Providing access to a plurality of message accounts from a single web-based interface

• US 20020174194A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartman, Michael, OʼToole, Lorcan, Mooney, Eoin, Duggan, Noel
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems

Abstract

Consider a user who has three different types of email account. Previously, in order to access those different email accounts the user has had a terminal with three desktop applications, one for accessing each type of email account. The user has been unable to access all of his or her email accounts simultaneously. Instead, the user has had to connect, for example, using a RAS connection, to one of the email accounts and then terminate that RAS connection before initiating a new RAS connection to the next type of email account. This is time consuming and problematic for users, particularly those who travel frequently. Another problem is that the user must maintain software applications on his or her terminal, one for each of the different types of message account. This takes up valuable memory and processing capacity on the user terminal. The present invention removes these problems by providing a single web based interface that gives the user access to a plurality of different message accounts on different message servers. In addition, logon times and network bandwidth requirements are reduced by storing retrieved message information in a cookie on the user'"'"'s terminal.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a plurality of message accounts from a single web-based interface, each message account having an associated messaging server and being arranged to be accessed from that associated messaging server using application software, said application software being different for each message account and associated messaging server, the messaging servers being connected to a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) at a web server connected to the communications network, receiving user inputs from a web browser via the single web interface which indicate the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts;

(ii) using the web server to access information from the messaging servers associated with the message accounts on the basis of the user inputs and using information about the messaging servers; and

(iii) providing the accessed information for display on a user terminal via the single web interface such that the application software is not required on the user terminal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the web server has access to user names and passwords for each of the message accounts.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said web server comprises software for communicating with all the messaging servers.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said messaging servers are arranged to communicate with the web server using internet message access protocol (IMAP).

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (ii) of using the web server to access information comprises issuing internet message access protocol (IMAP) messages from the web server to the message servers.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said web server comprises web pages arranged to provide said single web interface.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said web pages comprise active server pages (ASP) pages.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said message accounts are selected from email accounts, voice mail accounts and combined email and voice mail accounts.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises providing at least part of said accessed information to the user terminal for storage in one or more cookies on the user terminal.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 which further comprises the step of:

on receipt of a subsequent user input from the web browser via the single web interface, which indicates the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts, checking the cookies on the user terminal for the presence of information about the desired messages.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the information provided for storage in the cookies comprises an identifier for each message.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the information provided for storage in the cookies comprises a subject, sender name and date for each message.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 which further comprises storing at least part of said received information about the accessed messages in one or more cookies on the user terminal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 which further comprises the step of:

making a subsequent user input from the web browser via the single web interface, which indicates the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts, and checking the cookies on the user terminal for the presence of information about the desired messages.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the information stored in the cookies comprises an identifier for each message.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the information stored in the cookies comprises a subject, sender name and date for each message.

19. A web server as claimed in claim 18 wherein said web pages comprise active server pages (ASPs).

22. A communications network comprising a web server as claimed in claim 18.

24. A computer program as claimed in claim 23 which is stored on a computer readable medium.

13. A method of accessing a plurality of email accounts from a single web-based interface, each email account having an associated messaging server and being arranged to be accessed from that associated messaging server using application software, said application software being different for each message account and associated messaging server, the messaging servers being connected to a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) using a web browser to access the single web interface that is provided by a web server connected to the communications network;

(ii) making a user input via the web interface, said user input indicating the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts;

(iii) receiving information about the messages at a user terminal via the single web interface, without the need for the application software to be provided on that user terminal.

18. A web server arranged to provide access to a plurality of message accounts from a single web-based interface, each message account having an associated messaging server and being arranged to be accessed from that associated messaging server using application software, said application software being different for each message account and associated messaging server, the messaging servers and web-server being connected to a communications network, said web-server comprising:

(i) one or more web pages arranged to receive user inputs from a web browser which indicate the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts; and

(ii) a processor arranged to access information from the messaging servers associated with the message accounts on the basis of the user inputs and using information about the messaging servers; and

wherein the web pages are arranged to display the accessed information on a user terminal via the single web interface such that the application software is not required on the user terminal.

20. A web site arranged to provide a single web-based interface via which a plurality of message accounts are accessible, each message account having an associated messaging server and being arranged to be accessed from that associated messaging server using application software, said application software being different for each message account and associated messaging server, the messaging servers and web-server being connected to a communications network, said web-site comprising:

(i) a plurality of web pages arranged to receive user inputs from a web browser which indicate the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts; and

(ii) a computer program arranged to access information from the messaging servers associated with the message accounts on the basis of the user inputs and using information about the messaging servers;

wherein the web pages are arranged to display the accessed information on a user terminal via the single web interface such that the application software is not required on the user terminal.

21. A web site as claimed in claim 20 wherein said web pages comprise active server pages.

23. A computer program arranged to control a web server such that access is provided to a plurality of message accounts from a single web-based interface, each message account having an associated messaging server and being arranged to be accessed from that associated messaging server using application software, said application software being different for each message account and associated messaging server, the messaging servers and web-server being connected to a communications network, said computer program being arranged to control the web-server such that:

(i) one or more web pages are provided, arranged to receive user inputs from a web browser which indicate the user'"'"'s desire to access messages from one or more of the message accounts;

(ii) information is accessed from the messaging servers associated with the message accounts on the basis of the user inputs and using information about the messaging servers; and

(iii) the web pages are arranged to display the accessed information on a user terminal via the single web interface such that the application software is not required on the user terminal.