Event notification system and method

• US 8,230,135 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBuddy Technologies B.V.
• Original Assignee: eBuddy Holding B.V. (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Paulo, Rueb, Jan-Joost, Bakker, Onno
• Primary Examiner(s): SUN, SCOTT C
• Application Number:
  US13/165,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A technique for user notification involves modifying a title associated with a process to include information about an event that calls for user notification. A method according to the technique may include running a process, processing an event, generating a string of characters that includes information associated with the event, and displaying the string of characters as a title associated with the process. A system constructed according to the technique may include a client, a title array, an event processing engine, and a title provisioning engine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information of an event that calls for user notification;

generating an event notification for the event;

associating the event notification with at least one of the plurality of character strings in a title array that includes a plurality of character strings for provisioning for display in a titlebar or taskbar of a display device;

providing the at least one of the plurality of character strings in the title array to a process executed by a processor;

providing an alternative title based on the at least one of the plurality of character strings to the process;

using the alternative title as a title in association with the process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the alternative title, wherein the alternative title is associated with the event;

storing the alternative title in the title array.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a first event and the alternative title is a second event notification, further comprising:

processing a second event that calls for user notification;

generating the second event notification for the second event;

storing the second event notification in the title array.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with using a NULL string.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the alternative title as a NULL string.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with a variation of the event notifitation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the alternative title as a variation of the event notification.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving affirmation that user notification was successful;

clearing the title array.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repetitively using the event notification as a title in association with the process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the event notification as a title in association with the process one or more times;

removing the event notification from the title array.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a means for generating the alternative title as a NULL string.

11. A system comprising:

a means for receiving information of an event that calls for user notification;

a means for generating an event notification for the event;

a means for associating the event notification with at least one of the plurality of character strings in a title array that includes a plurality of character strings for provisioning for display in a titlebar or taskbar of a display device;

a means for providing the at least one of the plurality of character strings in the title array to a process executed by a processor;

a means for providing an alternative title based-on the at least one of the plurality of character strings to the process;

a means for using the alternative title as a title in association with the process.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the alternative title, wherein the alternative title is associated with the event;

storing the alternative title in the array.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the event is a first event and the alternative title is a second event notification, further comprising:

a means for processing a second event that calls for user notification;

a means for generating the second event notification for the second event;

a means for storing the second event notification in the title array.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with using a NULL string.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with a variation of the event notification.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for generating the alternative title as a variation of the event notification.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a means for receiving affirmation that user notification was successful;

a means for clearing the title array.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for repetitively using the event notification as a title in association with the process.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a means for using the event notification as a title in association with the process one or more times;

a means for removing the event notification from the title array.