State change alerts mechanism

• US 9,246,975 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin-Lane, Christopher Emery
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US13/616,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A communications system including one or more alert gates and an alert controller. Each alert gate is configured to detect a different type of alert feed corresponding to a particular kind of alert. The alert controller is connected to the alert gates and operable to receive detected alerts from the alert gates and to deliver the detected alerts to a user of the communications system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

multiple alert gates, each alert gate programmed to detect a different type of alert feed from a remote server corresponding to a particular type of alert; and

an alert multiplexer network comprising a plurality of alert multiplexers, wherein each multiplexer in the plurality of alert multiplexers is dedicated to a unique subset of alerts and is in communication with at least one alert gate programmed to detect a particular type of alert from the unique subset of alerts, and wherein the alert multiplexer is programmed to receive detected alerts from the at least one alert gate and deliver the detected alerts over a one-to-one communication with a client system associated with a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert multiplexer is programmed to maintain a record of alert types associated with the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a subscriber of a communications system, and the alert multiplexer delivers one or more detected alerts to the subscriber through the communications system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a subscriber of an online service provider, and the alert multiplexer delivers one or more detected alerts to the subscriber through the online service provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert multiplexer is assigned to the user according to a hashing technique.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user has subscribed to receive alerts from the unique subset of alerts.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server comprises at least one of a mail server, a stock server, a third party server, a weather server, a news server, or a calendar server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one alert gate is programmed to detect a type of alert feed comprising information related to a group of users and the alert multiplexer is dedicated to receiving information related to certain members of the group of users.

9. A system comprising:

an alert gate operable to detect an alert feed from a remote server corresponding to a particular type of alert;

an alert multiplexer network comprising a plurality of alert multiplexers, wherein each alert multiplexer in the plurality of alert multiplexers is dedicated to a unique subset of alerts and is in communication with the alert gate and programmed to receive a detected alert within the unique subset of alerts from the alert gate and to deliver the detected alert to a user device associated with a user; and

a communications server in communication with the alert multiplexer, the communications server and the alert multiplexer being associated with the user.

10. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the alert multiplexer maintains a record of alert types for which the user has registered.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the communications server is assigned for use by certain users according to a hashing technique.

12. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the alert feed contains information related to a group of users and the alert multiplexer is dedicated to receiving information related to certain members of the group of users.

13. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the user has subscribed to receive alerts within the unique subset of alerts.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote server comprises at least one of a mail server, a stock server, a third party server, a weather server, a news server, or a calendar server.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by an alert multiplexer from an alert gate, data representative of a detected alert based on an alert feed indicating a change in state at a remote server, wherein the alert multiplexer is part of an alert multiplexer network comprising a plurality of alert multiplexers, wherein the alert multiplexer is dedicated to a unique subset of alerts; and

sending, via a one-to-one connection, data representative of the detected alert to a client system associated with a user who has requested to receive the alert.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining a record of alert types associated with the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user comprises a subscriber of an online service provider, and wherein sending data representative of the detected alert comprises sending the data representative of the detected alert through the online service provider.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the remote server comprises at least one of a mail server, a stock server, a third party server, a weather server, a news server, or a calendar server.

19. A system comprising:

an alert gate operable to detect an alert feed from a remote server corresponding to a particular type of alert; and

an alert multiplexer network comprising a plurality of alert multiplexers, the plurality of alert multiplexers comprising an alert multiplexer dedicated to a unique subset of alerts, the alert multiplexer being in communication with the alert gate and operable to receive a detected alert corresponding to the unique subset of alerts from the alert gate and send a subscriber-specific message based on the detected alert to a client system associated with a subscriber who has requested to receive the alert.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the alert multiplexer maintains a record of alert types associated with the subscriber.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the subscriber comprises a subscriber of a communications system, and the alert multiplexer sends one or more detected alerts to the subscriber through the communications system.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the subscriber comprises a subscriber of an online service provider, and the alert multiplexer sends one or more detected alerts to the subscriber through the online service provider.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the alert multiplexer is assigned to the subscriber according to a hashing technique.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the subscriber has subscribed to receive alerts from the unique subset of alerts.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the remote server comprises at least one of a mail server, a stock server, a third party server, a weather server, a news server, and a calendar server.