Automatic notification system and process

• US 7,953,808 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher Brooke, McCarthy, Brendan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waqas; Saad A
• Application Number:
  US12/042,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Receiving a notification message by a mobile subscriber can include establishing a session with a notification service; maintaining a persistent communication connection with the notification service after the session is established; subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber; and receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node. Further, a message can be transmitted over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval and it can be determined whether the communication connection is viable. Additionally, it can be determined that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service, the period of the predetermined interval can be decreased, and another session with the notification service can be established.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a notification message by a mobile subscriber, the method comprising:

establishing a session with a notification service;

after the session is established,

transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than a predetermined time interval;

receiving, from the notification service, respective responses to the transmitted messages, said transmitting the messages and said receiving the respective responses occurring in alternate fashion such that the messages are transmitted to the notification service only after receipt of responses from the notification service to respective previous messages;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber;

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node;

determining that no response to a message transmitted by the mobile subscriber has been received from the notification service;

establishing a new session with the notification service in response to said determining; and

after the new session is established,

resuming said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion, the transmissions being resumed at an initial time interval shorter than the predetermined time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a session further comprises:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises maintaining the time intervals equal to the predetermined time interval.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises successively increasing the time intervals starting from a first time interval equal to the predetermined time interval.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion comprises:

transmitting a first message to the notification service;

receiving a first response to the transmitted first message from the notification service; and

transmitting a second message to the notification service after said receiving the first response to the transmitted first message.

5. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

establishing a session with a notification service;

after the session is established,

transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than a predetermined time interval;

receiving, from the notification service, respective responses to the transmitted messages, said transmitting the messages and said receiving the respective responses occurring in alternate fashion such that the messages are transmitted to the notification service only after receipt of responses from the notification service to respective previous messages;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber;

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node;

determining that no response to a message transmitted by the mobile subscriber has been received from the notification service;

establishing a new session with the notification service in response to said determining; and

after the new session is established,

resuming said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion, the transmissions being resumed at an initial time interval shorter than the predetermined time interval.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

9. The computer program product of claim 5, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

discovering the notification service through a service lookup.

18. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises maintaining the time intervals equal to the predetermined time interval.

19. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises successively increasing the time intervals starting from a first time interval equal to the predetermined time interval.

20. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion comprises:

transmitting a first message to the notification service;

receiving a first response to the transmitted first message from the notification service; and

transmitting a second message to the notification service after said receiving the first response to the transmitted first message.

10. A system comprising:

a communication network;

a notification service coupled to the communication network; and

a mobile subscriber device coupled to the communication network, the mobile subscriber device configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing a session with the notification service;

after the session is established,

transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than a predetermined time interval;

receiving, from the notification service, respective responses to the transmitted messages, said transmitting the messages and said receiving the respective responses occurring in alternate fashion such that the messages are transmitted to the notification service only after receipt of responses from the notification service to respective previous messages;

subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by the mobile subscriber device;

receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node;

determining that no response to a message transmitted by the mobile subscriber has been received from the notification service;

establishing a new session with the notification service in response to said determining; and

after the new session is established,

resuming said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion, the transmissions being resumed at an initial time interval shorter than the predetermined time interval.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting authentication information to the notification service.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

specifying a content-based message filter associated with the subscribed node.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitted message comprises a ping.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile subscriber device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

discovering the notification service through a service lookup.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises maintaining the time intervals equal to the predetermined time interval.

22. The system of claim 10, wherein said transmitting messages to the notification service at time intervals equal to or longer than the predetermined time interval comprises successively increasing the time intervals starting from a first time interval equal to the predetermined time interval.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein said transmitting of messages to the notification service and said receiving of respective responses from the notification service in said alternate fashion comprises

transmitting a first message to the notification service;

receiving a first response to the transmitted first message from the notification service; and

transmitting a second message to the notification service after said receiving the first response to the transmitted first message.