Abstract:
A network based alert management system and method for managing a plurality of users, enrolled websites and a plurality of alert content items includes a network, a first database of users and enrolled websites connected to the network, and a second database of alert content items connected to the network. Each of the enrolled websites of the first database is associated with one or more alert content items of the second database. When one of the enrolled websites is accessed over the network, the one or more alert content items from the second database are presented over the network to the accessed one of the enrolled websites for viewing thereof and/or one or more alert content items is subscribed over the network to the second database through the accessed one of the enrolled websites.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/526,391 filed on Aug. 23, 2011, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    There are many individual websites, applications and systems that provide some sort of alert functionality such that a user will get notification and information for a topic of interest. Finding reputable sources and subscribing to each for the segments that they are applicable is a tedious task for many users today. And current systems lack comprehensive functionality and consistent access and interfaces that allow users to collaborate together in distributed environments to deliver alert functionality from a central managed source. There is also a lack of managed quality through collaboration that makes it feasible for the best alert information to be disseminated without incurring huge editorial and management costs. 
         [0003]    Websites who wish to provide simple alert services for their users cannot do so easily using the systems of today due to implementation costs and user perception and tendencies. An alert system today would cost much to first develop (or buy) and then integrate within the website. Users of the website perceive alerts services by websites in low regard than alert services delivered by a dedicated alert management system because users believe the main business of the website is not in managing alerts and they would receive low-quality alert content. Also users hold website-delivered alert services with skepticism because they do not want to manage an alert service account from the multitude of websites they visit on a regular basis. Therefore websites today have difficulty engaging their users in utilizing alerts service offered by them and also websites avoid providing the service due to the costs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to one aspect a system is provided for managing and delivering alerts to users. In an exemplary embodiment, experts and algorithms are enabled to provide alert information and notifications to requestors on a real-time or interval basis. Another aspect of this system can be to allow external websites and businesses to participate and provide advanced alert functionality easily to their user base. In the same or another aspect, a multi-user, multi-website and content delivery system is described that enables extensive and configurable options to help deliver quality alert information and notifications. 
         [0005]    According to another aspect, a system for managing alert requests and fulfillments includes at least one website having website content hosted on at least one machine server and an alert management system (AMS) independent of the website and hosted on at least one server. The AMS presents alert functionality to users of the website at the time the user is accessing the website. The AMS has a database including a plurality of alerts and the database associates at least one website with AMS alert activity. 
         [0006]    According to still another aspect, a system for managing alert requests and fulfillments includes an alert management system (AMS) hosted on at least one server. The AMS has a database including a plurality of alerts. Users of the AMS add at least one algorithm reference to the database. The algorithm reference causes an algorithm to execute on at least one alert. 
         [0007]    According to a further aspect, a system for managing alert requests and fulfillments includes an alert management system (AMS) hosted on at least one server. The AMS has a database including a plurality of alerts. At least one expert user of the AMS adds alert fulfillment in the AMS and at least two users of the AMS rate the alert fulfillment after having received the alert fulfillment as a notification to generate a reputation for the expert user. The expert user reputation is generally visible to users of the AMS. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the major entities and relationships with a alert management system (AMS). 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary block diagram showing generally how users create, subscribe, fulfill and receive alerts in AMS. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3 . is an exemplary block diagram showing key components of an alert and how the various entities interact with alerts in AMS. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary block diagram showing AMS with the major entities and external website or system interactivity. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exemplary block diagram illustrating algorithms within AMS. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an exemplary method of implementing algorithms. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an information flow diagram showing exemplary relevancy capabilities of the AMS. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating one or more exemplary embodiments and not for purposes of limiting same,  FIG. 1  illustrates a system including a alert management system (AMS)  120  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment that allows various user types such as requestors  130 , experts  140  and administrators  150  to interact with AMS and also an alert  110  in AMS. Users may access AMS  120  utilizing more than one user type role such as a requestor  130 , expert  140  or administrator  150  at the same time. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary method in which users can participate in a alert management system. The method of  FIG. 2  will be described in association with the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 , though it is to be appreciated that the method could be used with other systems and/or alert management systems and is not limited to the system and/or AMS  120  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0017]    In the method, a requestor  130  can create and subscribe to alerts  110  they want fulfilled (S 210 ). Requestors may also subscribe to existing alerts created by other users in the system. Once alerts are created in S 210 , experts  140  select alerts that they intend to fulfill (S 220 ). For each alert, other users in AMS may see the list of experts  140  who intend to fulfill it. Experts fulfill alerts  110  in S 230  by creating alert fulfillment information that intend to address the alert request. Administrators  150  approve or reject each alert fulfillment (S 240 ). Rules may also be created in AMS that allow particular experts  140  to have their alert fulfillments automatically approved. 
