System and method for notification subscription filtering based on user role

• US 6,751,657 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zothner, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US09/468,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/1, 709/100, 709/101, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/238, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/318, 705/56
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An approach for providing notification services using rules-based technology is disclosed. A Business Rules Manager module maps the business rules to business triggers, in which any pre-defined action can be performed based on the rule execution. Business rule triggers map a set of object life cycle states or business processes to set(s) of business rules; these business rules are mapped to trigger conditions. Notifications are then mapped to the business triggers (i.e., notification trigger points) such that the appropriate information can be sent to the recipients according to the business conditions or business rule actions. The users subscribe to the notification trigger points based upon the users'"'"' role, as specified in the user profiles. A user supplied subscription filter criteria permits filtering of the notifications. However, a global user override attribute associated with a notification trigger point can bypass the subscription filter criteria.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing notifications in a distributed object-oriented environment, the method comprising:

mapping one of the notifications to a notification trigger point, wherein the notification trigger point is based upon a business rule that corresponds to an object life cycle state of an object;

receiving a notification subscription request from a user to subscribe to one of the notification trigger points, the user having a user profile indicating a role of the user;

permitting the user to subscribe to the one notification trigger point based upon the role of the user;

filtering the notification based upon subscription filter criteria; and

selectively sending one of the notifications to the subscribed user based upon the filtering step.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subscription filter criteria in the filtering step comprise network information, location information, customer/circuit information, and a notification template.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mapping step is performed by a business rule manager module.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the business rule manager module resides on a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) server.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the object by an event manager module.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising interacting by the event manager module with a client to provide real-time updates of the object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step and the filtering step are performed by a notification manager module.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising unsubscribing the user in response to an unsubscribe request by the user.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification trigger point in the step of mapping is grouped based upon a type of information the one notification is created from.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object life cycle states in the mapping step comprise a creation state, a waiting review state, an Out-of-Guideline/Conflict state, a Denied/Cancelled state, an Approved state, an In Maintenance state, and a Completed state.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring the object by an object factory module.

12. A computer implemented system for providing notifications in a distributed object-oriented environment, the system comprising:

a server configured to transmit a notification subscription request initiated by a user;

a business rule manager module configured to map a business rule to a notification trigger point, the business rule corresponding to a business process at an object life cycle state of an object;

a user manager module configured to receive a notification subscription request from the user to subscribe to one of the notification trigger points, the user having a user profile indicating a role of the user and being permitted to subscribe to the one notification trigger point based upon the role; and

a notification manager module configured to filter the notifications based upon subscription filter criteria and to send selectively one of the notifications.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the subscription filter criteria comprise network information, location information, customer/circuit information, and a notification template.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the business rule manager module resides on a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) server.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the server is configured to set up a user profile.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an event manager module configured to generate the object.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the event manager module interacts with the server to provide real-time updates of the object.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing notifications in a distributed object-oriented environment, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

mapping one of the notifications to a notification trigger point, wherein the notification trigger point is based upon a business rule that corresponds to an object life cycle state of an object;

receiving a notification subscription request from a user to subscribe to one of the notification trigger points, the user having a user profile indicating a role of the user;

permitting the user to subscribe to the one notification trigger point based upon the role of the user;

filtering the notification based upon subscription filter criteria; and

selectively sending one of the notifications to the subscribed user based upon the filtering step.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the subscription filter criteria in the filtering step comprise network information, location information, customer/circuit information, and a notification template.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the mapping step and receiving step are performed by a business rule manager module.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the business rule manager module is a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) service.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising generating the object by an event manager module.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the sending step and the filtering step are performed by a notification manager module.