Arrangement for managing notification preferences for notification delivery messages in an IP-based notification architecture

• US 6,560,318 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spielman, Brenda Gates, Parasu, Nagendran, Pande, Govind, Lockwood, Robert James, Joshi, Satish, Ravishankar, Geetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/656,840
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.07, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.75, 379/265.09, 379/900, 379/901, 379/908
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture includes a notification process, configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. The notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. The subscriber directory is controlled by a directory management process, configured for storing subscriber notification preference information in an open protocol-based subscriber directory (such as LDAP). The directory management process stores, as a first object class, notification attributes for respective notification types, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag. The notification device tag can include native device information usable to generate a message for a corresponding native notification device. The directory management process selectively stores, as a second object class, device attributes for a non-native notification device referenced by the notification device tag, one of the device attributes specifying service provider information for the non-native notification device. The directory management process also selectively stores, as a third object class, service provider attributes based on the service provider information specified in the device attributes. Hence, the storage of subscriber notification preference information using a hierarchal structure of multiple object classes provides a schema enabling an efficient management of relatively complex device information for different notification devices having respective protocols and service providers. Hence, notification subscribers having different notification devices in communication with respective service providers can store all notification preference information for all the different notification devices in a single, unified subscriber directory.

Claims

1. A method in a subscriber directory of storing subscriber notification preference information, the method comprising:

storing a first object class of notification attributes for respective notification types, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag for notification to a corresponding notification device; and

selectively storing a second object class of device attributes for at least one of the notification devices based on a prescribed condition of the at least one notification device, the second object class of device attributes specifying information necessary for generating a notification message to the corresponding notification device, the corresponding notification device tag for the at least one notification device referencing the corresponding second object class.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step includes storing, within the notification attributes of each notification type, a key pair that specifies a device type for the corresponding notification device and the corresponding notification device tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of storing a key pair includes specifying within the notification device tag a device address having sufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing step further includes storing a key pair that specifies at least one of a message waiting indicator destination telephone number for the device address and an e-mail address for the device address.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the prescribed condition corresponds to the notification device tag having insufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notification types include at least one of an e-mail notification, a facsimile notification, a voicemail notification, a short messaging service notification, and a paging notification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the notification types is designated as one of a normal notification type and an urgent notification type.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the selectively storing step includes specifying, within the second object class of device attributes, a provider identifier that specifies a service provider configured for communication with the at least one notification device, and a device identifier enabling the service provider to identify the at least one notification device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selectively storing a third class of access attributes specifying information necessary for the service provider to provide a notification to the at least one notification device according to a specified protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one notification device is configured for receiving a message by a Short Message Service (SMS) according to short message service protocol, the specifying step including specifying an SMS provider within the provider identifier and an SMS telephone number within the device identifier for the one notification device, the step of storing a third class of access attributes includes storing SMS center related data enabling the SMS provider to send the message to the one notification device according to short message service protocol.

11. A server configured for storing subscriber notification preference information in a subscriber directory, the server including:

an open-protocol network interface configured for receiving a request from a requesting resource according to an open-network protocol; and

a directory management process configured for storing, according to the request, the subscriber notification preference information in the subscriber directory as a first object class of notification attributes for respective notification types, and selectively as a second object class of device attributes for at least one of the notification devices, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag for notification to a corresponding notification device, the directory management process selectively storing the second object class based on a prescribed condition of the at least one notification device, the second object class of device attributes specifying information necessary for generation of a notification message to the corresponding notification device, the corresponding notification device tag for the at least one notification device referencing the corresponding second object class.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the directory management process is configured for storing, within the notification attributes of each notification type, a key pair that specifies a device type for the corresponding notification device and the corresponding notification device tag.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the directory management process is configured for specifying within the notification device tag a device address having sufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by the requesting resource.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the directory management process stores within the key pair at least one of a message waiting indicator destination telephone number for the device address, and an e-mail address for the device address.

15. The server of claim 12, wherein the directory management process is configured for storing the second object class based on the notification device tag having insufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the notification types include at least one of an e-mail notification, a facsimile notification, a voice mail notification, a short messaging service notification, and a paging notification.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein each of the notification types is designated as one of a normal notification type and an urgent notification type.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the directory management process is configured for specifying, within the second object class of device attributes, a provider identifier that specifies a service provider configured for communication with the at least one notification device, and a device identifier enabling the service provider to identify the at least one notification device.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the directory management process is configured for selectively storing a third class of access attributes specifying information necessary for the service provider to provide a notification to the at least one notification device according to a specified protocol.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the one notification device is configured for receiving a message by a Short Message Service (SMS) according to short message service protocol, the directory management process specifying an SMS provider within the provider identifier and an SMS telephone number within the device identifier for the one notification device, the directory management process storing SMS center related data within the third class of access attributes enabling the SMS provider to send the message to the one notification device according to short message service protocol.

