Dispatching notification to a device based on the current context of a user with the device

• US 7,287,056 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pfenning, Jorg-Thomas, Loveland, Shawn Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/966,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 340/531, 455/41, 713/169
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

After detecting that an event occurs for which notification is desired, a notification service determines an appropriate way to notify the user given the user'"'"'s current circumstances. The notification service determines the appropriate notification method by accessing context information for the user (e.g., whether the user'"'"'s telephone is on, busy, in hands-free mode, in meeting mode, or the like). The notification service then accesses a set of rules from which the appropriate notification method may be determined based on the current circumstances of the user. These rules may be, for example, default rules or may be set of the user. The notification service then causes the notification to be sent to the user using the appropriate notification method. The notification methods include voice notifications in which the notification is read to the user.

Claims

1. In a network environment that includes a computing system comprising a notification mechanism configured to dispatch notifications over a network to a particular designated device in response to detected events, a method for the notification mechanism notifying a user of an event in a context sensitive manner, the method comprising the following:

an act of a computing system detecting an event which requires a notification be dispatched to a user at a particular designated device, wherein the notification is initially associated with textual information to be transmitted as part of the notification to the user at the particular designated device;

upon identifying the particular designated device to dispatch the notification to and upon detecting the event, an act of the computing system accessing a current context of the user corresponding to a user status at the particular designated device in order to determine whether the notification that includes the textual information associated with the event should be dispatched to the particular designated device in a text format or in an audible voice format;

an act of the computing system identifying a plurality of possible notification methods to use in order to dispatch the notification to the particular designated device, including a text notification method and an audible voice notification method;

the computing system determining, based on the current context of the user with the particular designated device, whether the notification should be dispatched to the particular designated device with the text notification method or the an audible voice notification method; and

an act of the computing system causing the notification to be dispatched to the particular designated device of the user using the identified notification method, wherein if it is determined that the notification should be dispatched to the particular designated device with the audible voice notification method, based on the current context of the user, the method further including converting the textual information of the notification into an audible voice notification.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the following:

an act of supporting a plurality of response actions that may be desired in response to the notification.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving a user-selection of at least one of the response actions.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the act of receiving a user-selection of at least one of the response actions comprises the following:

an act of receiving a user-selection of at least one of the response actions, the user-selection being issued by the user in the same manner as the user received the notification.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of identifying one of the plurality of possible notification methods comprises the following:

an act of identifying the visual notification method based on the current context of the user.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the visual notification method includes a text notification method.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the text notification method includes a notification method that uses text messages of limited size.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the notification method that uses text messages of limited size includes a notification method that uses Short Message Service messages.

9. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the text notification method includes an instant messaging notification method.

10. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the text notification method comprises Wireless Application Protocol text push notification methods.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of identifying one of a plurality of possible notification methods comprises the following:

an act of accessing a set of rules that define what notification method to use given the current context of the user.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the event is a conditional event and, wherein the method further includes an act of causing an audible notification to be dispatched to the user using a telephone network.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the act of causing an audible notification to be dispatched to the user using a telephone network comprises the following:

an act of dispatching a text message to a telephone server, the text message including instructions to dispatch a voice message to the user.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising the following:

an act of the telephone server establishing a telephone connection between the user and telephone services.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the telephone services include a voice print authentication service, wherein the method further comprises the following:

an act of the telephone server receiving a voice print authentication from the user;

an act of the telephone server authenticating the user as the intended recipient of the notification based on the voice print; and

an act of dispatching an audible form of the notification to the user over the telephone connection.

16. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the telephone services include a text-to-speech conversion module, wherein the method further comprises the following:

an act of the text-to-speech conversion module converting the text message into an audible notification; and

an act of dispatching the audible notification to the user over the telephone connection.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current context includes at least one of a busy and not busy status of the designated device.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current context includes a hands free status of the designated device.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein accessing the current context of the user corresponding to a user status at the particular designated device includes identifying a setting of the designated device from a plurality of possible settings, and wherein at least one of the plurality of possible settings includes an out of range mode of the designated device.

20. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for implementing the method recited in claim 1.

21. A computer program product in accordance with claim 20, wherein the one or more computer-readable media further have stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for supporting a plurality of response actions that may be desired in response to the notification.

22. A computer program product in accordance with claim 21, wherein the one or more computer-readable media further have stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for detecting the receipt of a user-selection of at least one of the response actions.

23. A computer program product in accordance with claim 20, wherein the computer-executable instructions for identifying one of a plurality of possible notification methods comprise the following:

computer-executable instructions for accessing a set of rules that define what notification method to use given the current context of the user.

24. A computer program product in accordance with claim 20, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical storage media.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

computer-executable instructions for detecting a conditional event which requires a notification be dispatched to the user; and

computer-executable instructions for causing an audible notification to be dispatched to the user using a telephone network.

26. A computer program product in accordance with claim 25, wherein the computer-executable instructions for causing an audible notification to be dispatched to the user using a telephone network comprise the following:

computer-executable instructions for dispatching a text message to a delivery component, the text message including instructions to dispatch a voice message to the user.

27. A computer program product in accordance with claim 26, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical storage media.

28. In a network environment that includes a notification mechanism configured to dispatch notifications over a network to designated devices in response to detected events, a method for the notification mechanism notifying a user of an event in a context sensitive manner, the method comprising the following:

an act of detecting an event which requires a notification be dispatched to the user at a designated device;

upon identifying the designated device to dispatch the notification to and upon detecting the event, an act of accessing a current context of the user corresponding to a user status at the designated device;

an act of identifying a plurality of possible notification methods to use in order to dispatch the notification to the designated device, and determining, based on the current context of the user with the designated device, which of the plurality of notification methods to use to provide the notification to the user at the designated device; and

an act of causing the notification to be dispatched to the designated device of the user, only after first authenticating the user, and by using the identified notification method.