Notifying users of a device events in a networked environment

• US 7,791,472 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Agrawal, Kavita K., Bodin, William K., Thorson, Derral C., Rybczynski, Gregory W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/179,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.12, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 379/211.02, 379/357, 379/201.1, 455/73
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems

Abstract

Notifying a user of a device event, including receiving a device event, associating the device event with a user, receiving an RFID signal from a user'"'"'s RFID tag, determining the user'"'"'s location in dependence upon the RFID signal, selecting a user notification appliance in dependence upon the user'"'"'s location, and notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance. In typical embodiments, associating the device event with a user also includes reading a user ID from a device record for the device. In typical embodiments, associating the device event with a user also includes identifying the location of the device, identifying a previous location of the user, and associating the device event with a user in dependence upon the location of the device and the previous location of the user.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user of a device event, the method comprising:

receiving a device event;

associating the device event with a user;

receiving an RFID signal from a user'"'"'s RFID tag;

determining the user'"'"'s location in dependence upon the RFID signal;

selecting a user notification appliance in dependence upon the user'"'"'s location; and

notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the device event with a user further comprises reading a user ID from a device record for the device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the device event with a user further comprises:

identifying the location of the device;

identifying a previous location of the user; and

associating the device event with a user in dependence upon the location of the device and the previous location of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the device event with a user further comprises:

identifying an event type of the device event;

identifying the location of the device;

identifying a previous location of the user; and

associating the device event with the user in dependence upon the event type of the device event, the location of the device, and the user'"'"'s previous location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

receiving a plurality of RFID signals from the RFID tag at a plurality of RFID reader locations; and

determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID reader locations and a rule.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

receiving a plurality of RFID signals at a plurality of RFID reader locations from the RFID tag;

determining for each RFID reader an area of possible locations of the RFID tag; and

determining the intersection of the areas of possible locations.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance further comprises calling member methods in a device class for the notification appliance.

8. A system for notifying a user of a device event, the system comprising:

means for receiving a device event;

means for associating the device event with a user;

means for receiving an RFID signal from a user'"'"'s RFID tag;

means for determining the user'"'"'s location in dependence upon the RFID signal;

means for selecting a user notification appliance in dependence upon the user'"'"'s location; and

means for notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein means for associating the device event with a user further comprises means for reading a user ID from a device record for the device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein means for associating the device event with a user further comprises:

means for identifying the location of the device;

means for identifying a previous location of the user; and

means for associating the device event with a user in dependence upon the location of the device and the previous location of the user.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein means for associating the device event with a user further comprises:

means for identifying an event type of the device event;

means for identifying the location of the device;

means for identifying a previous location of the user; and

means for associating the device event with the user in dependence upon the event type of the device event, the location of the device, and the user'"'"'s previous location.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein means for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

means for receiving a plurality of RFID signals from the RFID tag at a plurality of RFID reader locations; and

means for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID reader locations and a rule.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein means for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

means for receiving a plurality of RFID signals at a plurality of RFID reader locations from the RFID tag;

means for determining for each RFID reader an area of possible locations of the RFID tag; and

means for determining the intersection of the areas of possible locations.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein means for notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance further comprises means for calling member methods in a device class for the notification appliance.

15. A computer program product for notifying a user of a device event, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving a device event;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with a user;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving an RFID signal from a user'"'"'s RFID tag;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining the user'"'"'s location in dependence upon the RFID signal;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a user notification appliance in dependence upon the user'"'"'s location; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with a user further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for reading a user ID from a device record for the device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with a user further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying the location of the device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a previous location of the user; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with a user in dependence upon the location of the device and the previous location of the user.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with a user further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying an event type of the device event;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying the location of the device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a previous location of the user; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the device event with the user in dependence upon the event type of the device event, the location of the device, and the user'"'"'s previous location.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving a plurality of RFID signals from the RFID tag at a plurality of RFID reader locations; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID reader locations and a rule.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining the location of the user in dependence upon the RFID signal further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving a plurality of RFID signals at a plurality of RFID reader locations from the RFID tag;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining for each RFID reader an area of possible locations of the RFID tag; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining the intersection of the areas of possible locations.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for notifying the user of the device event with the selected user notification appliance further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for calling member methods in a device class for the notification appliance.