Cisco Technology, Inc.

Other

Nagendran Parasu

Satish Joshi

Robert James Lockwood

Brenda Gates Spielman

Lewis Dean Dodrill

Geetha Ravishankar

Zhiwei Zhang

Govind V Pande

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture enables use of multiple instances of a notification process, each configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. Each notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. Each notification process determines, for each received notification message, the subscriber's notification preference based on the accessed profile information, and selectively outputs a notification delivery message according to a prescribed open protocol to at least one notification delivery process within the notification architecture based on the subscriber's notification preference. Each notification process may have access via the prescribed open protocol to multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for outputting a notification to a subscriber's notification device according to a corresponding device protocol. Multiple instances of each type of notification delivery process may also be utilized for increased capacity. Hence, subscribers may be notified of events according to their respective preferences, including subscriber device type, or time of notification. Moreover, the notification architecture can be scaled without adversely affecting any existing instances of the notification process or the notification delivery processes.

Scalable IP-based notification architecture for unified messaging

An application server is configured for initiating a messaging session for an incoming call by accessing a subscriber profile information from a directory server and a subscriber announcement from a messaging server. The application server includes a fault tolerant routine for initiating a messaging session, enabling playing of the subscriber's spoken name during the messaging session based on a determined unavailability of the messaging server. The subscriber announcement and the subscriber's spoken name (or another audible subscriber identifier) are stored in the messaging server as first and second data files having first and second sizes, respectively, where the second size is substantially smaller than the first size. The second data file also is stored in the directory server with the subscriber profile information. If, during initiation of the messaging session the application server determines that the messaging server is unavailable, the application server retrieves the second data file from the directory server and plays the corresponding audible subscriber identifier as an alternate announcement for the messaging session. Hence, the application server is able to initiate a messaging session that provides positive identification of the subscriber, enabling messages to be recorded for storage even when the messaging server is unavailable.

Messaging system configured for selectively accessing subscriber spoken name from a directory server based on determined unavailability of messaging server

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture includes a notification process, configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. The notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. The notification process determines, for each received notification message, the subscriber's notification preference based on the accessed profile information, and selectively outputs a notification delivery message according to a prescribed open protocol to at least one notification delivery process within the notification architecture based on the subscriber's notification preference. The notification process may have access via the prescribed open protocol to multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for outputting a notification to a subscriber's notification device according to a corresponding device protocol. Hence, subscribers may be notified of events according to their respective preferences, including subscriber device type, or time of notification. The notification process also generates the notification delivery message using selected portions of the notification information and subscriber information based on the notification device type, providing a common format for device specific notification messages. Hence, each notification delivery process can receive device specific notification messages according to a common format from the notification process or another external process.

Arrangement for common-format notification delivery messages based on notification device type in an IP-based notification architecture

A method is provided in an application server configured for responding to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) requests. The method includes storing, in response to a first HTTP request, an XML document that specifies for a user, a call number of a second party. The stored XML document is retrieved based on a second HTTP request by the user. A first HTML document is generated based on the retrieved XML document. The first HTML document has instructions including the call number for accessing the second party. A second HTML document is generated based on a prescribed input received from the second party. The second HTML document has instructions for connecting the second party with the user. Hence, a user may speak with a called party without ever having to remain on hold.

Apparatus and method for contacting a customer support line on customer's behalf and having a customer support representative contact the customer

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture includes a notification process, configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. The notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. The notification process determines, for each received notification message, the subscriber's notification preference based on the accessed profile information, and selectively outputs a notification delivery message according to a prescribed open protocol to at least one notification delivery process within the notification architecture based on the subscriber's notification preference. The notification process may have access via the prescribed open protocol to multiple notification delivery processes, each configured for outputting a notification to a subscriber's notification device according to a corresponding device protocol. Hence, subscribers may be notified of events according to their respective preferences, including subscriber device type, or time of notification.

IP-based notification architecture for unified messaging

A notification architecture utilizes multiple processes configured for managing notification operations based on reception of SMTP-based messages within IMAP based message stores. The notification architecture includes a notification process, configured for receiving notification messages for respective subscribers from messaging sources according to a prescribed open protocol such as Internet Protocol. The notification process accesses subscriber profile information from an open protocol-based subscriber directory based on the received notification messages. The subscriber directory is controlled by a directory management process, configured for storing subscriber notification preference information in an open protocol-based subscriber directory (such as LDAP). The directory management process stores, as a first object class, notification attributes for respective notification types, each notification attribute specifying for the corresponding notification type a corresponding notification device tag. The notification device tag can include native device information usable to generate a message for a corresponding native notification device. The directory management process selectively stores, as a second object class, device attributes for a non-native notification device referenced by the notification device tag, one of the device attributes specifying service provider information for the non-native notification device. The directory management process also selectively stores, as a third object class, service provider attributes based on the service provider information specified in the device attributes. Hence, the storage of subscriber notification preference information using a hierarchal structure of multiple object classes provides a schema enabling an efficient management of relatively complex device information for different notification devices having respective protocols and service providers. Hence, notification subscribers having different notification devices in communication with respective service providers can store all notification preference information for all the different notification devices in a single, unified subscriber directory.

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Richmond, VA, United States of America

Nagendran Parasu