Dynamic formation of groups in a notification system

• US 8,244,669 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Active Internet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Blackboard Connect Incorporated (Blackboard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ellis, Deanna, Chen, Bing
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/346,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 707623-625, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A method for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, is disclosed. The method includes associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor and dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications. The method also includes issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, is also provided.

Claims

1. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

a recipient module configured to store information regarding a set of potential recipients of notifications;

a tagging module configured to associate the potential recipients with at least one descriptor comprising an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information;

a grouping module configured to dynamically form a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, wherein dynamic formation of the group of recipients includes changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the at least one notification to the group of recipients.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the recipient module further comprises another set of potential recipients;

the tagging module is further configured to associate the another set of potential recipients with another descriptor;

the grouping module is further configured to dynamically form a second group of recipients to receive the at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the another set of potential recipients of notifications, such that membership in the second group of recipients is changeable in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the another set of potential recipients of notifications; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the at least one notification to the second group of recipients.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the descriptors associated with the group of recipients and at least one of the descriptors associated with the second group of recipients is the same.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the descriptors associated with the group of recipients and at least one of the descriptors associated with the second group of recipients is different.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display module configured to display an indicator of at least one of the set of potential recipients and the group of recipients to receive the at least one notification.

2. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

a recipient module configured to store information regarding a set of potential recipients of notifications;

a tagging module configured to associate the potential recipients with at least one descriptor comprising an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information;

a grouping module configured to automatically update, in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, wherein the group of recipients is automatically updated by changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the at least one notification to the group of recipients.

3. A method for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor comprising an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information;

dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, wherein the group of recipients is dynamically formed by changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients.

4. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, the instructions comprising code for:

associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor comprising an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information;

dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, wherein the group of recipients is dynamically formed by changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients.

5. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

means for associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor comprising an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information;

means for dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, wherein the group of recipients is dynamically formed by changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

means for issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients.

10. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

a recipient module configured to store information regarding a set of potential recipients of notifications;

a tagging module configured to associate the potential recipients with at least one descriptor;

a grouping module configured to automatically update, in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications, a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the at least one notification to the group of recipients,

wherein the at least one descriptor comprises an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information.

11. A method for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor;

dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients,

wherein the at least one descriptor comprises an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the group of recipients is dynamically formed by changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

changing membership in the group of recipients in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

updating the display of the group of recipients to receive at least one notification in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

locating, based on the at least one descriptor, at least one recipient from the set of potential recipients.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

locating, based on the at least one descriptor, at least one recipient from the group of recipients.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating the potential recipients with another descriptor different than the at least one descriptor.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating another set of potential recipients with another descriptor;

dynamically forming a second group of recipients to receive another notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the another set of potential recipients of notifications, such that membership in the second group of recipients is changeable in response to a change in the descriptors associated with the another set of potential recipients of notifications; and

issuing the other notification to the second group of recipients.

20. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, the instructions comprising code for:

associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor;

dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients,

wherein the at least one descriptor comprises an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information.

21. A system for determining membership in a group of notification recipients and issuing a notification to the group of notification recipients, comprising:

means for associating a set of potential recipients of notifications with at least one descriptor;

means for dynamically forming a group of recipients to receive at least one notification based on the descriptors currently associated with the set of potential recipients of notifications; and

means for issuing the at least one notification to the group of recipients,

wherein the at least one descriptor comprises an indicator of a gender, grade level, geographical location, educational institution, language, age, physical characteristic, academic characteristic, employment characteristic, political characteristic, performance information, or course information.