Notification system management

• US 8,280,012 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everbridge Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Everbridge Incorporated
• Inventors: Kirchmeier, Steve, Putra, Cinta
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US12/277,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 50, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/531, 707/769, 707/999.003, 709/225
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing electronic notifications are described. A server is configured to serve an interface, such as a Web page, to a terminal that requests from a user a first set of user contacts to be used to provide notifications to the user by a telephonic notification system in response to a notification process initiated by an organization associated with the user. The interface further requests a first set of priorities corresponding to the first set of user contacts, wherein the notification system will attempt to provide notifications to the first set user contracts in an order based at least in part on the first set of priorities. A database is configured to store the first set of user contacts and the first set of priorities. A voice interface circuit is configured to transmit a voice notification to at least one of the first set of user contacts.

Claims

1. A method of managing electronic notifications, the method comprising:

storing in non-transitory, tangible computer readable memory associated with a notification system a first role designation for a first user, wherein the first role designation is associated with a first plurality of permissions, including permissions to;

add members to an organization set;

halt notification broadcasts before they are completed;

initiate notifications to members in the organization set;

review notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the organization set;

define groups, including at least a first group, the groups including subsets of the organization set members; and

delegate at least a portion of first role permissions to selected organization set members;

storing in non-transitory, tangible computer readable memory a second role designation for a second user, wherein the second role designation is associated with a subset of the first plurality of permissions, the subset including less than all first plurality of permissions, the subset of permissions including at least permissions to;

initiate notifications to members in the first group;

review notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the first group; and

storing in non-transitory, tangible computer readable memory a third role designation for a third user, wherein the third role designation is associated with at least permissions to provide notification contact paths for the third user.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second role designation is associated with a permission to delegate the subset of permissions.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second role designation is not associated with permissions:

to add members to an organization set;

or

to specify allowable contact paths that can be used to provide notifications to members in the organization set.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first role designation is associated with a permission to specify allowable contact paths that can be used to provide notifications to members in the organization set.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification broadcast results includes:

an identifier associated with a broadcast initiator;

a broadcast start date; and

a response rate.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification broadcast results includes:

an identity of a member of the organization set who was notified;

a medium used to communicate the notification;

a date and a time when the notification was made;

a confirmation of receipt of the notification; and

a date and a time when the confirmation was received.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the notification broadcast results further includes:

an identity of a member of the organization set who failed to confirm receipt of the notification; and

an identity of a member of the organization set who was unreachable.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the notification broadcast results are displayed to a graphical user interface or exported to a file.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification broadcast results includes an indication as to whether confirmation was requested from recipients of the notification broadcast.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification broadcast results includes an indication as to whether a file was transmitted to recipients of the notification broadcast.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification system transmits one or more user interfaces to a terminal associated with the first user via which the first user can:

add members to an organization set;

halt notification broadcasts before they are completed;

initiate notifications to members in the organization set;

review notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the organization set; and

define groups, the groups including subsets of the organization set members, without manual intervention by others.

12. A method of managing electronic notifications, the method comprising:

storing in non-transitory, tangible computer readable memory associated with a notification system a plurality of role designations including at least a first role designation for a first user, a second role designation for a second user, and a third role designation for a third user,

wherein the first role designation is associated with a first plurality of permissions, including permissions to perform one or more of the following;

adding members to an organization set;

halting notification broadcasts before they are completed;

initiating notifications to members in the organization set;

reviewing notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the organization set;

defining groups, including at least a first group, the groups including subsets of the organization set members; and

delegating at least a portion of first role permissions to selected organization set members,

wherein the second role designation is associated with a subset of the first plurality of permissions including at least permissions to perform one or more of the following;

initiating notifications to members in the first group; and

reviewing notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the first group; and

wherein the third role designation is associated with at least permissions to provide notification contact paths for the third user.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the second role designation is associated with a permission to delegate the subset of the first plurality of permissions.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the first role designation is associated with a permission to specify allowable contact paths that can be used to provide notifications to members in the organization set.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the notification broadcast results includes one or more of:

an identifier associated with a broadcast initiator;

a broadcast start date;

a response rate;

an identity of a member of the organization set who was notified;

a medium used to communicate the notification;

a date and a time when the notification was made;

a confirmation of receipt of the notification; and

a date and a time when the confirmation was received.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the notification broadcast results further includes:

an identity of a member of the organization set who failed to confirm receipt of the notification; and

an identity of a member of the organization set who was unreachable.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the notification broadcast results are displayed to a graphical user interface or exported to a file.

18. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the notification broadcast results includes an indication as to whether confirmation was requested from recipients of the notification broadcast.

19. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the notification broadcast results includes an indication as to whether a file was transmitted to recipients of the notification broadcast.

20. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the notification system transmits one or more user interfaces to a terminal associated with the first user via which the first user can:

add members to an organization set;

halt notification broadcasts before they are completed;

initiate notifications to members in the organization set;

review notification broadcast results for notification broadcasts to members of the organization set; and

define groups, the groups including subsets of the organization set members, without manual intervention by others.