System and method for notifying users of an event using alerts

• US 20050181836A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: TeamOn Systems Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Kamat, Harshad N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An alert engine module receives an alert for an event in a generic communications format and delivers an alert for the event to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user based on the alert content. The generic format can be an e-mail message, such as a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message. The alert engine can be operative to transform the alert based on a header and/or format of a target address.

Claims

1. A system for notifying a user of an event comprising:

an alert engine module that receives an alert indicative of a notification for an event corresponding to a stored message on a server and delivers the alert to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alert comprises an email message.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said email message comprises a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alert engine module is operative to transform the alert based on a header and/or format of a target address.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alert engine module is operative to deliver the alert to an appropriate gateway for the communications format.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said target address comprises a mobile device.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said alert engine module is operative for transforming the alert based on the type of mobile device.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said SMS message comprises a default message for an alert.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises an email message.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a PocketPC (PPC) message.

14. A system for notifying a user of an event by an alert comprising:

an input queue that queues a plurality of alerts indicative of notifications for events corresponding to stored messages on at least one server; and

an alert engine module that pulls the alerts from the input queue and delivers each alert for a respective event to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user based on alert content.

15. A system according to claim 14, and further comprising an output queue for queuing alerts for delivery in a preferred format.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein the alerts comprise email messages.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the email message comprises a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein said alert engine module is operative to transform the alert based on a header and/or format of a target address.

19. A system according to claim 14, wherein said alert engine module is operative to deliver the alert to an appropriate gateway for the communications format.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein said target address comprises a mobile device.

21. A system according to claim 14, wherein said alert engine is operative for transforming the received alert based on the type of mobile device.

22. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said SMS message is a default message.

24. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message.

25. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises an email message.

26. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.

27. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises a PocketPC (PPC) message.

28. A method of notifying a user of an event comprising the steps of:

receiving an alert within an alert engine module indicative of a notification for an event corresponding to a stored message on a server; and

delivering the alert from the alert engine module to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the step of receiving an alert comprises the step of receiving an email.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the email comprises a Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) message.

31. A method according to claim 28, and further comprising the step of transforming the alert based on a header and/or format of the target address.

32. A method according to claim 28, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert to an appropriate gateway for the communications format.

33. A method according to claim 28, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert to a mobile device.

34. A method according to claim 33, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert in a communications format based on the type of mobile device.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein said communications format comprises a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein said SMS message is a default message.

37. A method according to claim 28, wherein said communications format comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message.

38. A method according to claim 28, wherein said communications format comprises an email message.

39. A method according to claim 28, wherein said communications format comprises an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.

40. A computer-readable medium comprising an alert engine module that receives an alert indicative of a notification for an event corresponding to a stored message on a server and delivers the alert to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user.