Notification subsystem

• US 6,466,969 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony International Europe Gmbh (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony International Europe Gmbh (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bunney, William, Knox, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/270,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 713/201, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication method and a network is presented comprising at least one server (1) and a plurality of user terminals (3). The user terminals (3) can share information with each other and with the at least one server (1) by means of a network (2), which can be e.g., the internet. A predefined action is associated by a notification server (29) with a notification. The notification is sent to a user terminal (3) and displayed on a screen (38) of the user terminal (3). The predefined action associated with the notification sent to the user terminal (3) is activated automatically by a response to the displayed notification at the user terminal (3), e.g. by clicking on a notification window on the screen (38) of the user terminal (3). A target address can be associated with a notification sent to a user terminal (3). The predefined action is activated addressed to the target address by the clicking on the notification window. Furthermore, a life span information can be associated with a notification to be sent to the user terminal (3). A data base (36) is accessed by the notification server (29) to store notifications in case the user terminal (3) to which a notification is to be sent is not in a logged-in state.

Claims

1. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a user'"'"'s status of a first user terminal by a first server in the network, wherein the user'"'"'s status includes available and invisible;

collaborating with the first server by a second server in the network to obtain the user'"'"'s status;

delivering a notification from a second user terminal to the first user terminal by the second server in case that the user'"'"'s status is available; and

storing the notification from the second user terminal in a database in case that the user'"'"'s status is invisible.

2. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network according to claim 1, wherein the notification is associated with a target address, and a predefined action is activated addressed to the target address by a response of the user to the notification.

3. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network according to claim 2, wherein a life span information is associated with the notification, and a display of the notification on the first user terminal or the activation of the predefined action is prohibited when the life span information has expired.

4. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network according to claim 3, wherein the life span information is a deadline information a time duration information.

5. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network according to claim 1, wherein the notification is stored in the database in case that the first user terminal is not in a logged-in state.

6. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communication in a network according to claim 1, wherein the database is stored in an object-oriented approach.

7. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate in a network according to claim 1, wherein the notification stored in the database is erased in case that the associated life span information has expired.

8. A communication network, comprising:

a plurality of user terminals; and

a plurality of servers,

wherein a first server maintains a first user'"'"'s status of a first user terminal, the first user'"'"'s status including available and invisible, a second server collaborates the first server to obtain the first user'"'"'s status, the second server delivers a notification from a second user terminal to the first user terminal in case that the first user'"'"'s status is available, and a database stores the notification from the second user terminal in case that the first user'"'"'s status is invisible.

9. A communication network according to claim 8, wherein the notification is associated with a target address, and a predefined action is activated addressed to the target address by a response of the user to the notification.

10. A communication network according to claim 9, wherein a life span information is associated with the notification, and a display of the notification on the first user terminal or the activation of the predefined action is prohibited when the life span information has expired.

11. A communication network according to claim 10, wherein the life span information is a deadline information or a time duration information.

12. A communication network according to claim 8, wherein the notification is stored in the database in case that the first user terminal is not in a logged-in state.

13. A communication network according to claim 8, wherein the database is stored in an object-oriented approach.

14. A communication network according to claim 8, wherein the notification stored in the database is erased in case that the associated life span information has expired.