System and method for notifying an offline global computer network user of an online interaction

• US 20080168138A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Anita Hogans
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for notifying an offline global computer network user of an online interaction in which the offline user could participate. The system and method specify notification criteria of the offline user, monitor activities occurring on the global computer network, compare the activities to the notification criteria, and, if the activities satisfy the notification criteria, forward an offline communication to the offline user, which notifies the offline user of the online interaction. Examples of the online interactions include chat rooms, game sites, instant messaging services, auctions, and calls made over the global computer network. Examples of the offline communication include calls to a wireline telephone, calls to a wireless telephone, messages to a caller identification device, messages to a wireless access protocol device, messages to a one-way pager, and messages to an interactive pager.

Claims

1. A method of notification, comprising:

monitoring online activity;

comparing the online activity to notification criteria of an offline user; and

sending a caller identification message to the offline user to alert the offline user of online activity that satisfies the notification criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is a chat room and the notification criteria comprise a topic of discussion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is a chat room and the notification criteria comprise a particular user in the chat room.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is a game website and the notification criteria comprise a score.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is an auction website and the notification criteria comprise a bid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is an auction website and the notification criteria comprise a bid that exceeds a high bid submitted by the offline user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is an auction website and the notification criteria comprise a number of bids submitted in an auction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is an instant messaging service and the notification criteria comprise an online user recognized by the instant messaging service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the online activity is an instant messaging service and the notification criteria comprise an event in which a buddy from a buddy list of the offline user logs onto the instant messaging service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving contact information associated with the offline user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein retrieving the contact information comprises retrieving an address of a communications device associated with the offline user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein retrieving the contact information comprises retrieving a telephone number associated with the offline user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a plurality of communication device types of the offline user, addresses for each of the plurality of communication device types, and an order in which to attempt the plurality of communication device types.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a date and a time that:

the notification criteria was satisfied.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the notification criteria that was satisfied.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a response from the offline user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the response to other users in the online activity.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a response from the offline user to an interactive voice response unit.

19. A system, comprising:

means for monitoring online activity;

means for comparing the online activity to notification criteria of an offline user; and

means for sending a caller identification message to the offline user to alert the offline user of online activity that satisfies the notification criteria.

20. A computer providing notification, the computer performing a method, the method comprising:

monitoring online activity;

comparing the online activity to notification criteria of an offline user; and

sending a caller identification message to the offline user to alert the offline user of online activity that satisfies the notification criteria.