Systems and methods for notification of electronic mail receipt in a shared computer environment via advanced intelligent network systems

• US 7,076,529 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/963,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/207, 709/219, 709/217, 709/206, 455/422, 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/373.02
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering a notification of an email arrival to one or more customer premises equipment to alert users that an email has been received at a mail server. The systems and methods comprise receiving a message on an application server where the message includes at least an email addressee. The application server uses the email addressee to lookup a subscriber'"'"'s directory number or an internet protocol address and user name associated with the email addressee. Based at least in part on this information, the application server sends an instruction a service control point (if the lookup returns a directory number) or to the internet protocol address (if the lookup returns such an address). If the instruction is sent to a service control point, then the service control point causes an advanced intelligent node to initiate a call to the subscriber directory number and send a signal to the telephone customer premises equipment. If the instruction is sent to the internet protocol address, then a network node associated with the internet protocol address displays a notification alerting the user that email has arrived on a mail server.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a distinctive notification of an email arrival to a telephone customer premises equipment, said method comprising:

receiving a message on an application server, said message including at least an email addressee;

looking up the email addressee in a database to identify at least a called party'"'"'s directory number and a distinctive ring tone associated with the email addressee;

retrieving the distinctive ring tone from multiple ring tones associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number, the distinctive ring tone selected by the email addressee to provide a distinct notification despite different email addresses associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number;

sending an instruction from the application server, said instruction including at least the called party'"'"'s directory number and the distinctive ring tone;

causing a network node to initiate a call to the called party'"'"'s directory number; and

sending a signal to the telephone customer premises equipment to provide the distinctive notification to the email addressee of the email arrival.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone customer premises equipment comprises a telephone device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone customer premises equipment comprises a caller-id display device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal comprises a text message for display on the caller-id display device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in a database further comprises identifying a user name associated with the email addressee.

6. A method for delivering a distinctive notification of an email arrival to a telephone customer premises equipment, said method comprising:

receiving a message on an application server, said message including at least an email addressee;

looking up the email addressee in a database to identify at least a called party'"'"'s directory number and a distinctive ring tone associated with the email addressee;

retrieving the distinctive ring tone from multiple ring tones associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number, the distinctive ring tone selected by the email addressee to provide a distinct notification despite different email addresses associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number;

sending an instruction, said instruction including at least the called party'"'"'s directory number and the distinctive ring tone, from the application server to a network node capable of initiating a telephone call; and

causing the network node to initiate the telephone call to the called party'"'"'s directory number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of sending the instruction comprises sending a code indicating the distinctive ring tone for the call.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of looking up the email addressee in the database further comprises identifying a user name associated with the email addressee.

9. A system for delivering a distinctive notification of an email arrival, said system comprising:

a server receiving a message, the message including at least an email addressee;

a database looking up the email addressee to identify a called party'"'"'s directory number and a distinctive ring tone associated with the email addressee, the distinctive ring tone one of multiple ring tones associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number, the distinctive ring tone selected by the email addressee to provide a distinct notification despite different email addresses associated with the called party'"'"'s directory number; and

a network node receiving the called party'"'"'s directory number and the distinctive ring tone in an instruction to initiate a call to the called party'"'"'s directory number,

wherein the call provides the distinctive notification of the arrival of the email.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instruction comprises a text message for display on a caller-id display device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the database also identifies a user name associated with the email addressee.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a mail server receiving the email.