Methods and systems for non-interrupting notifications

• US 20060259537A1
• Filed: 03/29/2003
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wright, Richard Bernard, Emberton, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method of processing notifications issued by computer processes, each notification notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take an action. The notifications are received and links may be displayed to notifications that are selected according to selected characteristics. When the user selects a displayed link, the corresponding notification may be displayed. The user may take an action relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification and a reply that includes an indication of the action taken by the user may then be generated and sent.

Claims

1. A method of processing notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the notifications;

displaying links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user, the displayed links being selected according to at least one characteristic of the received notification;

when the user selects one of the displayed links, displaying the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the link displaying step displays links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the link displaying step displays the links in a portal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying steps are carried out on a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step are carried out by a computing device coupled to the plurality of computer processes by a computer network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link displaying step displays a link to each of the received notifications.

7. A computer system for processing notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device;

a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for;

receiving the notifications;

displaying links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user, the displayed links being selected according to at least one characteristic of the received notification;

when the user selects one of the displayed links, displaying the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the link displaying step displays links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the link displaying step displays the links in a portal.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the displaying steps are carried out on a mobile device.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the displaying step are carried out by a computing device coupled to the plurality of computer processes by a computer network.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the link displaying step displays a link to each of the received notifications.

13. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by computing device, causes said computing device to process notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, by performing the steps of:

receiving the notifications;

displaying links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user, the displayed links being selected according to at least one characteristic of the received notification;

when the user selects one of the displayed links, displaying the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the link displaying step displays links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the link displaying step displays the links in a portal.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the displaying steps are carried out on a mobile device.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the displaying step is carried out by a computing device coupled to the plurality of computer processes by a computer network.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the link displaying step displays a link to each of the received notifications.

19. A method for a mobile device to process notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the issued notifications from a notification server, the notification server being in communication with the plurality of processes and the mobile device;

providing links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user on the mobile device;

when the user of the mobile device selects one of the provided links, displaying on the mobile device the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action on the mobile device relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the link providing step provides links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the link providing step displays the links in a portal accessible to the mobile device and to the user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the link providing step provides a link to each of the received notifications.

23. A mobile device configured to process notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device;

a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for;

receiving the issued notifications from a notification server, the notification server being in communication with the plurality of processes and the mobile device;

providing links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user;

when the user of the mobile device selects one of the provided links, displaying the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action on the mobile device relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is one of a telephone, a personal digital assistant and a pager.

25. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the link providing step provides links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

26. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the link providing step displays the links in a portal accessible to the mobile device and to the user.

27. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the link providing step provides a link to each of the received notifications.

28. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a mobile, causes said mobile to process notifications issued by a plurality of computer processes, each of the notifications notifying the user of a business event that requires the user to take at least one predetermined action, by performing the steps of:

receiving the issued notifications from a notification server, the notification server being in communication with the plurality of processes and the mobile device;

providing links to selected ones of the received notifications to the user;

when the user of the mobile device selects one of the provided links, displaying the received notification that corresponds to the selected link;

enabling the user to take the at least one predetermined action on the mobile device relative to the displayed notification without accessing the computer process that issued the notification;

generating a reply to the displayed notification, the reply including an indication of the action taken by the user, and

sending the reply to the computer process that issued the displayed notification.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the mobile device is one of a telephone, a personal digital assistant and a pager.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the link providing step provides links corresponding to a selectable subset of the received notifications.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the link providing step displays the links in a portal accessible to the mobile device and to the user.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the link providing step provides a link to each of the received notifications.