Endpoint status notification system
View Patent ↗The endpoint status notification system includes an address book of network user's names and their associated endpoints. A user selects a personal list of contacts from the address book and receives an instant message alert upon every occurrence of a reportable event for one of the contacts on the list. Alerts are informational status messages pertaining to the contact and are delivered unbeknownst to the contact. Preferably, alerts are popup windows displayed for a preset amount of time, however audible alerts are available in lieu of or in combination with the popups. Reportable events are selected by the user for each of the contacts on the list and may differ from contact to contact. Simultaneous with the alert, the user may be provided a call-control option related to the reportable event and pertaining to the contact. If selected, the call-control option causes a telecommunication function to immediately occur.
1. An endpoint status notification system for use in a telecommunications network, the system comprising:
an address book comprising a plurality of network user's names and their associated endpoints;
a personal list of contacts comprising the users selected from the address book by one of the users;
an instant message alert received by said one user upon every occurrence of a reportable event for the contacts on the list, the alert comprising one of a plurality of viewable informational status messages pertaining to the contact and delivered to said one user unbeknownst to the contact, the reportable event being selected by said one user for each of the contacts on the list, whereby the reportable events received by said one user may differ for each of the contacts on the personal list; and
a viewable call-control option received by said one user simultaneous with the instant message alert and selection of said option causes a telecommunication function related to the reportable event and pertaining to the contact to immediately occur.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said instant message alert comprises a popup window on a display of an endpoint of said one user.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one user proxies another user to receive the instant message alerts intended for said one user.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the contacts on the personal list comprises said one user, thereby said one user receiving the instant message alert for every occurrence of a reportable event for said one user.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instant message alert is received for a preset amount of time to be determined by said one user.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a log of the reportable events for said one user and viewable by said one user sometime after the event occurs.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the personal list of contacts further comprises a textual display of a current status of the contacts, the list being viewable by said one user and updated immediately following a reportable event, whereby said one user is able to view a real-time status of the contacts.
8. A method of endpoint status notification system in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of users, the method comprising:
selecting a list of personal contacts from an address book comprising names and endpoints belonging to the users;
for each of the contacts, choosing one or more telephony-related reportable events associated with the contact, whereby the reportable events for each contact may differ;
receiving a message alert instantaneously upon occurrence of the telephony-related reportable event and transmitted unbeknownst to the contact;
viewing the alert comprising an informational message and a call-control option, both pertaining to a real-time status of one of the contacts;
selecting the call-control option to initiate a telephony-related function to the contact.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein viewing the alert comprises viewing a popup window for a pre-determined time limit.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising viewing a menu of telephony-related reportable events for each contact prior to choosing the reportable events.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising viewing the list of personal contacts and a real-time status of each contact displayed near each name.
12. A method for status notification in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of endpoints, the method comprising:
detecting a change in status of a monitored endpoint;
determining if the change is an identified reportable event for the monitored endpoint;
if the change is the identified reportable event, then immediately transmitting a status alert to a user, unbeknownst to the monitored endpoint, requesting notification of the identified reportable event;
transmitting, simultaneous with the status alert, one or more viewable call processing commands related to the identified reportable event and the monitored endpoint; and
processing the call command associated with the monitored endpoint.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining comprises comparing the change to a pre-selected and stored reportable event for the monitored endpoint.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein transmitting a status alert comprises transmitting and displaying a popup window.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising causing an audible alert to indicate the identified reportable event.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein reportable events vary for each monitored endpoint.