         [0018]    In S 250 , approved alert fulfillments are delivered to requestors  130  via their choice of delivery method such as to their email address or their mobile phone. Also requestors  130  may specify time intervals in their AMS user profile in which the system may delivery one or more alert fulfillments so they can customize the frequency in which they receive alert fulfillments. 
         [0019]    Exemplary alert interaction and management is illustrated in  FIG. 3  and described further here. Requestors  310  create alerts  320  by specifying the alert request. An alert  320  may be categorized in one or more categories. The alert request portion of an alert  320  may also contain conditions for the alert to trigger and also a description and keywords of the alert. Requestors  310  can subscribe to existing alerts  320  as well. When users subscribe to an alert, they may specify destination, frequency and time lines to deliver the alert. Experts  340  and administrators  350  can also create alerts  320  so that one or more users may subscribe to it conveniently. Administrators  350  may generally manage alerts  320  for example, by combining similar alerts into one, refining alerts and approving or rejecting alerts. An alert example contains the alert request: “Alert when a particular football team trades a starting player”. Once alerts are available in AMS, experts  340  select alerts  320  that they intend to fulfill. 
         [0020]    More than one expert  340  can work on the same alert  320  at the same time. Experts  340  can fulfill an alert  320  by entering fulfillment information on the alert. Alert fulfillment information  320  intend to address the alert request. Optionally the fulfillment information may contain one or more source links that guide the requestor  310  to external relevant information. When an expert fulfills an alert, the alert  320  may go into a “pending approval” or “approved” status depending on the rules set systematically for the alert and the expert. 
         [0021]    Alerts  320  may have statuses such as “new”, “active”, “fulfilled”, “partially fulfilled”, “pending approval”, “pending information”, “invalid” and other statuses. There may be more than one alert fulfillment for each alert  320 . Administrators  350  may approve or reject alert fulfillments. Administrators  350  may also request more information from the expert  340  before approving the alert for delivery. Administrators  350  will generally manage alert fulfillments. When alert fulfillments of an alert  320  are approved, the alert fulfillment will be delivered to the requestors  310  who are subscribed to that alert. Requestor  310  preferences for delivery destination and time line of alert fulfillments determine how and when the alert is delivered 
         [0022]    Time line information can be for example to deliver an alert fulfillment immediately or on a weekly schedule where many approved alert fulfillments are delivered together. The alert fulfillment delivery settings are configurable, such that a user may elect to receive specific alert fulfillments (or all alert fulfillments) on a weekly or immediate basis. Destination information can be for example to deliver the alert to a users email, social network, mobile phone as a notification or mobile text or phone call. There are many delivery settings and time lines a user can specify and is not limited to the examples shown here. 
         [0023]    Subscription including delivery information may be defaulted from profile information already stored in AMS for the requestor  310 . When an alert fulfillment of an alert  320  is delivered to a requestor  310 , the system may deliver an ad  330  to the user alongside the alert fulfillment content. The expert  340  who fulfilled the alert  320  may gain revenue from the ad  330 . In cases where the alert was initiated or fulfilled via an external website or system as further described in  FIG. 4 , the website or system may also gain revenue from the ad  330 . A requestor  310  may pay a premium price to get an alert fulfillment or get the alert fulfillment immediately or quicker than other requestors. AMS also provides customizable rules that allow premium pricing. Some of the rules include one or more requestors  310  gaining time advantages in receiving alert fulfillments. The premium price rules can be set by the AMS system, the administrator  350 , the requestor  310  or the expert  340 . The expert  310 , external website or system may also gain revenue based on the premium pricing rules. Requestors  310  can rate or review the alert fulfillment of an alert  320  which contributes to a reputation rating to the expert  340  who created the alert fulfillment. An expert&#39;s  340  reputation ratings may be visible to other users in AMS. 
