US 5,973,612 A · Flexible object notification

Abstract

Alternative notification methods for a portable wireless receiver that is able to receive paging objects (i.e., data objects) in addition to conventional alphanumeric page messages. When a paging object is received, the user may be notified of the receipt of the paging object using a visual alert or an audible alert. The user can selectively determine whether the sender of the page object will be allowed to determine the type of audible and/or visual notification provided the user. Various parameters associated with each type of directory in which page objects are stored and with the page objects indicate the preferences of the user and the sender for notifying the user of the receipt of the page object. The invention is also applicable to other types of portable wireless data receivers, such as a cell phone.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for selectively notifying a recipient that a data object transmitted from a remote site has been received on a portable receiver carried by the recipient, comprising the steps of:

(a) appending a sender preference to the data object transmitted to the recipient, said sender preference identifying at least one of a plurality of options for notifying the recipient that the data object has been received, said plurality of options including an option in which the sender is not provided any notification;
(b) enabling the recipient to define a recipient preference for being notified of the receipt of the data object using at least one of the plurality of options;
(c) upon receipt of the data object by the portable receiver, logically combining the sender preference with the recipient preference to produce a logical result that determines how the recipient will be notified of the receipt of the data object;
and
(d) using the logical result to control the portable receiver, thereby effecting the notification of the recipient as indicated by the logical result.

2 more elements

A system for selectively notifying a recipient that a data object transmitted from a remote site has been received on a portable receiver carried by the recipient, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a plurality of machine instructions that define a plurality of functions implemented by the portable receiver;
(b) a visually perceptible display for producing a visual notification;
(c) at least one transducer that is employed to produce at least one of an audible and a tactile vibratory notification;
and
(d) a processor coupled to the memory, the display, and said at least one transducer, said processor being controlled by the machine instructions to implement functions that include:
(i) responding to a sender preference that is appended to the data object transmitted to the recipient, said sender preference uniquely identifying at least one of a plurality of options for notifying the recipient that the data object has been received;
(ii) enabling the recipient to define a unique recipient preference for being notified of the receipt of the data object using at least one of the plurality of options;
(iii) upon receipt of the data object by the portable receiver, logically combining the sender preference with the recipient preference to produce a logical result that determines how the recipient will be notified of the receipt of the data object;
and
(iv) using the logical result to control the portable receiver, thereby effecting the notification of the recipient as indicated by the logical result.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flexible object notification

Life of this patent

Flexible object notification

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20