Method and system to enable mobile users to receive personalized notifications

Abstract

A customizable notification system permits a user of a mobile device to configure notification preferences for different accounts and services that the user subscribes to, such as notification from email, instant messaging, and social networks. A notification viewer on the mobile device provides an aggregated view of notifications coming from different sources, customized according to the user's preferences, such as filter preferences and delivery preferences.

1 . A customizable notification system for a mobile device, comprising:
 a notification monitor configured to:
 aggregate notifications from a plurality of different sources into a single view of notifications based on user preferences; and 
 prioritize each notification of said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and 
   a notification viewer configured to display said single view of notifications on the mobile device;   wherein at least a portion of said user preferences are synchronized between the notification monitor and the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said user preferences include filter preferences and delivery preferences; and   the notification monitor is further configured to deliver filtered notifications to the notification viewer.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the notification monitor is disposed on the mobile device.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the notification monitor is disposed on a computing device external to the mobile device;   the mobile device is binded to the computing device such that the computing device remotely performs notification monitoring for the mobile device;   the computing device comprises a data cache for maintaining said user preferences;   the mobile device comprises a local data cache for maintaining said user preferences; and   the computing device is a home computer or home server.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a configuration tool for user configuration of said user preferences, wherein said user preferences comprise notification filters and delivery preferences, and wherein the configuration tool is disposed on the mobile device.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one data cache for storing said user preferences, wherein each data cache is synchronized. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said notifications from said plurality of different sources comprise different types of notifications; and   said different types of notifications include email notifications, instant messaging notifications, and social network notifications.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the mobile device is binded to the computing device by one of establishing a connection between the mobile device and the computing device, a Quick Response code based data exchange protocol, and Near Field Communication. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a configuration tool for user configuration of said user preferences, wherein said user preferences comprise notification filters and delivery preferences, and wherein the configuration tool is disposed on at least one of the mobile device and the computing device.   
     
     
         10 . A method of providing customizable notifications to a mobile device, comprising:
 aggregating notifications from a plurality of different sources into a single view of notifications based on user preferences;   prioritizing each notification of said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and   displaying said single view of notifications on the mobile device;   wherein at least a portion of said user preferences are synchronized between the mobile device and a computing device external to the mobile device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 monitoring notifications from said plurality of different sources.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said monitoring includes applying user-defined filter criteria to notifications. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device comprises a personal computer that performs said monitoring, said aggregating and said prioritizing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device comprises a server that performs said monitoring, said aggregating and said prioritizing. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a mobile device comprising a notification viewer configured for displaying a single view of notifications;   an external device comprising a notification monitor configured for:
 aggregating notifications from a plurality of different sources into said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and 
 prioritizing each notification of said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and 
   at least one configuration tool for user configuration of said user preferences;   wherein at least a portion of said user preferences are synchronized between the external device and the mobile device.   
     
     
         16 . A computer program product comprising computer readable code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:
 computer code to implement a notification monitor configured for:
 aggregating notifications from a plurality of different sources into a single view of notifications based on user preferences; and 
 prioritizing each notification of said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and 
   computer code to implement a notification viewer configured for displaying said single view of notifications on a mobile device;   wherein at least a portion of said user preferences are synchronized between the notification monitor and the mobile device.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 computer code for a configuration tool for user configuration of said user preferences, wherein user preferences comprise notification filters and delivery preferences;   wherein the notification viewer is disposed on a mobile device;   wherein the notification monitor is disposed on a computing device external to the mobile device;   wherein the mobile device is binded to the computing device such that the computing device remotely performs notification monitoring for the mobile device;   wherein the computing device comprises a data cache for maintaining said user preferences; and   wherein the mobile device comprises a local data cache for maintaining said user preferences.   
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 a notification monitor configured to:
 aggregate notifications from a plurality of different sources into a single view of notifications based on user preferences; and 
 prioritize each notification of said single view of notifications based on said user preferences; and 
   a mobile device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a memory; and 
 a notification viewer configured to display said single view of notifications; 
   wherein at least a portion of said user preferences are synchronized between the notification monitor and the mobile device.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the notification monitor is further configured to provide filtered notifications to the notification viewer based on said user preferences.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a configuration tool for user configuration of said user preferences.