Convergence events notification system

• US 20040103167A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brandon A. Grooters, Mark A. Colbath
• Original Assignee: Brandon A. Grooters, Mark A. Colbath
• Inventors: Grooters, Brandon A., Colbath, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A method and apparatus for furnishing a user with notification of events occurring within an computer-based information handling system, convergence system, or the like is disclosed. Multiple software applications executing within the system are monitored for the occurrence of selected events, whereupon a notification of the event may be generated and displayed to the user via a single integrated user interface. The user may take action on the event by selecting the displayed notification whereupon the system communicates the desired action to the application for execution.

Claims

1. An information handling system for notifying a user of selected events occurring within the system, said information handling system comprising:

a memory containing a computer program including;

one or more message sources for detecting an event occurring in an application and generating a message containing selected information about the event,

a message dispatch engine for receiving the message and generating a notification of the event to the user, the message dispatch engine adapted to accept an action by the user, and

one or more message sinks for receiving the message from the message dispatch engine and communicating the action to the application whereupon the application may execute the action; and

a processor for running said computer program.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying a user interface for communicating the notification to the user wherein the user interface is generated by said computer program.

3. An information handling system for notifying a user of selected events occurring within the system, said information handling system comprising:

a memory containing a computer program including;

one or more message source modules for detecting an event occurring in an application and generating a message containing selected information about the event,

a message interceptor module for intercepting the message,

a message categorizing engine module for receiving the message from the message interceptor module and providing a notification of the event, and

a user interface for communicating the notification of the event to the user and accepting an action by the user; and

a processor for running said computer program.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the message complies with a standardized industry format.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the message is a MAPI or TAPI compliant message.

6. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the message categorizing module is adapted to categorize the message into one or more predetermined categories of messages.

7. The information handling system of claim 6, wherein the message categorizing module is adapted to maintain a queue of messages.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the message categorizing engine module is further adapted to maintain a separate queue of messages for each of the one or more categories of messages.

9. A method, in an information handling system, for notifying a user of events, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring the information handling system for multiple events; and

(b) communicating multiple notifications relating to the events via a user interface.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring multiple applications.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the communicating step comprises displaying multiple notifications relating to the events on a single integrated user interface.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of selecting one or more of the communicated notifications.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of generating a message upon the occurrence of an event, wherein the message includes information relating the event.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the communicating step comprises displaying a notification including information from the message.

15. A method of notifying a user of events occurring within an information handling system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring one or more applications being executed by the information handling system for the occurrence of a selected event;

(b) generating a message upon the occurrence of the event, wherein the message includes selected information relating to the event; and

(c) notifying the user of the event via a notification displayed by a user interface, wherein the notification is generated using the selected information included in the message.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the notifying step comprises displaying two or more notifications on a single integrated user interface.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the notifying step comprises displaying an icon within the user interface, the icon comprising a graphical representation of the event.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the notifying step further comprises displaying a banner containing information provided by the message, the banner being selectively displayed within the user interface.

23. An information handling system adapted to notify a user of events occurring in the system comprising:

means for monitoring the information handling system for multiple events; and

means for notifying the user of the multiple events.

19. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of accepting an action by the user.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the accepting step comprises selecting the notification.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of communicating the action to the application wherein the application may execute the action.

22. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of removing the notification from the user interface.

24. The information handling system of claim 23, wherein the notifying means comprises means for displaying multiple notifications relating to the events via a single integrated user interface.

25. The information handling system of claim 24, wherein the single integrated user interface comprises an icon adapted to inform the user of the selected event.

26. The information handling system of claim 25, wherein the single integrated user interface comprises a banner providing information about the selected event, the banner adapted to be selectively displayed by the user within the single integrated user interface.

27. The information handling system of claim 23, further comprising means for accepting an action by the user.

28. The information handling system of claim 23, further comprising means for communicating the action to the application.

29. An information handling system adapted to notify a user of selected events occurring within the system, said information handling system comprising:

means for monitoring one or more applications being executed by the information handling system for a selected event; and

means for notifying the user of the selected event when the selected event is detected by said monitoring means.

30. The information handling system of claim 29, wherein said notifying means comprises a single integrated user interface.

31. The information handling system of claim 30, wherein the single integrated user interface comprises an icon for informing the user of the selected event.

32. The information handling system of claim 31, wherein the single integrated user interface comprises a banner providing information about the selected event, the banner adapted to be selectively displayed by the user within the single integrated user interface.

33. The information handling system of claim 29, further comprising means for accepting an action by the user.

34. The information handling system of claim 33, further comprising means for communicating the action to the application.

35. A computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer to notify a user of selected events occurring therein by performing the steps of:

monitoring the computer for multiple events; and

notifying the user of the multiple events.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring multiple applications.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the notifying step comprises displaying multiple notifications relating to the events on a single integrated user interface.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 35, whose contents further cause the computer to perform the step of selecting one or more of the displayed notifications.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 35, whose contents further cause the computer to perform the step of generating a message upon the occurrence of an event, wherein the message includes information relating to the event.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the notifying step comprises displaying a notification including information from the message.

41. A computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer to notify a user of selected events occurring therein by performing the steps of:

(a) monitoring one or more applications being executed by the computer for the occurrence of a selected event;

(b) generating a message upon the occurrence of the event, wherein the message includes selected information relating to the event; and

(c) notifying the user of the event via a notification displayed by a user interface, wherein the notification is generated using the selected information included in the message.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein notifying step comprises displaying two or more notifications on a single integrated user interface.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the notifying step comprises displaying an icon within the user interface, the icon comprising a graphical representation of the event.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the notifying step further comprises displaying a banner containing information provided by the message, wherein the banner is selectively displayed within the user interface.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 41, whose contents further cause the computer to perform the step of accepting an action by the user.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein the accepting step comprises selecting the notification.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 41, whose contents further cause the computer to perform the step of communicating the action to the application wherein the application may execute the action.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 41, whose contents further cause the information handling system to perform the step of removing the notification from the user interface.