Event notification system and method

Abstract

A technique for user notification involves modifying a title associated with a process to include information about an event that calls for user notification. A method according to the technique may include running a process, processing an event, generating a string of characters that includes information associated with the event, and displaying the string of characters as a title associated with the process. A system constructed according to the technique may include a client, a title array, an event processing engine, and a title provisioning engine.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving information related to an event that calls for user notification;  
 processing an the event that calls for user notification; 
 providing a script into a portion of an application associated with the event;  
 generatinginterpreting the script to generate an event notification for the event; 
 storing the event notification in an array; 
 providing the event notification from the array to a process executed by a processor; 
 using the event notification as first information in a user interface element related to a title in association with the process; 
 providing an alternative title from the array to the process; 
 using the alternative title as a second information in the user interface element related to the title in association with the process. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating the alternative title, wherein the alternative title is associated with the event; 
 storing the alternative title in the array. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the event is a first event and the alternative title is a second event notification, further comprising:
 processing a second event that calls for user notification; 
 generating the second event notification for the second event; 
 storing the second event notification in the array. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of claim L further comprising alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with using a NULL string. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the alternative title as a NULL string. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with a variation of the event notification. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the alternative title as a variation of the event notification. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving affirmation that user notification was successful; 
 clearing the array. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repetitively using the event notification as a title in association with the process. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using the event notification as a title in association with the process one or more times; 
 removing the event notification from the array. 
 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a means for processing an event that calls for user notification;   a means for generating an event notification for the event;   a means for storing the event notification in an array;   a means for providing the event notification from the array to a process;   a means for using the event notification as a title in association with the process;   a means for providing an alternative title from the array to the process;   a means for using the alternative title as a title in association with the process.   
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating the alternative title, wherein the alternative title is associated with the event;   storing the alternative title in the array.   
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the event is a first event and the alternative title is a second event notification, further comprising:
 a means for processing a second event that calls for user notification;   a means for generating the second event notification for the second event;   a means for storing the second event notification in the array.   
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with using a NULL string. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for generating the alternative title as a NULL string. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for alternating using the event notification as a title in association with the process with a variation of the event notification. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for generating the alternative title as a variation of the event notification. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a means for receiving affirmation that user notification was successful;   a means for clearing the array.   
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for repetitively using the event notification as a title in association with the process. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a means for using the event notification as a title in association with the process one or more times;   a means for removing the event notification from the array.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a titlebar or a taskbar related to the title.  
     
     
       22. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first information and the second information comprises text related to the user interface element.  
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more of the first information and the second information further comprises an image related to the user interface element.  
     
     
       24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information is configured to be visible when the user interface element is not visible to a user.  
     
     
       25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information is configured to alternate between one another.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using one or more of:
 an AJAX technology, and a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) technology.    
     
     
       27. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using one or more of:
 an open socket technology, and a manual refresh technology.    
     
     
       28. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using automatic refreshes in a hidden frame.