Method and apparatus for enabling real time monitoring and notification of data updates for WEB-based data synchronization services

• US 20040078464A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wu, Jonathan, Rajan, Sreeranga P.
• Application Number:
  US10/685,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An Internet subscription system for alerting subscribers to changes in data maintained at Internet sites has an input interface for a subscriber to specify a data condition to be monitored and a condition for notification and a gatherer for gathering data changes from one or more Internet sites. A guard compares data changes with the condition for notification, and a notification alert system notifies the subscriber of a change that meets the condition for notification. The system is particularly suited to notification requirements regarding metadata changes over multiple sources. Users can configure the system to many different frequencies and many different data and notification conditions. Alerts may be made to many different devices in different ways as well, and may or may not include specific data.

Claims

1. An Internet subscription system for alerting subscribers to changes in data maintained at Internet sites, comprising:

an input interface for a subscriber to specify a data condition to be monitored and a condition for notification;

a gatherer for gathering data changes from one or more Internet sites;

a guard for comparing data changes with the condition for notification; and

a notification alert system for notifying the subscriber of a change that meets the condition for notification.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the condition for notification comprises data changes at two or more sites (metadata changes).

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user-amendable time function to control frequency of access by the gatherer to Internet sites.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert system sends an alert by the Internet network to a client'"'"'s Internet-connected device.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the alert includes specific data gathered from the specified Internet sites.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert system sends an alert by a wireless network to a device compatible with the wireless network but incapable of Internet connection.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the device is one of a cell telephone, a pager, or a hand-held computing device.

8. A method for alerting a subscriber to changes in metadata, comprising steps of:

(a) configuring a subscription service by the subscriber to monitor specific data at specific Internet-connected sites;

(b) setting a metadata notification condition on the subscription service by the subscriber;

(c) gathering data changes from the specific Internet-connected sites;

(d) processing the data changes for meeting the condition for notification; and

(e) providing a notification alert to the subscriber for a change in the metadata that meets the condition for notification.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step for a user to set a time function to control frequency of processing and comparison of metadata with the condition for notification.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the notification alert in step (e) comprises an alert on the Internet network to a client'"'"'s Internet-connected device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the alert includes specific data gathered from the Internet sites.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein, in step (e) the alert is made by a wireless network to a device compatible with the wireless network but incapable of Internet connection.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the device is one of a cell telephone, a pager, or a hand-held computing device.