System and method for providing alerting services

• US 20090024759A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leader Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leader Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: McKibben, Michael T., Nester, Steve, Fathbruckner, Tim, Sobwick, James, Petronelli, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/215,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024759A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network

Abstract

A communications system for providing alerting services that includes a plurality of server devices distributed throughout a geographical area, a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes, and an alerting component adapted to generate and transmit the alert information. The plurality of server devices are adapted to receive, store and transmit alert information associated with an external event and the plurality of server devices store substantially the same alert information at any given time. The alerting component also directs the plurality of server devices to transmit the alert information to at least one user device. The transmission network is adapted to transmit the alert information using one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between any two server devices.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing alerting services, comprising:

a plurality of communication server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to receive, store and transmit alert information associated with an external event;

an alerting component adapted to generate and transmit the alert information, and further adapted to direct one or more of the plurality of communication server devices to transmit the alert information to at least one user device;

a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes between the plurality of communication server devices, the alerting component and the at least one user device, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the alert information via one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between any two communication server devices; and

wherein the plurality of communication server devices store substantially the same alert information at any given time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user device operates on one or more communication networks;

and

wherein the one or more communication networks include at least one of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) network, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a cellular network, a radio network and a satellite network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert information is generated as at least one of a voicemail, a voice message, a text (SMS) message, website content and an email.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert information is generated by an operator in relation to the external event.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert information is pre-generated for a specific type of external event.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alerting component is managed via an Internet-based interface.

7. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of communication server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to receive, store and transmit alert or call information;

a communication management component adapted to transmit the alert or call information, and further adapted to direct one or more of the plurality of communication server devices to transmit the alert or call information to at least one user device; and

a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes between the plurality of communication server devices, the communication management component and the at least one user device, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the alert or call information via one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between any two communication server devices;

wherein one or more of the communication server devices are configured to act as master nodes controlling a plurality of other communication server devices configured to act as slave nodes; and

wherein at least one of the communication server devices acting as slave nodes is configured to reconfigure itself to act as a master node upon detection, in any manner, of degraded performance of a master node.

8. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of communication server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to receive, store and transmit alert or call information;

a communication management component adapted to transmit the alert or call information, and further adapted to direct one or more of the plurality of communication server devices to transmit the alert or call information to at least one user device; and

a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes between the plurality of communication server devices, the communication management component and the at least one user device, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the alert or call information via one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between any two communication server devices;

wherein at least one of the communication server devices is configured to re-route alert or call information from one transmission route to another transmission route in response to detected degradation of performance of the one transmission route.

9. A method of providing alerting services, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to transmit, receive and store communication data including alert information;

providing a transmission network having a plurality of communication links capable of transmitting the communication data among the plurality of server devices, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the communication data via a plurality of transmission routes between any two server devices;

providing an alerting service adapted to generate the alert information associated with an external event, the alerting service being in communication with the plurality of server devices via the transmission network;

transmitting, via the transmission network, the communication data from at least one of the plurality of server devices to each of the other server devices such that the plurality of the server devices store substantially the same communication data;

generating, by the alerting service, the alert information;

determining if one or more of the plurality of transmission routes is available;

transmitting, via one or more available transmission routes, the alert information from at least one of the plurality of server devices to each of the other server devices such that the plurality of the server devices store the same alert information; and

transmitting the alert information to one or more communication clients.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

receiving, by the alerting service, notification information associated with the status of transmission of the alert information transmitted to the one or more communication clients;

generating timestamps associated with each of the generation of alert information, the transmission of alert information to the plurality of server devices, the transmission of alert information to the one or more communication clients, and receiving the notification information; and

recording, in a log file, the alert information, the notification information, the timestamps, and transmission information associated with all transmissions of the alert information.

11. A communication system for alerting users of an emergency event, comprising:

a plurality of server devices located in various geographical locations, each of the plurality of server devices adapted to store substantially the same communication data;

a network of transmission links connecting each of the plurality of server devices with at least one other of the server devices and capable of connecting at least one of the plurality of server devices to one or more user communication devices for transmitting alert information;

a computer-implemented alerting component for generating alerts associated with the emergency event, and further adapted to direct the plurality of server devices to transmit the alert information, via the network of transmission links, to the one or more user communication devices; and

a computer-implemented logging component for logging transmission information associated with the transmission of the alert information.

12. A method for providing communication services, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of communication server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to receive, store and transmit alert or call information;

providing a communication management component adapted to transmit the alert or call information, and further adapted to direct one or more of the plurality of communication server devices to transmit the alert or call information to at least one user device;

providing a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes between the plurality of communication server devices, the communication management component and the at least one user device, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the alert or call information via one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between at least two communication server devices;

configuring one or more of the communication server devices to act as master nodes controlling a plurality of other communication server devices and configuring the other communication server devices to act as slave nodes; and

reconfiguring at least one of the communication server devices acting as slave nodes to act as a master node upon detection, in any manner, of degraded performance of a master node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reconfiguring step is performed in response to a detection of degraded performance of a master node to be 30% or less than another node.

14. A method for providing communication services, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of communication server devices distributed throughout a geographical area and adapted to receive, store and transmit alert or call information;

providing a communication management component adapted to transmit the alert or call information, and further adapted to direct one or more of the plurality of communication server devices to transmit the alert or call information to at least one user device;

providing a transmission network including a plurality of transmission routes between the plurality of communication server devices, the communication management component and the at least one user device, the transmission network being adapted to transmit the alert or call information via one or more of the plurality of transmission routes between at least two communication server devices; and

configuring at least one of the communication server devices to re-route alert or call information from one transmission route to another transmission route in response to detected degradation of performance of the one transmission route.

15. A method for providing value-added functions to a telephone communication, comprising the steps of:

routing a telephone call initiated by a user'"'"'s telephone device to a call management computer system;

sensing by the call management computer system of a predetermined series of one or more telephone keys activated on the user'"'"'s telephone device; and

as a result of sensing the predetermined series of telephone keys activated on the user'"'"'s telephone device, initiating a value-added functionality to the telephone communication by the call management computer system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of initiating a value-added functionality includes a step of connecting the telephone call to an additional user'"'"'s telephone device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the telephone call connects the user'"'"'s telephone device to a second user'"'"'s telephone device and the step of initiating a value-added functionality includes a step of connecting the telephone call to at least a third user'"'"'s telephone device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined series of keys includes a star key “

*”

followed by a number key.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the value added functionality is taken from a group consisting of, adding a participant, dropping a participant, adjusting speaker volume, adjusting microphone volume, recording the communication, muting a participant, un-muting a participant, and requesting an options menu.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of calculating a financial charge by the call management system for use of the value added functionality.