Wireless schedule notification method and system

• US 6,738,635 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, John E., Cardina, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Cong Van
• Application Number:
  US09/666,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413.3, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/415, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 370/395.4
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A wireless schedule notification method is disclosed. The method comprises retrieving user defined event related data from a storage device, and transferring data to a wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the data. A schedule data transfer system is also provided. The schedule data transfer system includes a storage device containing computer readable data representing a user defined scheduled time of an event and a processor containing instructions. When the processor executes the instructions, the processor retrieves schedule data from the storage device and transfers data to a wireless communication device. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to retrieve user defined schedule data from a storage device, the data including a time at which an event is scheduled to take place, and transfer at least a portion of the scheduled data to a wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time at which the event is scheduled to take place is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing data to a wireless device, comprising:

retrieving user defined event related data from a storage device;

retrieving time schedule data associated with the event related data, wherein an event is scheduled to occur at a time represented by the time schedule data; and

transferring the event related data to a wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event related data and the time schedule data are stored in a data base in the storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event related data and the time schedule data are retrieved from a computer having a storage device and a processor and wherein the computer has stored therein a schedule program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving data identifying the message originating entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving data identifying the message receiving entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the event related data and the time schedule data when the method is first performed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the event related data and the time schedule data each time a predetermined time interval elapses.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing retrieved event related data and time related data to previously retrieved event related data and time related data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the scheduled time that the event is to occur has passed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the retrieved event related data should be transferred to the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the retrieved event related data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferred event related data data includes at least a portion of the retrieved event related data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the retrieved event related data as a record prior to transferring the event related data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising assigning a record identifier to the record.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding a message delivery interval to the record.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding a message originating entity identifier to the record.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring the retrieved event related data by way of a short message service.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising formatting the record in an e-mail format.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting the record from the e-mail format to a format recognized by a short message service.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the transferring occurs when the retrieved event related data does not match previously retrieved data.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the formatting includes formatting the record in an internet protocol format.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the formatting includes formatting the record in a simple mail transfer protocol.

23. A method of providing data related to a scheduled event to a wireless device at a predetermined time prior to the occurrence of that event, comprising:

retrieving user defined event related data from a storage device;

retrieving time schedule data associated with the event related data, wherein an event is scheduled to occur at a time represented by the time schedule data; and

transferring the retrieved event related data to a wireless communication device by way of a short message service at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data.

24. A method of providing data related to a scheduled event to a wireless device at a predetermined time prior to the occurrence of that event, comprising:

retrieving user defined event related data from a storage device at a predetermined time interval, the data including time schedule data including a time at which an event is scheduled to take place;

comparing the retrieved event related and time schedule data to previously retrieved event related and time schedule data;

formatting the event related and time schedule data; and

transferring the retrieved event related data to a wireless communication device by way of a short message service at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data at which the event is scheduled to take place.

25. A schedule data transfer system, comprising:

a storage device containing computer readable data representing a scheduled time of an event; and

a processor containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

retrieve event related schedule data from the storage device;

retrieve time schedule data associated with a time when the event is scheduled to occur; and

transfer the event related data and the time schedule data to a wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data.

26. The schedule data transfer system of claim 25, wherein the data includes at least a portion of the retrieved event related schedule data.

27. The schedule data transfer system of claim 25, wherein the event related schedule data includes a predetermined time at which the transfer is to take place.

28. The schedule data transfer system of claim 25, wherein the processor contains further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine whether the retrieved event related schedule data should be transferred to the wireless communication device; and

format the retrieved event related schedule data.

29. The schedule data transfer system of claim 25, further comprising a short message server receiving the event related schedule data from the processor and transferring the event related schedule data to the wireless communication device.

30. The schedule data transfer system of claim 25, wherein the instructions are executed by the processor as a background process.

31. The schedule data transfer system of claim 30, wherein the background process is executed on a general-purpose computer.

32. The schedule data transfer system of claim 30, wherein the background process executes instructions at a predetermined time to monitor for new or modified schedule data.

33. A schedule data transfer system, comprising:

a server;

a computer readable medium containing user defined event related schedule data and time schedule data associated with a time when the event is scheduled to occur;

a processor communicating with the server and the computer readable medium and containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to transfer the event related schedule and time schedule data to the server; and

a wireless communication device in communication with the server, whereby the wireless communication device receives the event related schedule data from the server at a predetermined time that is prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data.

34. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein a set of instructions are executed between the processor and the server to update existing pending event related schedule data messages residing on the server.

35. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein, upon initiating a communications session between the processor and the server, the processor transfers updated event related schedule data to the server.

36. The schedule data transfer system of claim 35, wherein the data is transferred between the processor and the server occurs using a network protocol.

37. The schedule data transfer system of claim 36, wherein the network protocol is accepted by a firewall associated with the server.

38. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein the server originates event related schedule data alert messages.

39. The schedule data transfer system of claim 38, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages further comprise future notifications.

40. The schedule data transfer system of claim 38, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages are queued on the server.

41. The schedule data transfer system of claim 38, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages can be modified by a user prior to a predetermined time.

42. The schedule data transfer system of claim 38, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages are transferred from the server to the processor at a predetermined time.

43. The schedule data transfer system of claim 42, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages are transferred from the processor to the wireless communications device.

44. The schedule data transfer system of claim 38, wherein the event related schedule data alert messages are transferred from the server to the wireless communication device.

45. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein the data transferred to the server includes at least a portion of the event related schedule data contained by the computer readable medium.

46. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein the time schedule data includes a time at which an event is scheduled to take place and the data is transferred to the wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time at which the event is scheduled to take place.

47. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein the server is a short message server.

48. The schedule data transfer system of claim 33, wherein the server includes an intelligent peripheral and a mobile switching center.

49. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

retrieve user defined event related schedule data from a storage device, the data including a time at which an event is scheduled to take place;

retrieve time schedule data associated with a time when the event is scheduled to occur; and

transfer at least a portion of the event related schedule data to a wireless communication device at a predetermined time prior to the time indicated by the time schedule data at which the event is scheduled to take place.