Scalable IP-based notification architecture for unified messaging

• US 20050177622A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockwood, Robert James, Joshi, Satish, Dodrill, Lewis Dean, Spielman, Brenda Gates, Parasu, Nagendran
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture enables use of multiple instances of a notification process, each configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. Each notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. Each notification process determines, for each received notification message, the subscriber'"'"'s notification preference based on the accessed profile information, and selectively outputs a notification delivery message according to a prescribed open protocol to at least one notification delivery process within the notification architecture based on the subscriber'"'"'s notification preference. Each notification process may have access via the prescribed open protocol to multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for outputting a notification to a subscriber'"'"'s notification device according to a corresponding device protocol. Multiple instances of each type of notification delivery process may also be utilized for increased capacity. Hence, subscribers may be notified of events according to their respective preferences, including subscriber device type, or time of notification. Moreover, the notification architecture can be scaled without adversely affecting any existing instances of the notification process or the notification delivery processes.

Claims

1-68. -68. (canceled)

70. A notification method comprising:

obtaining a notification message having been sent from a notification source according to a first open network protocol, the notification message specifying at least one notification recipient and notification information;

accessing a subscriber directory, according to a second open network protocol, for subscriber attribute information specifying subscriber notification preference for the specified at least one notification recipient;

generating, based on the subscriber notification preference, a notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of a corresponding notification device for the notification recipient; and

outputting the one notification delivery message to a selected corresponding one of a plurality of notification delivery processes for delivery of at least a portion of the one notification delivery message to the notification device according to a corresponding device protocol, at least one of the notification delivery processes includes multiple instances of the corresponding process, each instance configured for sending said at least a portion the one notification delivery message to the notification device according to the device protocol.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the obtaining step includes retrieving the notification message from an Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)-based mailbox configured for receiving e-mail messages as notification messages for notification subscribers.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the accessing step includes accessing the subscriber directory according to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) as the second open network protocol for the subscriber attribute information.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein the retrieving step includes retrieving the notification message according to IMAP protocol as the first open network protocol.

74. The method of claim 70, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the notification delivery message according to SMTP protocol as a third open network protocol.

75. The method of claim 70, further including selecting one of the instances as the selected one notification delivery process by accessing a table configured for storing SMTP addresses assigned to the respective instances of the corresponding process.

76. The method of claim 70, further including selecting one of the instances as the selected one notification delivery process based on the specified at least one notification recipient.

77. The method of claim 70, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the at least one notification delivery message according to SMTP protocol as a third open network protocol.

78. The method of claim 70, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the notification delivery message that relates to one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

79. A method for deployment of a notification system for a notification source, the method comprising the steps of:

first initiating multiple notification processes, each notification process configured for retrieving according to a first open network protocol a corresponding notification message from a corresponding primary message store, each notification message specifying at least one corresponding notification recipient, each notification process configured for accessing a subscriber directory according to a second open network protocol for subscriber notification preference information for the at least one corresponding notification recipient and in response generating a corresponding notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of the corresponding notification device; and

second initiating multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for retrieving according to a third open network protocol a corresponding received notification delivery message from a corresponding secondary message store and supplying a corresponding notification to a subscriber device according to a corresponding device protocol based on the corresponding received notification delivery message.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein the supplying step includes supplying the corresponding notification as one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

81. The method of claim 79, wherein the first initiating step includes supplying each notification process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification message from the corresponding primary message store.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein the second initiating step includes supplying each notification delivery process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification delivery message from the corresponding secondary message store.

83. The method of claim 82, further comprising:

third initiating another instance of the notification process; and

providing the notification source with destination address information for providing notification messages to a primary message store accessible by the another instance of the notification process.

84. The method of claim 79, wherein the first open network protocol and the third open network protocol each is IMAP protocol.

85. The method of claim 79, wherein the second open network protocol is LDAP protocol.

86. A notification system comprising:

means for obtaining a notification message having been sent from a notification source according to a first open network protocol, the notification message specifying at least one notification recipient;

means for accessing a subscriber directory, according to a second open network protocol, for subscriber attribute information specifying subscriber notification preference for the specified at least one notification recipient;

means for generating, based on the subscriber notification preference, a notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of a corresponding notification device for the notification recipient; and

means for outputting, the one notification delivery message to a selected corresponding one of a plurality of notification delivery processes for delivery of at least a portion of the one notification delivery message to the notification device according to a corresponding device protocol, at least one of the notification delivery processes includes multiple instances of the corresponding process, each instance configured for sending the notification information to the notification device according to the device protocol.

87. The system of claim 86, wherein the one notification delivery message relates to one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

88. The system of claim 86, wherein the obtaining means retrieves the notification message from an Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)-based mailbox configured for receiving e-mail messages as notification messages for notification subscribers.

89. The system of claim 88, wherein the accessing means accesses the subscriber directory according to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) as the second open network protocol for the subscriber attribute information.

90. The system of claim 88, wherein the retrieving means retrieves the notification message according to IMAP protocol as the first open network protocol.

91. The system of claim 90, wherein the outputting means outputs the notification delivery message according to SMTP protocol as the third open network protocol.

92. The system of claim 86, wherein the outputting means selects one of the instances as the selecting one notification delivery process by accessing a table configured for storing SMTP addresses assigned to the respective instances of the corresponding process.

