Methods and Systems for Message-Alert Display

• US 20080077673A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Renjit Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for displaying message alerts on shared and private devices according to user preferences.

Claims

1. A method for generating and displaying a message alert, said method comprising:

a) storing, on a resource accessible to a server, an alert preference for a subscriber, wherein said alert preference comprises a first alert description for a first device and a second alert description for a second device;

b) receiving a message for said subscriber at said server;

c) sending a first message alert for said subscriber to said first device if said first device is detected as present by said server, wherein the content of said first message alert is based on said first alert description; and

d) sending a second message alert for said subscriber to said second device if said second device is detected as present by said server, wherein the content of said second message alert is based on said second alert description.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said first device is a shared device and said second device is a private device.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the content of said first message alert is a subset of the content of said second message alert.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first message alert and said second message alert are encrypted using a password associated with said subscriber.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said first device is a shared device.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein said shared device is a television.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said first device is a private device.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said private device is a device selected from the group consisting of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, and a personal digital music player.

9. A method for generating and displaying a message alert on a shared device, said method comprising:

a) storing, on a resource accessible to a server, an alert preference for a subscriber, wherein said alert preference comprises an explicit alert description for a shared device and a shared alert description for said shared device;

b) receiving a message for said subscriber at said server;

c) sending a first message alert for said subscriber to said shared device if said shared device is detected as present by said server and said subscriber is explicitly logged in to said shared device, wherein the content of said first message alert is based on said explicit alert description; and

d) sending a second message alert for said subscriber to said shared device if said shared device is detected as present by said server and said subscriber is not logged in to said shared device, wherein the content of said second message alert is based on said shared alert description.

10. The method as described in claim 9, further comprising encrypting at least one of said first message alert and said second message alert using a device password associated with said shared device.

11. The method as described in claim 9, further comprising encrypting at least one of said first message alert and said second message alert using a secondary password associated with said subscriber.

12. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said shared device is a television.

13. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the content of said second message alert is a subset of the content of said first message alert.

14. A system for generating and displaying a message alert, said system comprising:

a) storage, accessible to a server, for storing an alert preference for a subscriber, wherein said alert preference comprises a first alert description for a first device and a second alert description for a second device;

b) a receiver for receiving a message for said subscriber at said server; and

c) a transmitter for sending a first message alert for said subscriber to said first device if said first device is detected as present to said server, wherein the content of said first message alert is based on said first alert description, and for sending a second message alert for said subscriber to said second device if said second device is detected as present to said server, wherein the content of said second message alert is based on said second alert description.

15. The system as described in claim 14, wherein said first device is a shared device and said second device is a private device.

16. The system as described in claim 15, wherein the content of said first message alert is a subset of the content of said second message alert.

17. The system as described in claim 14, wherein said first device is a shared device.

18. The system as described in claim 17, wherein said shared device is a television.

19. The system as described in claim 14, wherein said first device is a private device.

20. The system as described in claim 19, wherein said private device is a device selected from the group consisting of a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, and a personal digital music player.