Alerting a user to an occurrence of a specified event

• US 8,458,320 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keohane, Susann Marie, McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Mullen, Shawn Patrick, Murillo, Jessica Carol, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US11/845,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 379/88.12, 379/100.05, 379/100.06, 455/412.2, 719/318, 705/14.49, 705/14.5
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A user inputs event information into a data processing system which is stored in an application memory of an application. Message information contained in each incoming message received by a messaging service is compared to the event information. In the event that the message information corresponds to the event information a notification of the event is sent to a short-range wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter transmits notification of the event to a remote receiver. Upon receipt of the wireless signal, the remote receiver triggers an alert notification notifying the user that data processing system has received the specified event.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for alerting a user to an occurrence of a specified event, the method comprising:

receiving event information from the user, wherein the event information indicates a specified event selected from events consisting of receiving an e-mail at a data processing system, receiving an instant message at the data processing system, receiving a stock quote at the data processing system, and receiving financial information at the data processing system, and wherein the event information identifies at least one of a sender of the specified event, a subject matter of the specified event, and specific parameters of the specified event;

receiving the specified event at the data processing system;

responsive to receiving the specified event, transmitting a wireless signal from the data processing system to a remote receiver, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted using a transmitter attached to a universal serial port of the data processing system; and

wherein the remote receiver is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a remote e-mail device, and a key fob.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is transferred using a wireless protocol selected from a group comprising wireless universal serial bus, active radio frequency identification, dedicated short range communications, BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, near field communication, and ZIGBEE.

3. A non-transitory computer storage medium having a computer program product encoded thereon for alerting a user to an occurrence of a specified event, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving event information from the user, wherein the event information indicates a specified event selected from events consisting of receiving an e-mail at a data processing system, receiving an instant message at the data processing system, receiving a stock quote at the data processing system, and receiving financial information at the data processing system, and wherein the event information identifies at least one of a sender of the specified event, a subject matter of the specified event, and specific parameters of the specified event;

instructions for receiving the specified event at the data processing system; and

instructions, responsive to receiving the specified event at the data processing system, for transmitting a wireless signal from the data processing system to a remote receiver, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted using a transmitter attached to a universal serial port of the data processing system;

wherein the remote receiver is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a remote e-mail device, and a key fob.

4. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 3, wherein the wireless signal is transferred using a wireless protocol selected from the group comprising wireless universal serial bus, active radio frequency identification, dedicated short range communications, BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, near field communication, and ZIGBEE.

5. A computer implemented method for alerting a user to an occurrence of a specified event, the method comprising:

receiving the specified event at a data processing system, wherein the event information indicates a specified event selected from events consisting of receiving an e-mail at the data processing system, receiving an instant message at the data processing system, receiving a stock quote at the data processing system, and receiving financial information at the data processing system, and wherein the event information identifies at least one of a sender of the specified event, a subject matter of the specified event, and specific parameters of the specified event;

responsive to receiving the specified event, forwarding a notification of receipt of the specified even to a universal serial bus transmitter;

responsive to forwarding the notification, transmitting a wireless signal from the universal serial bus transmitter to a remote receiver, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted using a transmitter attached to a universal serial port of the data processing system;

receiving the wireless signal from the universal serial bus transmitter at the remote receiver; and

responsive to receiving the wireless signal, triggering an alert notification at the remote receiver;

wherein the remote receiver is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a remote e-mail device, and a key fob.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the wireless signal is transferred using a wireless protocol selected from the group comprising wireless universal serial bus, active radio frequency identification, dedicated short range communications, BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, near field communication, and ZIGBEE.