STATE CHANGE ALERTS MECHANISM

• US 20130132482A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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
• Application Number:
  US13/725,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

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 communications system, comprising:

multiple alert gates, each alert gate being configured to detect a different type of alert feed corresponding to a particular type of alert; and

an alert controller connected to the alert gates and operable to receive detected alerts from the alert gates d to deliver the detected alerts to a user of the communications system.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the alert controller is configured to maintain a record of alert types registered for by the user of the communications system.

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

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

5. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising multiple alert controllers, wherein an alert controller is assigned to a user according to a hashing technique.

6. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising:

an instant messaging controller connected to the alert controller, the instant messaging controller and the alert controller being assigned to the user of the communications system.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the instant messaging controller is assigned to the use according to a hashing technique.

8. The communications system of claim 6, wherein the instant messaging controller is connected to the alert controller through a routing gateway.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the alert gates detects an alert feed from remote server.

10. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the at least one alert gate sends a status inquiry to the remote server.

11. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the remote server comprises a mail server.

12. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the remote server comprises a stock server.

13. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the remote server is a third party server.

14. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the remote server comprises a weather server.

15. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the remote server comprises a news server.

16. The communications system of claim 9, wherein the remote server comprises a calendar server.

17. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising an alert controller network having multi e alert controllers including the alert controller and the alert controller being configured to coil communicate with all alert controllers in the alert controller network.

18. The communications system of claim 1, wherein at least one type of alert feed contains information related to a group and the alert controller is dedicated to receiving information related to certain members of the group.

19. The communications system of claim 18, wherein the group comprises a group of users.

20. The communications system of claim 18, wherein the group comprises a group of stocks.

21-40. -40. (canceled)