Method and apparatus for event notification

• US 9,172,801 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wollmershauser, Steven M., Diroo, Yolius, Walter, Edward, Wilson, Brian, Hurst, William, Doradla, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): MANOHARAN, MUTHUSWAMY GANAPATHY
• Application Number:
  US13/606,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/201.01, 455/412.1, 455/432.3, 455/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

A method (300) and apparatus are disclosed for event notification. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a presence services system (PSS) (102) can have a controller (104) that manages operations of a communications interface (110). The controller can be programmed to monitor (302) presence information of a plurality of communication devices of an end user operating in a communications system, and receive (316) a request from a calendar reminder system (CRS) for access to the presence information. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a calendar reminder system, calendar event data specifying a scheduled event and a party associated with the scheduled event;

transmitting, by the calendar reminder system, to a presence services system a first request for presence information associated with an end user having a plurality of communication devices;

receiving the presence information from the presence services system, the presence information synthesized according to location information received by the presence services system from at least one of the plurality of communication devices;

selecting, by the calendar reminder system, a particular communication device from the plurality of communication devices according to the presence information received from the presence services system, the presence information identifying the particular communication device as having a highest probability, compared to probabilities for each of the other of the plurality of communication devices, of contacting the user upon receiving a notice associated with the calendar event data;

transmitting, by the calendar reminder system, the notice to the particular communication device;

receiving, by the calendar reminder system, from the end user a second request comprising a request for updating the scheduled event and a request for contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

in response to the second request;

updating, by the calendar reminder system, the scheduled event;

retrieving, by the calendar reminder system, the contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

transmitting, by the calendar reminder system, the contact information to the particular communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notice comprises a text message, and wherein the method further comprises generating the text message according to the calendar event data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notice comprises a voice message, and wherein the method further comprises generating the voice message according to the calendar event data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving from the end user a second request further comprises receiving a response from the end user to the notice, and wherein the response further comprises a snooze response.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises one of a phone number and an address associated with the party associated with the scheduled event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second request is received as one of a voice response, a text response, and a keyed response.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

detecting calendar event data specifying a scheduled event and a party associated with the scheduled event;

transmitting to a presence services system a first request for presence information associated with an end user having a plurality of communication devices;

receiving the presence information from the presence services system, the presence information synthesized according to location information received by the presence services system from at least one of the plurality of communication devices;

selecting a particular communication device from the plurality of communication devices according to the presence information received from the presence services system, the presence information identifying the particular communication device as having a highest probability, compared to probabilities for each of the other of the plurality of communication devices, of contacting the user upon receiving a notice associated with the calendar event data;

transmitting the notice to the particular communication device;

receiving from the end user a second request comprising a request for updating the scheduled event and a request for contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

in response to the second request;

updating the scheduled event;

retrieving the contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

transmitting the contact information to the particular communication device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the notice comprises a text message, and wherein the method further comprises generating the text message according to the calendar event data.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the contact information comprises one of a phone number and an address associated with the party associated with the scheduled event.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second request is received as one of a voice response, a text response, and a keyed response.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting calendar event data specifying a scheduled event and a party associated with the scheduled event;

transmitting to a presence services system a first request for presence information associated with an end user having a plurality of communication devices;

receiving the presence information from the presence services system, the presence information synthesized according to location information received by the presence services system from at least one of the plurality of communication devices;

selecting a particular communication device from the plurality of communication devices according to the presence information received from the presence services system, the presence information identifying the particular communication device as having a highest probability, compared to probabilities for each of the other of the plurality of communication devices, of contacting the user upon receiving a notice associated with the calendar event data;

transmitting the notice to the particular communication device;

receiving from the end user a second request comprising a request for updating the scheduled event and a request for contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

in response to the second request;

updating, by the calendar reminder system, the scheduled event;

retrieving the contact information of the party associated with the scheduled event; and

transmitting the contact information to the particular communication device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notice comprises a text message, and wherein the method further comprises generating the text message according to the calendar event data.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the contact information comprises one of a phone number and an address associated with the party associated with the scheduled event.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second request is received as one of a voice response, a text response, and a keyed response.