System and method for receiving communications and providing alerts

Abstract

A messaging platform is configured to communicate with a messaging client installed on a mobile communication device via a compact dedicated device (CDD). Messages that are intended for the mobile communication device are first transmitted to the CDD via a paging system instead of directly to the mobile communication device. The CDD is configured to forward the messages to the mobile communication device while providing alerts to the caregiver associated with the mobile communication device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a messaging platform comprising at least one application server and configured to:
 receive a first message generated for a first device of a first caregiver; and 
 broadcast the first message over a paging system; 
   a first dedicated compact device (CDD) associated with the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first CDD comprises a long range radio frequency (RF) system and a short range RF system, and is configured to:
 receive, using the long range RF system, the first message broadcast by the messaging platform over the paging system; 
 transmit, using the short range RF system, the first message to the first device of the first caregiver; and 
 provide an alert to the first caregiver based on an alert rule; and 
   a first messaging client associated with the first caregiver and is installed on the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first messaging client is configured to:
 receive the first message from the first CDD; and 
 provide at least a portion of the first message to the first caregiver. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first CDD is associated with a first pager identifier. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the messaging platform is further configured to:
 store a device map correlating a first pager identifier of the first CDD to the first device of the first caregiver, and a second pager identifier of a second CDD to a second device of a second caregiver;   determine, based at least in part on the device map, that the first pager identifier corresponds to the first device that is a intended target device of the message; and   broadcast the first message with the first pager identifier of the first CDD.   
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the first CDD is configured to transmit the first message to the first device of the first caregiver in response to a determination that the first message is transmitted with the first pager identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the first CDD is configured to:
 receive, using the long range RF system, a second message broadcast by the messaging platform over the paging system;   determine that the second message is transmitted with a second pager identifier that does not match the first pager identifier associated with the first CDD; and   in response to the determination that the second message is transmitted with the second pager identifier, disregard the second message.   
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alert rule is configured by the first caregiver. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alert rule includes always providing an alert to the first caregiver in response to receiving a message from the messaging platform. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alert rule includes providing an alert to the first caregiver in response to detecting that the message is not successfully transmitted to the first device of the first caregiver within a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alert rule includes transmitting the message to the first device of the first caregiver instead of providing an alert to the first caregiver. 
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the short range RF system comprises a near field communication (NFC) system. 
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the short range RF system comprises a Bluetooth system. 
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the CDD further comprises an audio connector and is configured to connect to the first device of the first caregiver via the audio connector. 
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the CDD is further configured to store the first message prior to transmitting the first message to the first device of the first caregiver. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the CDD is further configured to delete the first message in response to successfully transmitting the first message to the first device of the first caregiver. 
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following: an audio alert, a tactile alert, and a visual alert. 
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the messaging platform is further configured to encrypt the first message. 
     
     
         17 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the CDD is configured to transmit the encrypted first message to the first device of the first caregiver. 
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the first messaging client is provisioned with a key to decrypt the first message and the first CDD is not provisioned with the key to decrypt the first message. 
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the first messaging client is configured to use the key to decrypt the encrypted first message received from the first CDD. 
     
     
         20 . A system, comprising:
 a messaging platform comprising at least one application server and configured to:
 receive a first message intended for a first device of a first caregiver; 
 transmit the first message; and 
 broadcast a notification corresponding to the first message over a paging system; 
   a first dedicated compact device (CDD) associated with the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first CDD comprises a long range radio frequency (RF) system and a short range RF system, and is configured to:
 receive, using the long range RF system, the notification corresponding to the first message broadcast by the messaging platform over the paging system; and 
 provide an alert to the first caregiver in response to the receiving the notification; and 
   a first messaging client associated with the first caregiver and is installed on the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first messaging client is configured to:
 receive the first message from the messaging platform; and 
 provide at least a portion of the first message to the first caregiver. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the messaging platform is further configured to encrypt the first message prior to transmitting the first message. 
     
     
         22 . The system as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the first messaging client is provisioned with a key to decrypt the first message. 
     
     
         23 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the first messaging client is further configured to use the key to decrypt the encrypted first message received from the messaging platform. 
     
     
         24 . A method comprising
 receiving, using a long range RF system, a first message broadcast by a messaging platform over a paging system, wherein the first message is generated for the first device of a first caregiver, the first message sent via a broadcast over a paging system from an application server, wherein the long range RF system is associated with a first dedicated compact device (CDD) associated with the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first CDD further comprises a short range RF system;   encrypting the first message;   transmitting, using the short range RF system, the encrypted first message to the first device of the first caregiver; and   providing an alert to the first caregiver based on an alert rule, wherein a first messaging client is associated with the first device of the first caregiver to receive the encrypted first message from the first CDD, decrypt the first message, and provide at least a portion of the first message to the first caregiver.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first messaging client is provisioned with a key to decrypt the first message and the first CDD is not provisioned with the key to decrypt the first message. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first messaging client is configured to use the key to decrypt the encrypted first message received from the first CDD. 
     
     
         27 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by one or more processing devices cause the processing device to:
 receive, via a long range RF system, a first message broadcast by a messaging platform, wherein the first message is generated for the first device of a first caregiver, wherein the long range RF system is associated with a first dedicated compact device (CDD) associated with the first device of the first caregiver, wherein the first CDD further comprises a short range RF system;   transmit, via the short range RF system, the first message to the first device of the first caregiver; and   providing an alert to the first caregiver based on an alert rule, wherein a first messaging client is associated with the first device of the first caregiver to receive the first message from the first CDD, and provide at least a portion of the first message to the first caregiver.