reception of the message, based on said notification-manner information and said user-situation information when said message is one of said one or more types of messages; and

a notification unit which notifies said operator of reception of said message in the at least one manner determined by said notification-manner determining unit.