Customizable notification user window

• US 6,857,017 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Faour, Carolyn C., Primeaux, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/686,442
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/230, 709/332, 709/203, 709/219, 709/206, 709/223, 709/318, 345/779, 345/619, 345708-709, 345853-854, 345/745, 345/733, 600/523, 455/26.1, 713/200, 703/22
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

A system for customizing user displays on a computer includes the generation of events by an event handler in communication with executing applications. By registering for selected events, and groups of events, a user may have certain notifications sent to their desktops. Available types of notifications may be categorized, and users can customize their notification window by selecting events, and categories of events, from those available.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information on a user display device, comprising:

receiving a plurality of event messages, each event message being associated with an event and having been generated by an application;

communicating selected subsets of event messages to one or more event handlers according to stored registration information specifying, for each of a plurality of subsets of event messages, one or more event handlers to which the subset of event messages should be communicated, each event handler having registered to receive event messages in one or more of the selected subsets of event messages;

receiving a particular subset of event messages, each event message in the particular subset of event messages being associated with a corresponding element for communication to one or more user display devices each associated with a corresponding user, each element being associated with one or more element groups that each comprise one or more elements;

for each event message in the received particular subset of event messages;

determining the corresponding element associated with the event message;

determining the element groups comprising the determined corresponding element associated with the event message;

determining one or more roles associated with the determined element groups, each determined role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the constituent elements of the determined element groups for display on the corresponding user display devices associated with the users;

determining one or more users assigned the determined roles; and

if a user is determined to be assigned one or more of the determined roles, communicating the corresponding element associated with the event message to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display on the corresponding user display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises displaying, for the corresponding element displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user, a link associated with the corresponding element; and

the link, when selected by the user associated with the user display device, is operable to initiate opening of an associated application.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving registration information regarding a user from the associated user display device; and

assigning a role to the user based on the registration information, the role defining one or more element groups for which the user is authorized to receive the constituent elements of the element groups for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of an element within the one or more element groups defined by the role assigned to the user, the selection of the element indicating that the user desires to prevent the element from being communicated to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display; and

terminating communication of the selected element to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display on the user display device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising maintaining a table comprising, for each element group:

an element name for each element associated with the element group;

an element type of each element associated with the element group; and

one or more role names for each element associated with the element group, each role name for an element indicating a role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the element for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising maintaining, for each user:

role information identifying the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

display list information identifying;

the one or more constituent elements of each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive as defined by the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

an indication for each of the one or more constituent elements of whether the user has indicated a desire to terminate display of the element on the corresponding user display device associated with user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device, and

when the element comprises state information regarding a supply chain of an enterprise, the element type comprises one or more of;

a sum element type; and

a count element type.

8. The method claim 1, wherein:

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device, and

when the element comprises alert information, the element type comprises an alert element type indicating that a particular event has occurred, the element comprising a notification for communication to the corresponding user display devices associated with users authorized to receive the element.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising communicating the corresponding element to a dashboard window displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user, the dashboard window comprising a separate window for each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive, the corresponding element being displayed in the separate window corresponding to the element group associated with the corresponding element.

10. A system for displaying information on a user display device, comprising:

an event router operable to;

receive a plurality of event messages, each event message being associated with an event and having been generated by an application; and

communicate selected subsets of event messages to one or more event handlers according to stored registration information specifying, for each of a plurality of subsets of event messages, one or more event handlers to which the subset of event messages should be communicated, each event handler having registered to receive event messages in one or more of the selected subsets of event messages; and

a customer relationship monitor operable to;

receive a particular subset of event messages, each event message in the particular subset of event messages being associated with a corresponding element for communication to one or more user display devices each associated with a corresponding user, each element being associated with one or more element groups that each comprise one or more elements;

for each event message in the received particular subset of event messages;

determine the corresponding element associated with the event message;

determine the element groups comprising the determined corresponding element associated with the event message;

determine one or more roles associated with the determined element groups, each determined role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the constituent elements of the determined element groups for display on the corresponding user display devices associated with the users;

determine one or more users assigned the determined roles; and

if a user is determined to be assigned one or more of the determined roles, communicating the corresponding element associated with the event message to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display on the corresponding user display device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the customer relationship monitor is further operable to display, for the corresponding element displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user; and

the link, when selected by the user of the associated with user display device, is operable to initiate opening of an associated application.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer relationship monitor is operable to:

receive registration information regarding a user from the associated user display device; and

