Patent ID: 7581221
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: G06Q,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer program product comprising one or more storage media for use in performing a transaction with multiple entities, wherein the multiple entities generate notifications that update a status of the transaction for a user, and for coordinating the notifications that are generated by the multiple entities and sent to the user, the computer program product comprising: storage media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed, implement a method comprising the following: providing a notification interface, wherein the notification interface includes a standardized application programming interface (API) for each of the multiple entities to send notifications to a user, wherein the notification interface is enabled to send notifications to a user from multiple entities involved in a particular transaction with the user, and wherein each of the multiple entities that generates a notification corresponding to the transaction is enabled to communicate with the notification interface in order to send notifications to a user corresponding with the particular transaction and in a coordinated manner; receiving, at the notification interface, notifications sent from the multiple entities, the notifications corresponding to the particular transaction, wherein each of the notifications comprises an identifier that enables the notification interface to uniquely identify the user and includes data identifying the particular transaction; identifying the user from the identifier such that each notification may be sent to the user; and the notification interface sending the notifications to a router, wherein the router upon receiving the notifications determines how to deliver the notifications to the user by consulting preferences set by the user and by selecting from a plurality of different delivery methods specified by the user preferences as available for delivering notifications to the user, and such that each of the notifications corresponding to the particular transaction with the user are ultimately sent to the user in a coordinated manner.