Hosted notifications templates

• US 20050144266A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Movva, Ramu, Antonelli, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Method and systems for generating notifications in a notifications system. A parameter-driven template received from a content provider contains one or more parameters related to a subscription for notifications. The notifications system enables an application based on the received template and executes it to map a recurring event to one or more subscribers as a function of the parameters specified by the content provider. In response to the recurring event, the notification system generates a notification. Other aspects of the invention relate to a computer-readable medium that defines the application for use in a notifications system.

Claims

1. A method of generating notifications in a notifications system, said notifications system being configured to provide notifications to subscribers via a data communication network, said notifications containing content provided by one or more content providers, said method comprising:

receiving a parameter-driven template from a content provider, said template containing one or more parameters specified by the content provider, said parameters relating to a subscription for notifications;

enabling a notifications application based on the received template, said notifications application mapping a recurring event to one or more subscribers as a function of the parameters specified by the content provider; and

executing the notifications application to generate a notification in response to the recurring event and to deliver the notification to the subscribers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the template to the content provider for completion by the content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining, with the template, a category of events for which the notifications are to be generated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining, with the template, when the notifications are to be delivered.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications at a predetermined time of day.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising matching a most recent instance of the recurring event to the subscription to generate the notifications for delivery at the predetermined time of day.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications upon occurrence of the recurring event.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising matching the recurring event to the subscription to generate the notifications for broadcast delivery upon occurrence of the recurring event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the subscribers to manage the subscription.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifications relate to one or more of following topics:

horoscope, lottery, and news.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the template based on common features of a plurality of notifications applications.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the notifications application based on the received template includes creating an application definition file that describes the notifications application.

13. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium having a data structure stored thereon, said data structure defining an application for use in a notifications system, said notifications system being configured to execute the defined application for providing notifications to subscribers via a data communication network, said notifications containing content provided by one or more content providers, said data structure comprising:

a scenario template configured to contain information for defining the application, said scenario template having one or more parameters specified by the content provider and relating to a subscription for notifications;

a notification generation component responsive to an event feed for mapping a recurring event to one or more subscribers as a function of the parameters specified by the content provider and generating a notification therefor; and

a delivery component for routing the notification to the subscribers.

15. The data structure of claim 14, wherein the scenario template includes a category component for defining a category of events for which the notifications are to be generated.

16. The data structure of claim 14, wherein the scenario template includes a scheduling component for defining when the notifications are to be delivered.

17. The data structure of claim 16, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications at a predetermined time of day.

18. The data structure of claim 16, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications upon occurrence of the recurring event.

19. The data structure of claim 14, further comprising a user interface template configured to contain information for defining a user interface corresponding to the application for managing the subscription.

20. The data structure of claim 14, wherein the notifications relate to one or more of following topics:

horoscope, lottery, and news.

21. The data structure of claim 14, wherein the scenario template is based on common features of a plurality of notifications applications.

22. A system configured for generating and delivering notifications to subscribers via a data communication network, said notifications containing content provided by one or more content providers, said system comprising:

a computing device coupled to a data communication network and configured to receive a parameter-driven template from a content provider via the data communication network, said template containing information provided by the content provider and relating to a subscription for notifications;

a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to enable a notifications application based on the template, said notifications application mapping a recurring event to one or more subscribers as a function of one or more parameters specified by the content provider and delivering the notification to the subscribers in response to the recurring event.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to define, with the template, a category of events for which the notifications are to be generated.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to define, with the template, when the notifications are to be delivered.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications at a predetermined time of day.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications upon occurrence of the recurring event.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive another parameter-driven template from the content provider via the data communication network, said other template containing information provided by the content provider and defining a user interface corresponding to the application for managing the subscription.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the notifications relate to one or more of following topics:

horoscope, lottery, and news.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the template is based on common features of a plurality of notifications applications.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to create an application definition file that describes the notifications application.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising a subscription store configured to store notification offerings described by the application definition file.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to validate incoming subscription management requests and commit the requests to the subscription store.

33. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to generate the notification based on matching external events with corresponding subscriptions.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to deliver the notification to the system.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein the template is predefined and re-usable.

36. A notification system for generating and delivering notifications to subscribers, said notifications containing content provided by one or more content providers, said system comprising:

a computing device coupled to a data communication network, said computing device being configured to receive a parameter-driven template from a content provider via the data communication network, said template containing information provided by the content provider and relating to a subscription for notifications;

a subscription store associated with the computing device, said subscription store being configured to store one or more notification offerings described by an application definition file; and

a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to enable a notifications application according to the application definition file, said notifications application delivering the notification to the subscribers in response to a recurring event

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to define, with the template, a category of events for which the notifications are to be generated.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to define, with the template, when the notifications are to be delivered.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications at a predetermined time of day.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein one of the parameters specified by the content provider relates to delivery of the notifications upon occurrence of the recurring event.