Broadcast message management

• US 6,856,240 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avica Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avica Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Elswick, William E., Hurst, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/091,879
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/539.16, 340/539.18, 340/7.21, 340/7.22, 340/7.23, 340/7.46, 340/7.47, 340/7.48, 701/11, 701/117, 455/521, 455/508
• US Class Current: 340/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

Provided are systems and techniques for paging multiple recipients by broadcasting a first communication to plural recipient devices. The first communication causes the recipient devices to provide a message notifying the recipients of a task that should be performed. A reply communication is received from one of the recipient devices and, in response to the reply communication, a second message is broadcast to at least one of the recipient devices. The second communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to cease providing the message.

Claims

1. A method of paging multiple recipients, said method comprising:

broadcasting a first communication to plural recipient devices, said first communication causing the recipient devices to provide a message notifying end users of the recipient devices about a task that should be performed;

receiving a reply communication from each of a plurality of the recipient devices, each of said reply communications including an indication of the difficulty of performing the task; and

in response to the reply communications;

(i) selecting a recipient from among the end users to perform the task based on the indications of difficulty, and (ii) broadcasting a second communication to at least one of the recipient devices, wherein said second communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to cease providing the message.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of broadcasting a third communication to at least one of the recipient devices in response to the reply communications, wherein said third communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to provide a second message.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said second message notifies that the task will be performed by another recipient.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the recipient devices receives the first communication via a hardwired network, and at least one of the recipient devices is at least one of a pager or a personal digital assistant and receives the first communication via a wireless link.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the reply communications notifies that the replier is willing to perform the task.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting a third communication to only the selected recipient if the task is not performed within a specified period of time, wherein the third communication causes the recipient device of the selected recipient to provide a message notifying that the task still should be performed.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of broadcasting a third communication to the recipient devices if the task is not performed within a specified period of time, wherein the third communication causes at least some of the recipient devices to provide a message notifying that the task still should be performed.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes at least one of the specific identity or the position of a user of the recipient device that provided said reply communication.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes information regarding ability to respond that has been automatically generated by the corresponding recipient device.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indication of difficulty for at least one of said reply communications comprises a time estimate to complete the task.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes information regarding how busy a user of the recipient device that provided said reply communication is.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving at least one reply message indicating that the first communication has been viewed on one of the plural recipient devices, and wherein the second communication is sent to all of the plural recipient devices other than those from which the reply message was received.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second communication is ignored if the recipient device receiving it has already canceled the message provided in response to the first communication.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein said indication of difficulty includes information that has been input by a user of the corresponding recipient device.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of plural of the recipient devices comprises at least one of a pager or a personal digital assistant and receives the first communication via a wireless link.

14. An apparatus for paging multiple recipients, said apparatus comprising:

means for broadcasting a first communication to plural recipient devices, said first communication causing the recipient devices to provide a message notifying end users of the recipient devices about a task that should be performed;

means for receiving a reply communication from each of a plurality of the recipient devices, each of said reply communications including an indication of the difficulty of performing the task; and

means for, in response to the reply communications;

(i) selecting a recipient from among the end users to perform the task based on the indications of difficulty, and (ii) broadcasting a second communication to at least one of the recipient devices, wherein said second communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to cease providing the message.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for broadcasting a third communication to at least one of the recipient devices in response to the reply communications, wherein said third communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to provide a second message, and wherein said second message notifies that the task will be performed by another recipient.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes at least one of the specific identity or the position of a user of the recipient device that provided said reply communication.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes information regarding ability to respond that has been automatically generated by the corresponding recipient device.

23. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said indication of difficulty includes information that has been input by a user of the corresponding recipient device.

26. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of plural of the recipient devices comprises at least one of a pager or a personal digital assistant and receives the first communication via a wireless link.

18. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable process steps for paging multiple recipients, said process steps comprising steps to:

broadcast a first communication to plural recipient devices, said first communication causing the recipient devices to provide a message notifying end users of the recipient devices about a task that should be performed;

receive a reply communication from each of a plurality of the recipient devices, each of said reply communications including an indication of the difficulty of performing the task; and

in response to the reply communications;

(i) select a recipient from among the end users to perform the task based on the indications of difficulty, and (ii) broadcast a second communication to at least one of the recipient devices, wherein said second communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to cease providing the message.

19. A computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein said process steps further comprise a step to broadcast a third communication to at least one of the recipient devices in response to the reply communications, wherein said third communication causes the recipient devices that receive it to provide a second message, and wherein said second message notifies that the performed will be performed by another recipient.

20. A computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes at least one of the specific identity or the position of a user of the recipient device that provided said reply communication.

21. A computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said reply communications includes information regarding ability to respond that has been automatically generated by the corresponding recipient device.

24. A computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein said indication of difficulty includes information that has been input by a user of the corresponding recipient device.

27. A computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein each of plural of the recipient devices comprises at least one of a pager or a personal digital assistant and receives the first communication via a wireless link.