Methods for displaying notifications

• US 9,531,651 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherubini, Mauro
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Chong G
• Application Number:
  US14/179,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A method includes obtaining, at one or more computers, information regarding a notification to be delivered to a device associated with a user at a first time, obtaining, at the one or more computers, information associated with the user, and determining, at the one or more computers, a probability that the user will be available at the first time based on the information associated with the user. If the probability that the user will be available at the first time is below a threshold, the method includes delivering the notification to the device associated with the user at a second time prior to the first time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by one or more computers, notification information indicating that a notification is to be delivered to a device associated with a user at a first time that is subsequent to a current time, user information associated with the user, and delivery strategy information including delivery success rates of previous notifications sent to one or more users;

determining, by the one or more computers, a probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time based on the user information and the delivery strategy information;

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time exceeding a threshold, causing the notification to be output for display at the device associated with the user at the first time; and

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time being less than the threshold, causing the notification to be output for display at the device associated with the user at a second time prior to the first time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information associated with the user includes calendar information and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the calendar information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information associated with the user includes geolocation information and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the geolocation information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information associated with the user includes state of charge information for the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the state of charge information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information associated with the user includes behavior information associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the behavior information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information associated with the user is received from the device associated with the user.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices for storing program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

obtain notification information indicating that a notification is to be delivered to a device associated with a user at a first time that is subsequent to a current time, user information associated with the user, and delivery strategy information including delivery success rates of previous notifications sent to one or more users;

determine a probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time based on the user information and the delivery strategy information;

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time exceeding a threshold, cause the notification to be output for display at the device associated with the user at the first time; and

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time being less than the threshold, cause the notification to be output for display at the device associated with the user at a second time prior to the first time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user includes calendar information associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the calendar information.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user is received from the device associated with the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user includes geolocation information received from the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the geolocation information.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user includes state of charge information received from the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the state of charge information.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user includes behavior information associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the behavior information.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user information associated with the user includes actions taken using online services by the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the user includes actions taken using online services by the device associated with the user.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices for storing program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

obtain notification information indicating that a notification is to be delivered to a first device associated with a user at a first time that is subsequent to a current time, user information associated with the user, and delivery strategy information including delivery success rates of previous notifications sent to one or more users;

determine a probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the first device at the first time based on the user information and the delivery strategy information;

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time exceeding a threshold, cause the notification to be output for display at the first device associated with the user; and

responsive to the probability that the user will be available at the first time being less than the threshold, cause the notification to be output for display at a second device associated with the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information associated with the user includes calendar information associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the calendar information.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information associated with the user includes geolocation information received from the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the geolocation information.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information associated with the user includes state of charge information received from the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the state of charge information.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information associated with the user includes behavior information associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the behavior information.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user information associated with the user includes actions taken using online services by the device associated with the user and the probability that the user will be available to receive the notification from the device associated with the user at the first time is based at least in part on the actions taken using online services by the device associated with the user.