         [0024]    An example of reputation management is that the alert “Alert when a particular football team trades a starting player” has fulfillment information that can be rated as accurate or inaccurate. For example, the fulfillment information stated that player one was traded, yet according to the requestor  310 , player one was later found not to be traded. The fulfillment information of an alert  320  can also be rated on a scale of 1-5 on the comprehensiveness of the information. For example if the fulfillment only contained the last name of the player traded and not the full name. A rating can also be specified on the sources of the information. For example a user may rate the source of information low when going to the source of information link from the alert fulfillment information and there is no valid information about the traded player at that source. In AMS, there are many such reputation management possibilities on the alert fulfillment of an alert and are not limited to the examples shown here. 
         [0025]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , exemplary external website or system interaction with AMS will now be described. External websites or system  430  representatives may enroll in AMS as administrators  460  and implement AMS  420  on their own website or system  430 . External websites or systems may be independently owned or operated by third-parties. There are various methods of accessing the AMS  420  through an external website or system  430 . Implementation of external websites  430  may occur via widget technology for example. One such technology is to utilize client-side Javascript code to instantiate and present the user of the external website  430  with an independently interactive frame that contains AMS. 
         [0026]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there are other ways to also implement the AMS system on an external website such that the alert content from AMS is available with independent interactivity on the same web page alongside the external website content. An example of accessing AMS  420  functionality through an external system  430  is where a program running on an operating system accesses AMS  420  through application programming interface (API). Another example of an external system  430  is a mobile device app where AMS  420  is accessed through web services communication between AMS  420  and a mobile device app. The external websites or systems  430  access the functionality of AMS to allow their users to create, subscribe and receive alert fulfillment of alerts  410 . 
         [0027]    AMS  420  may also directly deliver alert fulfillment of an alert  410  to the requestors  440  of the external website or system. For example, the external website or system would pass the delivery information of their requestor user  440  to AMS and thus allow AMS to deliver the alert fulfillment of the alert  410  directly to the requestor  440 . The external website or system  430  access methods to AMS  420  are not limited to the examples here, as there are many ways in which systems can deliver their functionality and services to users. One skilled in the art can appreciate that the full functionality of AMS can be implemented through multiple access methods similar to the ones described here. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate an exemplary system and method in which algorithms  530 , also known as plug-in programming may automatically create alert fulfillment of an alert  510 . The method of  FIG. 6  will be described in association with the system illustrated in  FIG. 5 , though it is to be appreciated that the method could be used with other systems and/or alert management systems and not limited to the AMS system. In S 610 , an expert  520  creates and applies one or more algorithms  530  to an alert  510  in AMS. Then the one or more algorithms  530  executes on an interval basis (S 620 ). The algorithm  530  may be stored and executed within AMS or stored and executed at an external system. 
         [0029]    In the internal implementation of an algorithm  530 , the AMS system provides interface utilities for an expert  520  to add the algorithm code to AMS. AMS will then automatically execute the algorithm  530  for selected alerts  510  (S 630 ). If the algorithm  530  is stored and executed externally, AMS provides an application programming interface (API) that the external system utilizes to exchange input and output parameters such that the external algorithm may interact with the alerts from AMS to read alert request information and generate the alert fulfillment and thus allow for the execution of the algorithm steps externally (S 630 ). 
         [0030]    The algorithm  530  executes programmed logic and may access external sources such as public or private databases or external content (S 630 ). Based on the read information and algorithm steps and logic at S 630 , if the algorithm determines the alert  510  has been fulfilled, the algorithm  530  will generate an alert fulfillment on the alert (S 640 ). The requestor  550  is alerted at S 650  according to the one or more delivery settings of the requestor, alert  510  and AMS. The alert fulfillment may contain links to the external data or statistics of the information or the actual information that the algorithm processed to determine that the alert  510  had been fulfilled. 
         [0031]    The algorithms may be implemented by AMS or by third-parties. In one example of an algorithm internal implementation is when an expert  520  uses AMS utilities to add an algorithm  530  that will fulfill the alert  510  to generate an injury alert for a football team. The input to the algorithm  530  is the football team name. Then when the expert  520  selects one or more alerts  510  to be fulfilled by the algorithm  530 , the AMS system will execute the algorithm for each alert on the frequency set by the expert. For example if the frequency is set to daily, then AMS will run once a day to execute the algorithm. If for example, the algorithm  530  executes and successfully finds an injured player at a public database, the algorithm will fulfill the alert  510  by adding the player name to the output parameters of the algorithm and thus the alert will be automatically fulfilled by the algorithm executing internally. 
