METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR PROVIDING ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20070206773A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Branam, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for providing alerts and notifications to Internet Protocol-enabled devices are provided. The method includes receiving an alert message from a content source, retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with accounts subscribing to an alert service, and transmitting the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts subscribing to the alert service.

Claims

1. A method for providing alerts and notifications to Internet Protocol-enabled devices, comprising:

receiving an alert message from a content source;

retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with accounts subscribing to an alert service; and

transmitting the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts subscribing to the alert service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet Protocol device addresses include at least one of:

a media access control address; and

a globally unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content source includes at least one of:

an AM broadcast station;

an FM broadcast station; and

an emergency broadcast station.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the Internet Protocol device addresses include at least one of:

a media access control address; and

a globally unique identifier.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the content source includes at least one of:

an AM broadcast station;

an FM broadcast station; and

an emergency broadcast station.

2. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a geographic identifier with the alert message;

wherein retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses includes searching the accounts for geographic information matching the geographic identifier and sending the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts having the geographic information matching the geographic identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographic identifier includes at least one of:

a zip code; and

a federal information processing standard code.

6. A system for providing alerts and notifications to Internet Protocol-enabled devices, comprising:

a notification server; and

an alerts application executing on the notification server, the alerts application performing a method, comprising;

receiving an alert message from a content source;

retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with accounts subscribing to an alert service; and

transmitting the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts subscribing to the alert service.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the alerts application further performs:

receiving a geographic identifier with the alert message;

wherein retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses includes searching the accounts for geographic information matching the geographic identifier and sending the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts having the geographic information matching the geographic identifier.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the geographic identifier includes at least one of:

a zip code; and

a federal information processing standard code.

11. A computer program product for providing alerts and notifications to Internet Protocol-enabled devices, the computer program product including instructions for implementing a method, comprising:

receiving an alert message from a content source;

retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with accounts subscribing to an alert service; and

transmitting the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the set of Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts subscribing to the alert service.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions for performing:

receiving a geographic identifier with the alert message;

wherein retrieving a set of Internet Protocol device addresses includes searching the accounts for geographic information matching the geographic identifier and sending the alert message to the Internet Protocol-enabled devices corresponding to the Internet Protocol device addresses associated with the accounts having the geographic information matching the geographic identifier.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the geographic identifier includes at least one of:

a zip code; and

a federal information processing standard code.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the Internet Protocol device addresses include at least one of:

a media access control address; and

a globally unique identifier.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the content source includes at least one of:

an AM broadcast station;

an FM broadcast station; and

an emergency broadcast station.