Method and apparatus for notifying a user of a predefined changes to dynamic attributes

• US 8,566,311 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Ordille, Joann J., Tandon, Nina M., Yang, Qian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, HUBERT G
• Application Number:
  US11/083,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,141 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 : Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4874 : Intercept announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 : Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 : Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for subscribing to dynamic attributes. One or more users are notified of information having a plurality of attributes, including at least one dynamic attribute. According to one aspect of the invention, a user can enter a subscription request to be notified when the at least one dynamic attribute changes a value. For example, the subscription request can notify the user when the dynamic attribute (i) changes a value to one or more predefined values; (ii) changes to satisfy a user specified condition; or (iii) changes to a value within a specified range of values. The subscription request can optionally include one or more temporal conditions. For example, the temporal conditions can evaluate whether the dynamic attribute satisfied a value constraint during a given time interval.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a first user at a subscription-server that is connected to a notification-and-response system a subscription request that is specific to an application, wherein a notification request is to be received from the application in response to;

(i) a change in a value of a dynamic attribute in the application satisfies a first condition, wherein the dynamic attribute is associated with a value of a static attribute, and wherein whether the dynamic attribute is applicable to the static attribute depends at least in part on the value of the static attribute; and

(ii) the static attribute in the application satisfies a second condition, and wherein the value of the static attribute to which the dynamic attribute is applicable is unchangeable during a life span of the subscription request,

wherein the subscription request comprises a temporal condition that evaluates whether the dynamic attribute satisfied a value constraint during a given time interval; and

pre-processing, by the subscription-server, the received subscription request before the first condition and the second condition are satisfied in the application, to generate a communication flow expression;

in response to receiving the notification request from the application, executing the generated communication flow expression by the subscription-server, wherein the notification request indicates that the first condition and the second condition are satisfied; and

transmitting the executed generated communication flow expression and the notification request to the notification-and-response system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition requires that the value of the dynamic attribute changes to one or more predefined values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition requires that the change in the value of the dynamic attribute is within a specified range of values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic attribute monitors a processing of events in the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of attributes is presented to a user using a display format selected based on a cardinality of the corresponding attribute from the plurality of attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a repair alert application and wherein the static attribute comprises one of a company name, a severity, a source, an address element, a region, and a product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification-and-response system transmits a notification message to at least one of the first user and a second user based on preferences of the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the value of the dynamic attribute is relative to one or more static attributes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic attribute comprises one of a status of a repair, and a workgroup.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface for transmitting to a notification-and-response system;

a memory that is non-transitory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, enabling the execution of;

receiving from a first user a subscription request for an application, wherein at least one of the first user and a second user who is designated by the first user is to be notified in response to;

(i) a change in a value of a dynamic attribute in the application satisfies a first condition, wherein the dynamic attribute is associated with a value of a static attribute, and wherein whether the dynamic attribute is applicable to the static attribute depends at least in part on the value of the static attribute; and

(ii) the static attribute in the application satisfies a second condition, and wherein the value of the static attribute to which the dynamic attribute is applicable is unchangeable during a life span of the subscription request; and

pre-processing, by the subscription-server, the received subscription request before the first condition and the second condition are satisfied in the application, to generate a communication flow expression;

when receiving a notification request from the application indicating that the first condition and the second condition are satisfied, executing the generated communication flow expression; and

transmitting the executed generated communication flow expression and the notification request to the notification-and-response system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first condition requires that the value of the dynamic attribute changes to one or more predefined values.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first condition requires that the change in the value of the dynamic attribute is within a specified range of values.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dynamic attribute monitors a processing of events in the application.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an attribute is presented to a user using a display format selected based on a cardinality of the attribute.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application comprises a repair alert application and wherein the static attribute comprises one of a company name, a severity, a source, an address element, a region, and a product.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the notification-and-response system notifies the at least one of the first user and the second user according to the subscription request.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the change in the value of the dynamic attribute is relative to one or more static attributes.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dynamic attribute comprises one of a status of a repair, and a workgroup.