System and method for processing and updating event related information using automated reminders

• US 8,065,362 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stericycle Communication Solutions, Inc. (Infomedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PromptAlert, Inc.
• Inventors: Greven, Jeremy, Taylor, Blair
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US12/530,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 705/8, 705/7.13, 705/7.18, 705/7.19, 725/58
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

There is provided a system for facilitating updating of stored event data of a scheduling device, the event data adaptable for use in generating an event reminder message for receipt by a client resulting in corresponding response data in response to the event reminder message, the system comprising: an upload module configured for receiving a data package including the event data and at least one of a client data and service provider data associated therewith; a filter module configured for removing unnecessary data from the data package in accordance with predetermined filter settings to provide a modified data package; a communication module for configuring the modified data package for transmission to a server for use in generating the event reminder message; and a download module configured for receiving a notification package including the response data translated into a native language format of the scheduling device suitable for updating the stored event data, wherein the notification package is subsequently sent to the scheduling device for updating of the corresponding event data.

Claims

1. A system for updating stored event data of a scheduling device, the event data adaptable for use in generating an event reminder message for receipt by a client resulting in corresponding response data in response to the event reminder message, the system comprising:

a bridge device including a memory and a processor, the memory including instructions executable in the processor to provide;

an upload module configured for receiving a data package including the event data and at least one of a client data and service provider data associated therewith;

a filter module configured for removing unnecessary data from the data package in accordance with predetermined filter settings to provide a modified data package;

a communication module for configuring the modified data package for transmission to a server device for use in generating the event reminder message; and

a download module configured for receiving a notification package including the response data translated into a database native language format of the scheduling device suitable for updating the stored event data;

wherein the notification package is sent to the scheduling device for updating of the corresponding event data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the filter settings cooperate with the filter module to remove at least one of stale data, unchanged data compared to prior transmission of the data to the communication module, client data not linked to event data, and service provider data not linked to the event data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the event data is selected from the group comprising:

event id, event date, event time, event length, corresponding client id, corresponding service provider id, and type id.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the client data is selected from the group comprising:

client id, client name, contact phone number, e-mail address, responsible family member, donotcall setting, last updated information, account id, client date of birth, client contact information, and client billing details.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the service provider data is selected from the group comprising:

service provider id, service provider name, and the account id.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the response data translated into the native language comprises SQL update statements for updating the event data.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a website customization user interface communicatively accessible via the scheduling device, the website customization user interface for scheduling new appointments and modifying appointment information.

8. A system adapted to update stored event data of a scheduling device, the event data adapted for use in generating an event reminder message for receipt by a client resulting in corresponding response data in response to the event reminder message, the system comprising:

a bridge device including a memory and a processor, the memory including instructions executable in the processor to provide;

an upload module configured for receiving a data package including the event data and at least one of a client data and service provider data associated therewith, the event data selected from the group consisting of event id, event date, event time, event length, corresponding client id, corresponding service provider id, and type id, the client data selected from the group consisting of client id, client name, contact phone number e-mail address, responsible family member, donotcall setting, last updated information, account id, client date of birth, client contact information, and client billing details, and the service provider data selected from the group consisting of service provider id, service provider name, and the account id;

a filter module configured for removing unnecessary data from the data package in accordance with predetermined filter settings to provide a modified data package, the filter settings cooperating with the filter module to remove at least one of stale data, unchanged data compared to prior transmission of the data to the communication module, client data not linked to event data, and service provider data not linked to the event data, the filter module further configured to filter event data and corresponding client data in accordance with the do-not-call settings associated with each client data;

a communication module for configuring the modified data package for transmission to a server device for use in generating the event reminder message; and

a download module configured for receiving a notification package including the response data translated into a database native language format of the scheduling device suitable for updating the stored event data;

wherein the notification package is sent to the scheduling device for updating of the corresponding event data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the notification package further comprises at least one of new event data, modified event data, new client data and modified client data.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the download module is further configured to apply said at least one of new event data, modified event data, or modified client data to accordingly update at least one of said event data, and client data of a database associated with the scheduling device, the notification package in the native language of the database.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the download module is further configured to communicate to the communication module a confirmation for the updating at least one of the event data and the client data on the scheduling device, the communication module further configured for communicating the update to the server.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the upload module is configured to communicate with one or more different types of storages simultaneously, each storage being associated with one of the scheduling devices for storing the event data.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the download module is configured to communicate with different types of storages simultaneously, each storage being associated with one of the scheduling devices for storing the event data.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising customizable and predetermined configuration settings for defining time intervals for communication of the upload module, the communication module and the download module with respect to the scheduling device and the server.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the configuration settings further define a communication protocol for use by the upload module and the download module to communicate with the scheduling device and its associated storage.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the upload module is configured to receive segments of the data package at each upload transmission and to link segments of the data package received at different time intervals.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate with the download module prior to transmission of the event data such that the transmission of the event data is cancelled if the download module has received response data corresponding to the event data.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the download module is further configured to communicate to the communication module a confirmation for the updating of the event data on the scheduling device, the communication module further configured for communicating the update to the server.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the upload module, the download module, the filter module and the communication module is configured as a bridge application for local installation on the scheduling device.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the upload module, the download module, the filter module and the communication module is configured as a bridge proxy server coupled to the scheduling device.

21. The system of claim 8 further comprising a website customization user interface communicatively accessible via the scheduling device, the website customization user interface for scheduling new appointments and modifying appointment information.

22. A system adapted to track and update for event data received from a scheduling device, the system comprising:

a bridge device including a memory and processor, the memory including instructions executable in the processor and being configured to receive a data package comprising the event data and at least one of a client data and service provider data associated therewith, the bridge, device further configured for removing stale data from the data package in accordance with predetermined filter settings; and

a server device configured to receive the filtered data package forwarded from the bridge device and to generate reminders for the client associated with the data package, the server device further configured to forward a notification package having a notification response from the client to the bridge device;

wherein the bridge device is further configured to cooperate with the scheduling device to apply the notification response thereon.

23. A method for facilitating updating of stored event data of a scheduling device, the event data adaptable for use in generating an event reminder message for receipt by a client resulting in corresponding response data in response to the event reminder message, the method comprising:

receiving a data package at a bridge device including the event data and at least one of a client data and service provider data associated therewith;

removing unnecessary data from the data package in accordance with predetermined filter settings to provide a modified data package at the bridge device;

transmitting, from the bridge device, the modified data package to a server device for use in generating the event reminder message; and

receiving, at the bridge device, a notification package including the response data translated into a native language format of the scheduling device suitable for updating the stored event data,

wherein the notification package is subsequently sent to the scheduling device for updating of the corresponding event data.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of customizing predetermined configuration settings for defining time intervals for communication of the modified data package to the server.

25. The method according to claim 23 further comprising the step of filtering according to the filter settings to remove at least one of stale data, unchanged data compared to prior transmission of the data to the communication module, client data not linked to event data, and service provider data not linked to the event data.