System and method for notifying users of an event using alerts

• US 7,747,288 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kamat, Harshad N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Danh C
• Application Number:
  US11/554,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20070054657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/412.1, 455/445, 709/201, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An alert engine module receives an alert for an event in a generic communications format and delivers an alert for the event to a target address in a communications format that is preferred by a user based on the alert content. The generic format can be an e-mail message, such as a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message. The alert engine can be operative to transform the alert based on a header and/or format of a target address.

Claims

1. A system for notifying a user of an event comprising:

at least one server that receives and stores a data or voice message and based on header information for the data or voice message, generates an alert as an event corresponding to the stored data or voice message in a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) that is less than the stored data or voice message; and

an alert engine module that receives the alert as the SMTP message corresponding to a stored message on the at least one server and transforms the alert one time from the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) into a communications format that is preferred by a user.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the alert engine module is operative for delivering the alert to a target address preferred by a user.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the user is able to retrieve later the stored message on the at least one server based on the received alert.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alert engine module is operative to transform the alert based on a header and/or format of a target address.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said alert engine module is operative to deliver the alert to an appropriate gateway for the communications format.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said target address comprises a mobile device.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said alert engine module is operative for transforming the alert based on the type of mobile device.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said SMS message comprises a default message for an alert.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises an email message.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communications format comprises a PocketPC (PPC) message.

14. A method of notifying a user of an event comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a data or voice message within a server, and based on header information for the data or voice message, generating an alert as an event corresponding to the stored data or voice message in a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) that is less than the stored data or voice message;

receiving the alert within an alert engine module;

transforming the alert one time from the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) into a communications format that is preferred by a user.

15. A method according to claim 14, which further comprises delivering the alert from the alert engine module to a target address in the communications format that is preferred by a user.

16. A method according to claim 15, which further comprises later retrieving the stored message on the at least one server based on the received alert.

17. A method according to claim 14, and further comprising the step of transforming the alert based on a header and/or format of the target address.

18. A method according to claim 14, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert to an appropriate gateway for the communications format.

19. A method according to claim 14, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert to a mobile device.

20. A method according to claim 19, and further comprising the step of delivering the alert in a communications format based on the type of mobile device.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein said communications format comprises a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said SMS message is a default message.

23. A method according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message.

24. A method according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises an email message.

25. A method according to claim 14, wherein said communications format comprises an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.