Automatic notification system and process

• US 20090228566A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher Brooke, McCarthy, Brendan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Receiving a notification message by a mobile subscriber can include establishing a session with a notification service; maintaining a persistent communication connection with the notification service after the session is established; subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber; and receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node. Further, a message can be transmitted over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval and it can be determined whether the communication connection is viable. Additionally, it can be determined that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service, the period of the predetermined interval can be decreased, and another session with the notification service can be established.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a notification message by a mobile subscriber, the method comprising:

establishing a session with a notification service;

maintaining a persistent communication connection with the notification service after the session is established;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber; and

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a session further comprises:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service over the persistent communication connection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistent communication connection is at least partially routed through a wireless communication provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining a persistent communication connection further comprises:

transmitting a message over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval; and

determining whether the communication connection is viable.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service;

decreasing the period of the predetermined interval; and

establishing another session with the notification service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discovering the notification service through a service lookup.

9. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

establishing a session with a notification service;

maintaining a persistent communication connection with the notification service after the session is established;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber; and

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service over the persistent communication connection.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the persistent communication connection is at least partially routed through a wireless communication provider.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to maintain the persistent communication connection by causing data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a message over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval; and

determining whether the communication connection is viable.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service;

decreasing the period of the predetermined interval; and

establishing another session with the notification service.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

discovering the notification service through a service lookup.

17. A system comprising:

a communication network;

a notification service coupled to the communication network; and

a mobile subscriber device coupled to the communication network, the mobile subscriber device configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing a session with the notification service;

maintaining a persistent communication connection through the communication network with the notification service after the session is established;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by the mobile subscriber device; and

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service over the persistent communication connection.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the persistent communication connection is at least partially routed through a wireless communication provider.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a message over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval; and

determining whether the communication connection is viable.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service;

decreasing the period of the predetermined interval; and

establishing another session with the notification service.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

discovering the notification service through a service lookup.

25. A method of providing a notification message by a notification service, the method comprising:

generating one or more pre-provisioned nodes for use by a mobile subscriber;

establishing a session with the mobile subscriber;

receiving a request from the mobile subscriber to subscribe to one of the one or more pre-provisioned nodes; and

transmitting to the mobile subscriber a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein establishing a session further comprises:

receiving authentication information from the mobile subscriber over a persistent communication connection.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

associating a content-based message filter with the subscribed node.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

conducting the session with the mobile subscriber over a communication connection that is at least partially routed through a wireless communication provider.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a message from the mobile subscriber at a predetermined interval; and

transmitting a response message to the mobile subscriber.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the transmitted message comprises a pong.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the notification service maintains security information corresponding to the one or more pre-provisioned nodes, the security information specifying one or more authorized subscribers.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

assigning a session reference identifying the session with the mobile subscriber.