         [0032]    Alert request information such as keywords, category or conditions can be optionally supplied as input to any algorithm  530 . For example, the particular football team name will be supplied to the algorithm  530 . The expert  520  can also optionally specify keywords, categories or conditions as input to the algorithm  530  even if the alert  510  does not contain such information in the alert request. 
         [0033]    There are many variations of algorithms  530  possible such as triggering based on advanced rules. An example of an alert  510  that triggers using an advanced rule is when 50% of the external sources the algorithm utilizes contain the name of the same player which may trigger the alert and specify the player as an injured player in the alert fulfillment. The alert fulfillment of an alert  510  when created by an algorithm  530  may still be subject to the alert delivery method, time line and other notification rules. 
         [0034]    Exemplary relevancy functionality is described here with reference to  FIG. 7 . When AMS  730  is implemented on a external website or system  750 , then AMS may suggest relevant alerts based on the external website or system content that the user is accessing. For example, a user is accessing content at a external website  750  of their favorite football team. In this example AMS  730 , which may exist in a widget on the external website, automatically displays a relevant alert  710  related to the favorite football team to the user of the external website. Then the user subscribes to the relevant alert  710  and thus becomes a requestor  740 . 
         [0035]    AMS  730  can achieve the aforementioned automatic relevancy through several ways. One way is through keyword relevancy such that keywords specific to the external website are generated in advance of or at the time of requestor  740  or expert  770  access to the external website. For example, an AMS  730  process reads the content of the external website  750  and generates keywords based on said content. Utilizing the aforementioned AMS process, keywords for each website  750  are stored in AMS  730  and matched with alerts  710  based on AMS relevancy rules  720 . Thus when requestors  740  or experts  770  access AMS  730  through the external website  750 , the relevant alerts  710  are displayed to them per website or per web page of the external website. 
         [0036]    Each web page of the external website  750  may also pass different keywords or other key data to AMS  730  via other integration methods such that AMS  730  may delivery relevant alerts  710  based on the information passed to it. For example when instantiating the AMS system, the web page of the external website  750  will pass a football team name to AMS in a query parameter so that the alerts  710  related to the football team can be prioritized or filtered. 
         [0037]    Another way that AMS  730  may generate relevant content for an external website or system  750  is by prioritizing or filtering alerts most often subscribed, created or fulfilled by previous requestors  740  or experts  770  of the external website or system that interacted with AMS  730 . AMS  730  may also generate relevant alerts  710  by allowing website administrators  760  to specify keywords or select specific alerts to prioritize for users of their website or system  750 . The website administrator  760  may login to AMS  730  directly or indirectly through the external website or system  750  interaction with AMS  730  to specify the relevancy profile of the external website, system or further for each web page of the external website. AMS  720  may also use a combination of the aforementioned relevancy methods to implement AMS relevancy rules  720  to generate relevant alert  710  interactions for each external website or system  750 . The examples for relevancy described here are for illustration and one skilled in the art can appreciate there are many relevancy methods that could be implemented in a system such as AMS. 
         [0038]    Referring again to  FIG. 4 , an external website or system  430  may gain reputation scores based on activity in AMS  420  and said scores may be generally shown to other users in AMS  420 . For example experts  450  access AMS  420  through an external website or system  430  to generate alert fulfillments and each expert may gain reputation scores based on the subsequent ratings requestors  440  provide on the said alert fulfillments. Since the experts  450  accessed AMS  420  through the external website or system  430 , AMS will calculate a reputation score for the website based on one or more expert ratings of said experts. One example is to calculate the average of the expert ratings of experts  450  as the external website or system  430  reputation score. 
         [0039]    The external website or system  430  reputation score may be shown to users subsequently in AMS when said users access AMS directly or through said website or system or through a different external website or system  430 . 
         [0040]    Alert content generated by experts  450  may be generally prioritized in AMS based on the reputation score of the external system or website  430  of the expert  450 . 
         [0041]    The example for website reputation scoring described here are for illustration and one skilled in the art can appreciate there are many scoring methods that could be implemented in a system such as AMS. 
         [0042]    It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.