Method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for interactive notification of events

• US 7,207,008 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/955,653
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 345/736, 345/733, 345/734, 345/735, 345/738, 345/744, 345/760, 345/802, 345/790, 345/808, 709/223, 709/224, 709/203, 709/207, 705/34, 705/14, 715/736, 715/975
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/975 Pop-up dialog box for entry

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for the interactive notification of events is provided. A notification client application program executes in a background state and receives notifications from a business application server computer that an event has occurred. The notification may include a request to display a visual indication that the event has occurred, including a description of the event. In response to the request, the notification client application program displays a user interface window on the client computer including a description of the event that has occurred. The user interface window may include hyperlinks to additional Web content regarding the event, for scheduling appointments, for purchasing goods or services, or for placing a telephone call regarding the event.

Claims

1. A system for providing a notification that an event has occurred, the system comprising:

a client computer comprising an output device, a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the client computer to transmit a request to provide a notification in response to the occurrence of the event to each of a plurality of a server computers, the request comprising a description of the event corresponding to the server computer, at least one hyperlink to additional data regarding the event data for customizing a visual indication that the event has occurred, the visual indication comprising a user name, and a user identifier, to receive from each of the server computers a request to provide a notification that the event has occurred and to open a new user interface window for each request that is received to thereby display each notification, each notification comprising a description of the event, wherein the event is a user-specified event;

a plurality of server computers each comprising a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit of the server computer, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the server computer to receive the request to provide a notification from the client computer, to determine whether the event has occurred, to identify a network address for the client computer based on the user identifier in response to determining that the event has occurred, wherein the network address is an Internet protocol address, and to transmit the request to the client computer to provide a notification that the event has occurred at the network address; and

a billing server computer, and wherein at least one of the notifications that one of the events has occurred further comprises a hyperlink, and wherein the client computer is further operative to receive a selection of the hyperlink and, based on the selection, to place an order for purchasing a product with the billing server computer.

2. A system for providing a notification that an event has occurred, the system comprising:

a client computer comprising an output device, a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the client computer to transmit a request to provide a notification in response to the occurrence of the event to each of a plurality of a server computers, the request comprising a description of the event corresponding to the server computer at least one hyperlink to additional data regarding the event, data for customizing a visual indication that the event has occurred, the visual indication comprising a user name, and a user identifier, to receive from each of the server computers a request to provide a notification that the event has occurred and to open a new user interface window for each request that is received to thereby display each notification, each notification comprising a description of the event, wherein the event is a user-specified event;

a plurality of server computers each comprising a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit of the server computer, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the server computer to receive the request to provide a notification from the client computer, to determine whether the event has occurred, to identify a network address for the client computer based on the user identifier in response to determining that the event has occurred, wherein the network address is an Internet protocol address, and to transmit the request to the client computer to provide a notification that the event has occurred at the network address; and

a calendaring server computer, and wherein at least one of the notifications that one of the events has occurred further comprises a hyperlink, and wherein the client computer is further operative to receive a selection of the hyperlink and, based on the selection, to create an appointment with the calendaring server computer.

3. A system for providing a notification that an event has occurred, the system comprising:

a client computer comprising an output device, a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the client computer to transmit a request to provide a notification in response to the occurrence of the event to each of a plurality of a server computers, wherein the event is a user-specified event, the request comprising a description of the event corresponding to the server computer, at least one hyperlink to additional data regarding the event, data for customizing a visual indication that the event has occurred, the visual indication comprising a user name, and a user identifier, to receive from each of the server computers a request to provide a notification that the event has occurred and to open a new user interface window for each request that is received to thereby display each notification, each notification comprising a description of the event;

a plurality of server computers each comprising a memory, a central processing unit, and a storage device containing computer-readable instructions for execution on the central processing unit of the server computer, the computer-readable instructions operative to cause the server computer to receive the request to provide a notification from the client computer, to determine whether the event has occurred, to identify a network address for the client computer based on the user identifier in response to determining that the event has occurred, wherein the network address is an Internet protocol address, and to transmit the request to the client computer to provide a notification that the event has occurred at the network address; and

wherein at least one of the notifications that one of the events has occurred further comprises a hyperlink, and wherein the client computer is further operative to receive a selection of the hyperlink and, based on the selection, to place a telephone call.