Method and system of providing enhanced appointment notification service to mobile devices

• US 8,707,206 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Technology Group LLC (West Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Boutcher, James K., Mateer, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista, Xiomar L
• Application Number:
  US12/546,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/764, 715/765, 715/808, 715/810, 715/864, 715/963, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.16, 705/7.18, 707/705, 707/736, 707/752, 707/805, 709/203, 709/204, 345/169
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A mobile device includes a client application configured to process and display a push notification specifying an appointment reminder originating from a server acting as an appointment manager. The client displays a menu of available options for conducting additional appointment-related transactions, such as confirmation, rescheduling, or cancellation of the appointment. Based on the user selection, the client conducts a user-interactive transaction with the server to complete the requested appointment service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating, by a server, an appointment reminder notification to a mobile device;

processing the notification by the mobile device, wherein the processing comprises providing a user with a plurality of appointment-related transaction selections, the plurality of appointment-related transaction selections comprising a reschedule selection;

conducting, by the mobile device and the server, a user-interactive transaction, according to a transaction selection made by a user; and

displaying, by the mobile device, a plurality of available appointment times when the user selects the reschedule selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises:

presenting the notification to the user by a display of the mobile device; and

presenting to the user, by the display, a plurality of selections, each specifying a respective appointment-related transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducing of the transaction, further comprises:

generating, by the mobile device, at least one graphical user interface display having at least one selectable feature.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

customizing each graphical user interface, by the mobile device, with content relating to a service provider for the appointment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducing of the transaction further comprises:

performing at least one of confirming the appointment, rescheduling the appointment, and canceling the appointment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing confirmation of the appointment further comprises:

activating a confirmation selection presented via the mobile device;

communicating, by the mobile device, a confirmation request to the server in response to user activation of the confirmation selection;

processing, by the server, the confirmation request;

communicating, by the server, a reply to the mobile device according to the processing results, the reply including one of a confirmation approval and a confirmation denial; and

processing, by the mobile device, the server reply.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing rescheduling of the appointment further comprises:

activating a reschedule selection presented via the mobile device;

communicating, by the mobile device, a reschedule request to the server in response to user activation of the reschedule selection;

processing, by the server, the reschedule request;

communicating, by the server, a reply to the mobile device; and

processing, by the mobile device, the server reply.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing rescheduling of the appointment, further comprises:

activating a reschedule selection presented via the mobile device;

communicating, by the mobile device, a reschedule request to the server in response to user activation of the reschedule selection;

processing, by the server, the reschedule request;

communicating, by the server, a first reply to the mobile device, the first reply including a list of appointment times;

processing, by the mobile device, the server first reply and presenting to the user the list of appointment times as selectable items;

selecting one of the appointment times, via the mobile device;

communicating, by the mobile device, an appointment request to the server, according to the appointment time selection;

processing, by the server, the appointment request;

communicating, by the server, a second reply to the mobile device according to the processing results, the second reply comprising one of an appointment request approval and an appointment request denial; and

processing, by the mobile device, the server second reply.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the mobile device, a confirm tab to confirm rescheduling of the appointment; and

sending, by the mobile device, a confirmation of the appointment to the server when the user selects the confirm tab.

10. A mobile device for use in an environment comprising a data network and a communications network connecting the mobile device and the data network, the mobile device comprising:

a client application configured to;

process an appointment reminder notification received from the data network, and to present the notification to the user;

enable a user to select at least one of a plurality of appointment-related transaction selections, the plurality of appointment-related transaction selections comprising a reschedule selection;

enable the user to conduct, via the mobile device, a user-interactive transaction with the data network, according to a transaction selection made by the user; and

display a plurality of available appointment times when the user selects the reschedule selection.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the client application is further

configured to generate at least one graphical user interface display.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the client application further configured to customize at least one graphical user interface with content relating to a service provider for the appointment.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the client application is further configured to enable the user to confirm the appointment.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the client application is further configured to enable the user to reschedule the appointment.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a processor, that, when executed, cause the processor to:

process an appointment reminder notification communicated from a data network;

present the notification to a user, via a mobile device;

enable the user to conduct, via the mobile device, a user-interactive appointment-related transaction with the data network, the appointment-related transaction comprising a reschedule selection; and

display a plurality of available appointment times when the user selects the reschedule selection.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

provide at least one graphical user interface display; and

customize the at least one graphical user interface display using content relating to a service provider for the appointment.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

provide the user with at least one selectable option to perform at least one transaction to confirm the appointment, to reschedule the appointment, and to cancel the appointment.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

in the event the user makes a confirmation selection, execute operations to facilitate a transaction to accomplish the appointment confirmation;

in the event the user makes a rescheduling selection, execute operations to facilitate a transaction to accomplish the appointment rescheduling; and

in the event the user makes a cancellation selection, execute operations to facilitate a transaction to accomplish the appointment cancellation.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

provide the user with a selectable option to confirm the appointment;

in the event the user makes a confirmation selection, communicate a confirmation request to the data network; and

process any reply from the data network developed in response to the confirmation request.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

provide the user with a selectable option to reschedule the appointment;

in the event the user makes a reschedule selection, communicate a reschedule request to the data network; and

process any reply from the data network developed in response to the reschedule request.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

process and reply, when so directed by the user, to any communication received from the data network at any stage of the transaction.