Delivery of an electronic communication using a lifespan

• US 20040059790A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thaeler, Bret Kummel, White, Jason, Austin-Lane, Christopher Emery, Harris, Shauna, Lin, Lea-Ying Amy, Lee, Albert Lekuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Providing an electronic notification to an intended recipient includes communicating an electronic notification directed to an intended recipient, determining a lifespan related to a duration of relevance of the electronic notification, and providing the electronic notification to the intended recipient when the lifespan has not expired. The duration of relevance describes a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an action or interest of the intended recipient. After the lifespan expires, provision of the electronic notification to the intended recipient may be prevented.

Claims

1. A notification system that provides an electronic notification to an intended recipient, the system comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate an electronic notification;

a lifespan module configured to determine a lifespan related to a duration of relevance of the electronic notification; and

a delivery module configured to provide the electronic notification to an intended recipient when the lifespan has not expired.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module is configured further not to provide the notification to the intended recipient when the lifespan has expired.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication module is configured further to communicate information identifying the intended recipient of the electronic notification.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the lifespan module is configured further to determine information identifying the intended recipient of the electronic notification.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the lifespan is further defined in terms of a relative time.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the lifespan is further defined in terms of an absolute time.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and the lifespan comprises a notice period indicative of a time period preceding the critical time.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is scheduled to begin.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is scheduled to end.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which a task is scheduled to be completed.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the critical time comprises a time after which a scheduled task no longer is required.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is predicted to begin.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and the lifespan comprises a response period indicative of a time period following the critical time.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is scheduled to begin.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is scheduled to end.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an event is predicted to begin.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which an unscheduled event began.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the critical time comprises a time at which the electronic notification is generated based on an unscheduled event.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an action of the intended recipient.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an interest of the intended recipient.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises a prioritization module configured to determine a delivery priority of the electronic notification.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises:

a presence module configured to monitor for an online presence of the intended recipient during the lifespan and to indicate the online presence; and

an online notification module configured to provide the electronic notification online to the intended recipient during the lifespan based on the indicated online presence.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises an offline notification module configured to provide the electronic notification to the intended recipient during the lifespan while the intended recipient is offline.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the notification module includes a wireless module configured to provide the electronic notification to the intended recipient at a wireless device.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the notification module includes an email module configured to provide the electronic notification to the intended recipient as an email.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the notification module includes a voicemail module configured to provide the electronic notification to the intended recipient as a voicemail message.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises:

an offline notification module configured to provide the electronic notification offline to the intended recipient during the lifespan;

a presence module configured to monitor for an online presence of the intended recipient during the lifespan and to indicate the online presence; and

an online notification module configured to provide the electronic notification to the intended recipient online during the lifespan when an online presence of the intended recipient is indicated.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises a cleanup module configured to vacate the electronic notification provided to the intended recipient when the intended recipient does not access the electronic notification during the lifespan.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery module further comprises:

a thorough notification module configured to provide a plurality of instances of the electronic notification to the intended recipient based on the lifespan; and

a cleanup module configured to sense that an instance of the electronic notification has been accessed by the intended recipient, and, in response, to vacate an instance of the electronic notification not yet accessed by the intended recipient.

30. An electronic notification directed to an intended recipient, the electronic notification comprising:

notification content; and

a lifespan related to a period of relevance of the notification content;

wherein the lifespan enables provision of the electronic notification to the intended recipient to be limited to the period of relevance.

31. A method of providing an electronic notification to an intended recipient, the method comprising:

processing an electronic notification directed to an intended recipient;

determining a lifespan related to a duration of relevance of the electronic notification; and

providing the electronic notification to the intended recipient when the lifespan has not expired.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising not providing the notification to the intended recipient when the lifespan has expired.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising determining the lifespan in terms of a relative time.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and determining the lifespan further comprises determining the lifespan based on a notice period indicative of a time period preceding the critical time.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and determining the lifespan further comprises determining the lifespan based on a response period indicative of a time period following the critical time.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an action of the intended recipient.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an interest of the intended recipient.

38. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

determining a delivery priority of the electronic notification; and

delivering the electronic notification to the intended recipient based on the delivery priority.

39. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

monitoring for an online presence of the intended recipient during the lifespan; and

providing the electronic notification online to the intended recipient during the lifespan based on the monitored online presence.

40. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

providing multiple instances of the electronic notification to the intended recipient based on the lifespan; and

sensing that an instance of the electronic notification has been accessed by the intended recipient, and, in response, vacating an instance of the electronic notification not yet accessed by the intended recipient.

41. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal, the computer program comprising:

a communication code segment that causes a computer to communicate an electronic notification;

a lifespan code segment that causes the computer to determine a lifespan related to a duration of relevance of the electronic notification; and

a delivery code segment that causes the computer to provide the electronic notification to an intended recipient when the lifespan has not expired.

42. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the delivery code segment further comprises a filter code segment that causes the computer to not provide the notification to the intended recipient when the lifespan has expired.

43. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the communication code segment is configured further to cause the computer to communicate information identifying the intended recipient of the electronic notification.

44. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the lifespan code segment is configured further to cause the computer to determine information identifying the intended recipient of the electronic notification.

45. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the lifespan code segment further comprises a relative time code segment that causes the computer to determine the lifespan in terms of a relative time.

46. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and the lifespan code segment further comprises a notice period code segment that causes the computer to determine the lifespan based on a notice period indicative of a time period preceding the critical time.

47. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the electronic notification is based on a critical time and the lifespan code segment further comprises a response period code segment that causes the computer to determine the lifespan based on a response period indicative of a time period following the critical time.

48. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an action of the intended recipient.

49. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the duration of relevance comprises a time period during which information of the electronic notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an interest of the intended recipient.

50. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the delivery code segment further comprises a prioritization code segment configured to cause the computer to determine a delivery priority of the electronic notification.

51. The computer program of claim 41 further comprising:

a presence code segment that causes the computer to monitor for an online presence of the intended recipient during the lifespan and to indicate the online presence; and

an online notification code segment that causes the computer to provide the electronic notification online to the intended recipient during the lifespan based on the indicated online presence.

52. The computer program of claim 41 further comprising:

a thorough notification code segment that causes the computer to provide a plurality of instances of the electronic notification to the intended recipient based on the lifespan; and

a cleanup code segment that causes the computer to sense that an instance of the electronic notification has been accessed by the intended recipient, and, in response, to vacate an instance of the electronic notification not yet accessed by the intended recipient.