Alert mechanism for notifying multiple user devices sharing a connected-data-set

• US 8,112,549 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Venkatachary, Boerries, Marco, Breuer, Matthias, Meyer, Markus, Schulz, Torsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US11/183,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20070014244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

System and method for notifying a user status of communications between a server and the user having one or more user devices in a communication network are disclosed. The system includes a server for communicating with the user, where the server includes a connected-data-set and the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set, logic for monitoring communications between the server and the one or more user devices for a predetermined set of notification conditions, and logic for sending a notification message to the one or more user devices when a notification condition is detected.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server, for communicating with a user associated with a first user device and a second user device, comprising a connected-data-set, wherein the first and the second user device share portions of the connected-data-set, wherein said server comprises a processor and a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor the program logic comprising;

logic, executed by the processor, for monitoring communications between the server and the at least the first and the second user device for a predetermined set of notification conditions, wherein the predetermined set of notification conditions are based in part upon usage of the connected-data-set, the predetermined set of notification conditions comprise task overflow conditions for the at least the first and the second user devices;

logic, executed by the processor, for sending a notification message to the first user device in response to detection of a notification condition, the detection of the notification condition being related to usage of the connected-data-set at the second user device;

logic, executed by the processor, for assigning priority to tasks nearer to the due date, if a task overflow condition is detected at the second user device;

logic executed by the processor, for deleting completed tasks at the at least the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new tasks if necessary; and

logic, executed by the processor, for communicating the new tasks from the server to the at least the first and the second user devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and the second user device comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one member of the group consisting of;

emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions are formed according to information provided by the manufacturers and according to information gathered through actual usage of the first and the second user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions comprises transmission failures of elements of the connected-data-set.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises a title of the communication that a notification condition is detected at the second user device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises a hyperlink to additional information of the communication that a notification condition is detected at the second user device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein logic for sending a notification message comprises logic for transmitting the notification message to a third user device that the predetermined set of notification conditions is detected at the first user device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein logic for sending a notification message comprises logic for transmitting the notification message to the first user device that the predetermined set of notification conditions is not detected.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises:

at least one computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions further comprises:

email overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices;

calendar overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices; and

address book overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

logic for assigning priority to new emails if an email overflow condition is detected at the second user device;

logic for deleting old emails at the first and the second user devices in response to the detection of the email overflow condition from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for the new emails if necessary; and

logic for sending the new emails from the server to the second user device.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

logic for assigning priority to future calendar events, if a calendar overflow condition is detected at the second user device;

logic for deleting past calendar events at the first and the second user devices in response to the detection of the calendar overflow condition from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new calendar events if necessary; and

logic for sending the new calendar events from the server to the first and the second user devices.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

logic for assigning priority to the addresses already on the one or more user devices, if an address book overflow condition is detected at the one or more user devices; and

logic for stopping delivery of new addresses from the server to the first and the second user devices in response to the detection of the address book overflow condition.

15. A method comprising:

a server communicating with a user associated with a first user device and a second user device, the server comprising a connected-data-set, wherein the first and the second user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

monitoring via the server, communications with the first and the second user devices for a predetermined set of notification conditions, wherein the predetermined set of notification conditions are based in part upon usage of the connected-data-set, the predetermined set of notification conditions comprise task overflow conditions for the at least the first and the second user devices;

sending, via the server, a notification message to the first user device in response to a detection of a notification condition of the predetermined set, the detection of the notification condition being related to usage of the connected-data-set at the second user device;

assigning, via the server, priority to tasks nearer to the due date if a task overflow condition is detected at the first and the second user devices;

deleting, via the server, completed tasks at the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new tasks if necessary; and

communicating, via the server, the new tasks from the server to the first and the second user devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and the second user device is a member of a group consisting of:

cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the connected-data-set comprises data associated with at least one of a group consisting of:

emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions are formed according to information provided by the manufacturers and according to information gathered through actual usage of the first and second user devices.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions comprises transmission failures of elements of the connected-data-set.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification message comprises a title of the communication that a notification condition is detected at the second user device.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification message comprises a hyperlink to additional information of the communication that a notification condition is detected at the second user device.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein sending a notification message comprises transmitting the notification message to user devices that the predetermined set of notification conditions is detected at the second user device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein sending a notification message comprises transmitting the notification message to user devices that the predetermined set of notification conditions is not detected at the second device.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the server comprises:

at least one computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions further comprises:

email overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices;

calendar overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices; and

address book overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

if an email overflow condition is detected at the first and the second user devices, assigning priority to new emails;

deleting old emails at the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for the new emails if necessary; and

sending the new emails from the server to the first and the second user devices.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

if a calendar overflow condition is detected at the first and the second user devices, assigning priority to calendar events that will occur in the near future;

deleting past calendar events at the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new calendar events if necessary; and

sending the new calendar events from the server to the first and the second user devices.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

if an address book overflow condition is detected at the first and the second user devices, assigning priority to the addresses already on the first and the second user devices; and

stopping delivery of new addresses from the server to the first and the second user devices.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor of a computing device, perform a method comprising:

monitoring communications between a server and a first user device and a second user device for a predetermined set of notification conditions the first and second user devices being associated with a user, the server comprising a connected-data-set, where portions of the connected-data-set are shared with the first and second user devices, the predetermined set of notification conditions are based in part upon usage of the connected-data-set, the predetermined set of notification conditions comprise task overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices;

sending a notification message to the first user device in response to a detection of a notification condition, related to usage of the connected-data-set, at the second user device;

assigning priority to tasks nearer to the due date in response to a detection of a task overflow condition at the-second user device;

deleting completed tasks at the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new tasks if necessary; and

communicating the new tasks from the server to the first and the second user devices.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executable by at least one of a group consisting of:

cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one of a group consisting of;

emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions are formed according to information provided by the manufacturers and according to information gathered through actual usage of the first and the second user devices.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions comprises transmission failures of elements of the connected-data-set.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the notification message comprises a title of the communication that a notification condition is detected.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the notification message comprises a hyperlink to additional information of the communication that a notification condition is detected.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein sending a notification message comprises transmitting the notification message to a third user device that the predetermined set of notification conditions is detected at the second user device.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein sending a notification message comprises transmitting the notification message to the first user device that the predetermined set of notification conditions is not detected.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the server comprises:

at least one computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the set of predetermined notification conditions further comprises:

email overflow conditions for the at least first and the second user devices;

calendar overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices; and

address book overflow conditions for the first and the second user devices.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the executable instructions are further for:

assigning priority to new emails, in response to a detection of an email overflow condition at the second user device;

deleting old emails at the at least the first and the second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for the new emails if necessary; and

sending the new emails from the server to the first and the second user devices.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the executable instructions are further for:

assigning priority to calendar events that will occur in the near future in response to a detection of a calendar overflow condition at the second user device;

deleting past calendar events at the first and second user devices from the oldest to the newest to create storage space for new calendar events if necessary; and

sending the new calendar events from the server to the first and the second user devices.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the executable instructions are further for:

assigning priority to the addresses already on the first and the second user devices in response to a detection of an overflow condition at the second user device; and

stopping delivery of new addresses from the server to the first and the second user devices.