Method and apparatus for event notification based on the identity of a calling party

• US 20050002499A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Tendick, Patrick, Ordille, Joann J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.120
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier

Abstract

An event notification system notifies one or more designated persons of an event or emergency that has been reported by an endpoint to a receiver. When a call is received by the receiver, an event notification process identifies the endpoint. One or more designated persons are identified that should be notified when a call is received from this endpoint. The notification message that is generated and optionally the particular designees that are notified can be based on information about the call. The event notification may be triggered by a received call. The designated persons can be notified by an event notification system using a communication flow expression according to the delivery preferences of each designated person. The disclosed event notification system optionally obtains the responses of the designees, and records the status of the notification process.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification of an event, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication;

identifying one or more designated persons associated with an endpoint associated with said communication;

generating a notification message; and

sending said notification message to each of said one or more designated persons.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification message is provided to said one or more designated persons in accordance with preference information specified by each of said one or more designated persons.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein content for said notification message is obtained substantially close in time to when said notification message is provided to said one or more designated persons.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said preference information includes at least one media preference.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said preference information includes at least one human language type preference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said endpoint is identified based on a telephone number of a calling party associated with said communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said endpoint is identified based on an address associated with said communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying, generating and sending steps are performed in response to said received communication being placed to a specified telephone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said event is an emergency that has been reported to a receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said event is a telephone call that has been placed to a help desk.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at least one response to said notification message.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at least one status update from at least one of said one or more designated persons.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of dispatching an appropriate response to said communication.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of receiving at least one status update from a person associated with said appropriate response.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying at least one of said one or more designated persons of a status update.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification message is provided to said one or more designated persons in accordance with a communication flow that describes whether each of said one or more designated persons is notified based on a response from at least one other of said one or more designated persons.

17. An apparatus for providing a notification of an event, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

receive a communication;

identify one or more designated persons associated with an endpoint associated with said communication;

generate a notification message; and

send said notification message to each of said one or more designated persons.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said notification message is provided to said one or more designated persons in accordance with preference information specified by each of said one or more designated persons.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said endpoint is identified based on a telephone number of a calling party associated with said communication.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said endpoint is identified based on an address associated with said communication.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said event is an emergency that has been reported to a receiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said event is a telephone call that has been placed to a help desk.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor is further configured to receive at least one response to said notification message.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor is further configured to receive at least one status update.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor is further configured to dispatch an appropriate response to said communication.

26. An article of manufacture for providing a notification of an event, said article of manufacture comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

receiving a communication;

identifying one or more designated persons associated with an endpoint associated with said communication;

generating a notification message; and

sending said notification message to each of said one or more designated persons.