93. The system of claim 92, wherein the outputting means selects the one instance based on the specified at least one notification recipient.

94. The system of claim 86, wherein the outputting means outputs the at least one notification delivery message according to SMTP protocol as the third open network protocol.

95. A notification system comprising:

a notification process configured for;

(1) obtaining a notification message having been sent from a notification source according to a first open network protocol, each notification message specifying at least one notification recipient,

(2) accessing a subscriber directory according to a second open network protocol for subscriber notification preference information for the at least one notification recipient,

(3) generating at least one notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of a corresponding notification device for the notification recipient based on the subscriber notification preference information, and

(4) outputting the at least one notification delivery message according to a third open network protocol; and

a plurality of notification delivery processes, each configured for delivering a notification to a subscriber device according to a corresponding device protocol based on a corresponding received notification delivery message.

96. The system of claim 95, wherein the at least one notification delivery message relates to one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

97. The system of claim 95, wherein at least one of the notification delivery processes includes multiple instances of the corresponding process, each instance configured for sending the notification information to the notification device according to the device protocol.

98. The system of claim 95, wherein the notification process is configured for obtaining the notification message from an SMTP-based mailbox configured for receiving e-mail messages as notification messages for notification subscribers.

99. The system of claim 95, wherein the notification process is configured for obtaining the notification message from the SMTP-based mailbox according to IMAP protocol as the first open network protocol.

100. The system of claim 95, wherein the notification process is configured for accessing the subscriber directory according to LDAP protocol as the second open network protocol.

101. The system of claim 95, wherein the notification process is configured for outputting the at least one notification delivery message according to SMTP protocol as the third open network protocol.

102. The system of claim 95, further comprising a primary SMTP-based mailbox for receiving the notification message from the notification source, the notification process configured for periodically obtaining the notification message according to IMAP protocol.

103. The system of claim 102, further comprising secondary SMTP-based mailboxes configured for receiving the notification delivery messages for the respective notification delivery processes, each notification delivery process accessing its corresponding secondary SMTP-based mailbox for the corresponding notification delivery message.

104. The system of claim 103, further comprising:

a second notification process configured for obtaining a second notification message having been sent from the notification source according to the first open network protocol, and in response outputting a notification message to at least one of the notification delivery processes based on subscriber notification preference information retrieved from the subscriber directory; and

a second primary SMTP-based mailbox for receiving the second notification message from the notification source, the second notification process configured for periodically obtaining the notification message according to IMAP protocol.

105. The system of claim 95, further comprising a second notification process configured for obtaining a second notification message having been sent from the notification source according to the first open network protocol, and in response outputting a notification message to at least one of the notification delivery processes based on subscriber notification preference information retrieved from the subscriber directory.

106. A system for deployment of a notification system for a notification source, the system comprising:

a first server configured for first initiating multiple notification processes, each notification process configured for retrieving according to a first open network protocol a corresponding notification message from a corresponding primary message store, each notification message specifying at least one corresponding notification recipient, each notification process configured for accessing a subscriber directory according to a second open network protocol for subscriber notification preference information for the at least one corresponding notification recipient and in response generating a corresponding notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of the corresponding notification device; and

a second server configured for second initiating multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for retrieving according to a third open network protocol a corresponding received notification delivery message from a corresponding secondary message store and supplying a corresponding notification to a subscriber device according to a corresponding device protocol based on the corresponding received notification delivery message.

107. The system of claim 106, wherein the notification delivery message relates to one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

108. The system of claim 106, wherein the first server supplies each notification process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification message from the corresponding primary message store.

109. The system of claim 108, wherein the second server supplies each notification delivery process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification delivery message from the corresponding secondary message store.

110. The system of claim 109, wherein the first open network protocol and the third open network protocol each is IMAP protocol.

111. The system of claim 106, wherein the second open network protocol is LDAP protocol.

112. A system for deployment of a notification system for a notification source, the system comprising:

first means for initiating multiple notification processes, each notification process configured for retrieving according to a first open network protocol a corresponding notification message from a corresponding primary message store, each notification message specifying at least one corresponding notification recipient, each notification process configured for accessing a subscriber directory according to a second open network protocol for subscriber notification preference information for the at least one corresponding notification recipient and in response generating a corresponding notification delivery message that specifies a destination address of the corresponding notification device; and

second means for initiating multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for retrieving according to a third open network protocol a corresponding received notification delivery message from a corresponding secondary message store and supplying a corresponding notification to a subscriber device according to a corresponding device protocol based on the corresponding received notification delivery message.

69. The system of claim 112, wherein the second open network protocol is LDAP protocol.

113. The system of claim 112, wherein the notification delivery message relates to one of an e-mail message, an SMS based message, a facsimile transmission, a message waiting indicator, a paging command, and outgoing call to a telephone.

114. The system of claim 112, wherein the first server supplies each notification process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification message from the corresponding primary message store.

115. The system of claim 114, wherein the second server supplies each notification delivery process with a corresponding retrieval address for the retrieval of the corresponding notification delivery message from the corresponding secondary message store.

116. The system of claim 114, wherein the first open network protocol and the third open network protocol each is IMAP protocol.