assign a role to the user based on the registration information, the role defining one or more element groups for which the user is authorized to receive the constituent elements of the element groups for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the users.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer relationship monitor is operable to:

receive from the user a selection of an element within the one or more element groups defined by the role assigned to the user, the selection of the element indicating that the user desires to prevent the element from being communicated to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display; and

terminate communication of the selected element to the user display device associated with the user for display on the user display device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer relationship monitor is operable to maintain a table comprising, for each element group:

an element name for each element associated with the element group;

an element type of each element associated with the element group; and

one or more role names for each element associated with the group, each role name for an element indicating a role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the element for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the customer relationship monitor is operable to maintain, for each user:

role information identifying the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

display list information identifying;

the one or more constituent elements of each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive as defined by the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

an indication for each of the one or more constituent elements of whether the user has indicated a desire to terminate display of the element on the corresponding user display device associated with the user.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein:

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device; and

when an element comprises state information regarding a supply chain of an enterprise, the element type comprises one or more of;

a sum element type; and

a count element type.

17. The system claim 10, wherein

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device;

and

when the element comprises alert information, the element type comprises an alert element type indicating that a particular event has occurred, the element comprising a notification for communication to the corresponding user display devices associated with users authorized to receive the element.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer relationship monitor is operable to communicate the corresponding element to a dashboard window displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user, the dashboard window comprising a separate window for each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive, the corresponding element being displayed in the separate window corresponding to the element group associated with the corresponding element.

19. Software for displaying information on a user display device, the software being embodied in computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

receive a plurality of event messages, each event message being associated with an event and having been generated by an application;

communicate selected subsets of event messages to one or more event handlers according to stored registration information specifying, for each of a plurality of subsets of event messages, one or more event handlers to which the subset of event messages should be communicated, each event handler having registered to receive event messages in one or more of the selected subsets of event messages;

receive a particular subset of event messages, each event message in the particular subset of event messages being associated with a corresponding element for communication to one or more user display devices each associated with a corresponding user, each element being associated with one or more element groups that each comprise one or more elements;

for each event message in the received particular subset of event messages;

determine the corresponding element associated with the event message;

determine the element groups comprising the determined corresponding element associated with the event message;

determine one or more roles associated with the determined element groups, each determined role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the constituent elements of the determined element groups for display on the corresponding user display devices associated with the users;

determine one or more users assigned the determined roles; and

if a user is determined to be assigned one or more of the determined roles, communicate the corresponding element associated with the event message to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display on the corresponding user display device.

20. The software of claim 19, wherein:

the software is further operable to display, for the corresponding element displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user, a link associated with the corresponding element; and

the link, when selected by the user associated with the user display device, is operable to initiate opening of an associated application.

21. The software of claim 19, operable to:

receive registration information regarding a user from the associated user display device; and

assign a role to the user based on the registration information, the role defining one or more element groups for which the user is authorized to receive the constituent elements of the element groups for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the users.

22. The software of claim 21, operable to:

receive from the user a selection of an element within the one or more element groups defined by the role assigned to the user, the selection of the element indicating that the user desires to prevent the element from being communicated to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display; and

terminate communication of the selected element to the corresponding user display device associated with the user for display on the user display device.

23. The software of claim 19, operable to maintain a table comprising,for each element group:

an element name for each element associated with the element group;

an element type of each element associated with the element group; and

one or more role names for each element associated with the element group, each role name for an element indicating a role defining one or more users that are authorized to receive the element for display on the corresponding user display device associated with the user.

24. The software of claim 19, further operable to maintain, for each user:

role information identifying the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

display list information identifying;

the one or more constituent elements of each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive as defined by the one or more roles assigned to the user; and

an indication for each of the one or more constituent elements of whether the user has indicated a desire to terminate display of the element on the corresponding user display device associated with user.

25. The software of claim 19, wherein:

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device, and

when the element comprises state information regarding a supply chain of an enterprise, the element type comprises one or more of;

sum element type; and

a count element type.

26. The software claim 19, wherein:

each element comprises an element type indicating how the element is displayed on a user display device, and

when the element comprises alert information, the element type comprises an alert element type indicating that a particular event has occurred, the element comprising a notification for communication to the corresponding user display devices associated with users authorized to receive the element.

27. The software of claim 19, operable to communicate the corresponding element to a dashboard window displayed on the corresponding user display device associated with the user, the dashboard window comprising a separate window for each element group whose constituent elements the user is authorized to receive, the corresponding element being displayed in the separate window corresponding to the element group associated with the corresponding element.