21. A server configured for storing subscriber notification preference information in a subscriber directory, the server comprising:

means for storing a first object class of notification attributes for respective notification types, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag for notification to a corresponding notification device; and

means for selectively storing a second object class of device attributes for at least one of the notification devices based on a prescribed condition of the at least one notification device, the second object class of device attributes specifying information necessary for generating a notification message to the corresponding notification device, the corresponding notification device tag for the at least one notification device referencing the corresponding second object class.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein the storing means is configured for storing within the notification attributes of each notification type, a key pair that specifies a device type for the corresponding notification device and the corresponding notification device tag.

23. The server of claim 22, wherein the storing means is configured for specifying within the notification device tag a device address having sufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

24. The server of claim 23, wherein the storing means is configured for storing a key pair that specifies at least one of a message waiting indicator destination telephone number for the device address and an e-mail address for the device address.

25. The server of claim 22, wherein the prescribed condition corresponds to the notification device tag having insufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

26. The server of claim 22, wherein the notification types include at least one of an e-mail notification, a facsimile notification, a voicemail notification, a short messaging service notification, and a paging notification.

27. The server of claim 22, wherein each of the notification types is designated as one of a normal notification type and an urgent notification type.

28. The server of claim 22, wherein the selectively storing means is configured for includes specifying, within the second object class of device attributes, a provider identifier that specifies a service provider configured for communication with the at least one notification device, and a device identifier enabling the service provider to identify the at least one notification device.

29. The server of claim 22, further comprising means for selectively storing a third class of access attributes specifying information necessary for the service provider to provide a notification to the at least one notification device according to a specified protocol.

30. The server of claim 22, wherein the one notification device is configured for receiving a message by a Short Message Service (SMS) according to short message service protocol, the means for selectively storing the second object class configured for specifying an SMS provider within the provider identifier and an SMS telephone number within the device identifier for the one notification device, the means for selectively storing a third class of access attributes configured for storing SMS center related data enabling the SMS provider to send the message to the one notification device according to short message service protocol.

31. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for storing subscriber notification preference information in a subscriber directory, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

storing a first object class of notification attributes for respective notification types, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag for notification to a corresponding notification device; and

selectively storing a second object class of device attributes for at least one of the notification devices based on a prescribed condition of the at least one notification device, the second object class of device attributes specifying information necessary for generating a notification message to the corresponding notification device, the corresponding notification device tag for the at least one notification device referencing the corresponding second object class.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein the storing step includes storing, within the notification attributes of each notification type, a key pair that specifies a device type for the corresponding notification device and the corresponding notification device tag.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the step of storing a key pair includes specifying within the notification device tag a device address having sufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the storing step further includes storing a key pair that specifies at least one of a message waiting indicator destination telephone number for the device address and an e-mail address for the device address.

35. The medium of claim 32, wherein the prescribed condition corresponds to the notification device tag having insufficient information for generation of the notification message for the corresponding notification device by an external resource.

36. The medium of claim 35, wherein the notification types include at least one of an e-mail notification, a facsimile notification, a voicemail notification, a short messaging service notification, and a paging notification.

37. The medium of claim 36, wherein each of the notification types is designated as one of a normal notification type and an urgent notification type.

38. The medium of claim 35, wherein the selectively storing step includes specifying, within the second object class of device attributes, a provider identifier that specifies a service provider configured for communication with the at least one notification device, and a device identifier enabling the service provider to identify the at least one notification device.

39. The medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions for performing the step of selectively storing a third class of access attributes specifying information necessary for the service provider to provide a notification to the at least one notification device according to a specified protocol.

40. The medium of claim 39, wherein the one notification device is configured for receiving a message by a Short Message Service (SMS) according to short message service protocol, the specifying step including specifying an SMS provider within the provider identifier and an SMS telephone number within the device identifier for the one notification device, the step of storing a third class of access attributes includes storing SMS center related data enabling the SMS provider to send the message to the one notification device according to short message service protocol.