Systems and methods for notification of electronic mail receipt in a shared computer environment via advanced intelligent network systems

• US 20030061290A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering a notification of an email arrival to one or more customer premises equipment to alert users that an email has been received at a mail server. The systems and methods comprise receiving a message on an application server where the message includes at least an email addressee. The application server uses the email addressee to lookup a subscriber'"'"'s directory number or an internet protocol address and user name associated with the email addressee. Based at least in part on this information, the application server sends an instruction a service control point (if the lookup returns a directory number) or to the internet protocol address (if the lookup returns such an address). If the instruction is sent to a service control point, then the service control point causes an advanced intelligent node to initiate a call to the subscriber directory number and send a signal to the telephone customer premises equipment. If the instruction is sent to the internet protocol address, then a network node associated with the internet protocol address displays a notification alerting the user that email has arrived on a mail server.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a notification of an email arrival to a telephone customer premises equipment, said method comprising:

receiving a message on an application server, said message including at least an email addressee;

looking up the email addressee in a database to identify at least a subscriber directory number associated with the email addressee;

sending an instruction from the application server to a service control point, said instruction including at least the subscriber directory number;

causing an advanced intelligent network node to initiate a call to the subscriber directory number; and

sending a signal to the telephone customer premises equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone customer premises equipment comprises a telephone device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a distinctive ring tone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone customer premises equipment comprises a caller-id display device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal comprises a text message for display on the caller-id display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in a database further comprises identifying a user name associated with the email addressee.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in a database further comprises identifying a user name associated with the email addressee.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in a database further comprises identifying a distinctive ring signal associated with the email addressee.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in a database further comprises identifying a user name and a distinctive ring signal associated with the email addressee.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the advanced intelligent network node comprises a service switching point.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the advanced intelligent network node comprises a service node.

12. A method for delivering a notification of an email arrival to a shared broadband appliance, said method comprising:

receiving a message on an application server, said message including at least an email addressee;

looking up the email addressee in a database to identify at least an internet protocol address and a user name associated with the email addressee; and

sending an instruction from the application server to the shared broadband appliance based on the internet protocol address, said instruction including at least the user name and directing the broadband appliance to display a notice directed to the user name.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the message further includes a sender email address and the instruction further directing the broadband appliance to display the sender address.