Method and apparatus for providing a reminder service

• US 20030120757A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Adrian, Wills, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/298,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120757A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method of processing a request for a reminder to be sent to a user, comprising: (a) receiving, at a first node in a distributed network, a request for a reminder to be sent to the user on a specified occasion; and then (b) sending a derivative of the reminder to a second node in the said network. The derivative may be a replica or a fragment of the reminder. In the first case, the method preferably further comprises: (c) sending the reminder to the user from the first node on the specified occasion; and (d) sending a cancellation signal to the second node to instruct it not to send a reminder to the user. In the second case, the method preferably further comprises: (c) sending a fragment from the second node to the first node; (d) using the fragment to reconstruct the reminder; and (e) sending the reminder to the user on the specified occasion; or alternatively: (c) sending a fragment from the second node to the first node; (d) sending the fragment to the user on the specified occasion; and (e) using the fragment to reconstruct the reminder. Also provided by the invention is a node in a distributed network, the node being operable to receive a request for a reminder to be sent to a user on a specified occasion, and to send a derivative of the reminder to a second node in the said network.

Claims

1. A method of processing a request for a reminder to be sent to a user, comprising:

(a) receiving, at a first node in a distributed network, a request for a reminder to be sent to the user on a specified occasion; and

then

(b) sending a derivative of the reminder to a second node in the said network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the derivative is a replica of the said reminder.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

(c) sending the reminder to the user from the first node on the specified occasion; and

(d) sending a cancellation signal to the second node to instruct it not to send a reminder to the user.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the second node sending the reminder to the user after a predetermined interval of time after the said specified occasion, if it has not received the said cancellation signal sent by the first node.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a node receiving a cancellation signal and forwarding the cancellation signal to a node to which it has previously sent a replica of the reminder.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the reminder is sent to the user by e-mail.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising sending the reminder to a specified reserve contact if the reminder cannot successfully be sent to the said user.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising reminding the user by a method selected from a group comprising:

telephone, fax and post;

using specified co-ordinates associated with the user, if the reminder cannot successfully be sent by e-mail.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the derivative is a fragment of the said reminder.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

(c) sending a fragment from the second node to the first node;

(d) using the fragment to reconstruct the reminder; and

(e) sending the reminder to the user on the specified occasion.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

(c) sending a fragment from the second node to the first node;

(d) sending the fragment to the user on the specified occasion; and

(e) using the fragment to reconstruct the reminder.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step (c) of the method comprises sending the fragment from the second node to a substitute first node if the fragment cannot be sent to the intended first node.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first node is external from the user'"'"'s organisation.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first node is within the user'"'"'s organisation.

10. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fragment is one of a plurality of fragments, the fragments being such that a predetermined number of fragments are required to be received at the first node in order to reconstruct the reminder.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein step (c) of the method comprises sending the fragment from the second node to a substitute first node if the fragment cannot be sent to the intended first node.

17. A method of sending a reminder to a user of a reminder service, the reminder being replicated on a plurality of nodes in a distributed network, comprising a node sending the reminder to the user on a specified occasion and also sending a cancellation signal to another node in the network to instruct it not to send the reminder to the user.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a node sending the reminder to the user at a predetermined interval of time after the said specified occasion, if it has not received a cancellation signal.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a node receiving a cancellation signal and forwarding the cancellation signal to a node to which it has previously sent a replica of the reminder.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the reminder is sent to the user by e-mail.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising sending the reminder to a specified reserve contact if the reminder cannot successfully be sent to the said user.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising reminding the user by a method selected from a group comprising:

telephone, fax and post;

using specified co-ordinates associated with the user, if the reminder cannot successfully be sent by e-mail.

23. A method of sending a reminder to a user of a reminder service, the reminder being fragmented and the fragments being held on nodes in a distributed network, comprising:

recombining fragments to reconstruct the reminder and sending the reminder to the user on a specified occasion.

24. A method of sending a reminder to a user of a reminder service, the reminder being fragmented and the fragments being held on nodes in a distributed network, comprising:

sending fragments to the user on a specified occasion and recombining the fragments to reconstruct the reminder.

25. A node in a distributed network, the node being operable to receive a request for a reminder to be sent to a user on a specified occasion, and to send a derivative of the reminder to a second node in the said network.

26. A node as claimed in claim 25, wherein the derivative is a replica of the said reminder.

27. A node as claimed in claim 26 further operable to send the reminder to the user from the first node on the specified occasion, and to send a cancellation signal to the second node to instruct it not to send a reminder to the user.

28. A node as claimed in claim 26 further operable to send the reminder to the user at a predetermined interval of time after the said specified occasion, if it has not received a cancellation signal.

29. A node as claimed in claim 26 further operable to receive a cancellation signal and to forward the cancellation signal to a node to which it has previously sent a replica of the request.

30. A node as claimed in claim 25, wherein the derivative is a fragment of the said reminder.

31. A node as claimed in claim 30 further operable to recombine the fragment with other fragments to reconstruct the reminder.