Personal Information Devices include the class of computers, personal digital assistants and electronic organizers that tend both to be physically smaller than conventional computers and to have more limited hardware and data processing capabilities. PIDs include, for example, products sold by Palm, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., under such trademark as Pilot, and Pilot 1000, Pilot 5000, PalmPilot, PalmPilot Personal, PalmPilot Professional, Palm, and Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, as well as other products sold under such trade names as WorkPad, Franklin Quest, and Franklin Convey.
PIDs are generally discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,125,039; 5,727,202; 5,832,489; 5,884,323; 5,889,888; 5,900,875; 6,000,000; 6,006,274; and 6,034,686, which are incorporated herein by reference. PIDs typically include a screen and data processor, allowing the PID user to operate a substantial variety of application relating to, for example: electronic mail, a calendar, appointments, contact data (such as address and telephone numbers), notebook records, a calendar, expense reports, to do lists: or games. PIDs also often include substantial electronic memory for storing such applications as well as data entered by the user. Due to their substantial variety of applications and uses, personal information devices are becoming increasingly widely used.
One increasingly popular application of personal information devices is their ability to share information with other properly equipped personal information devices, wirelessly and otherwise. For example, many types of user information such as electronic mail, calendar events, appointments, contact data, and the like exist in the form of digital data files stored within the memory of the personal information device. When equipped with communications hardware/software, the data files embodying the user information can be easily transferred from one personal information device to another. For example, one such application involves the transferring of electronic “business cards” from one personal information device to another, allowing their respective users to easily exchange contact information.
The popularity of information sharing between PIDs and other types of electronic devices is gaining with the increasingly widespread adoption of wireless forms of communication. Wireless communication allows users, via their respective devices, to always be in touch with one another. For example, instant messaging applications are very popular on desktop computer systems. Instant messaging allows users to instantly contact one another when they're both online. A similar scenario is envisioned where users are both carrying wirelessly connected PIDs.
Accordingly, several prior art solutions are emerging which address the popularity of wireless instant messaging type schemes. These solutions enable a wirelessly connected PID to receive messages, e-mail, notifications, or the like from other wirelessly connected PIDs or other types of computer system platforms (e.g., desktop machines connected to messenger services, cell phones, and the like).
Unfortunately, these prior art solutions do not address the problem of unsolicited notifications, unprioritized notifications, unsolicited e-mail, and other types of “spam” which exploit the wireless functionality of a user's PID. For example, many users have experienced frustration when unsolicited e-mail and/or unsolicited notifications appear within their mail browsers or instant messenger services.
Currently, many wireless notifications/messages carry the same priority, and are thus treated the same by the PID. For example, users may want to distinguish regular notifications (e.g. for stock alerts) from emergency notifications (e.g., your patient is in need of critical care). There currently exists no viable method which allows a user to distinguish between wanted messages/notifications and unwanted spam Thus, many users may, for example, turn wireless notification functionality off in order to prevent unauthorized/unsolicited use.
The lack of message prioritization is a serious drawback to prior art wireless notifications/messaging schemes. Although wireless PDA devices provide service providers with the ability to push notifications to the user when a pre-defined event takes place, there is no viable method for differentiating between “regular” alerts and “emergency” alerts. For example, a user could configure the PID to filter regular alerts while allowing emergency alerts to be displayed. For example, in a case where a surgeon is attending a concert, she may want to turn off notification of “regular” alerts but allow for the notification of “emergency” alerts. She will also want to have control over who can send her “emergency” alerts. Considering a case where a service provider offers an earthquake alert service, which notifies the subscribers of the arrival of an earthquake giving them a few precious seconds in which they can act before the earthquake hits. A person subscribed to this service and attending a meeting may choose to ignore “regular” notifications but will want to view this “emergency” alert.
The prior art provides no method for differentiating between such regular notifications and emergency notifications. The prior art provides no method for ensuring a user that a so-called notification is not simply spam (e.g., “buy this product now at a 20% off sale!”). The prior does not provide any mechanism or scheme for authenticating and authorizing the content service provider to issue such priority differentiated messages.
Thus, what is required is a method for differentiating between such regular notifications and emergency notifications. What is required is a method for ensuring a user that a so-called notification is not simply spam. Additionally, what is required is a method and system for authenticating and authorizing the content service provider to issue such priority differentiated messages. The present invention provides a novel solution to the above requirements.