Method for continuously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

• US 20020198951A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Robert M., Wells, Stephen T., Thurlow, Scott A., Raissipour, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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

Abstract

An electronic mail (e-mail) application program includes a configurable, e-mail messaging feature for automatically responding to a portable computer'"'"'s transition between online and offline states. The e-mail application program determines the state of a connection between a portable computer and an electronic mail server and processes electronic messages in accordance with the appropriate state. The portable computer'"'"'s transition between an online state and an offline state triggers a user-configurable response, designed to permit the continuation of electronic mail message processing in a manner that accommodates the state change. The e-mail application program responds to such a transition by automatically switching between online and offline modes of operation. The e-mail application program can also respond to such a transition by establishing a secondary connection to a mail server when a primary connection is rendered inoperative. A user may configure various aspects of the invention to respond to a transition in a way that accommodates the user'"'"'s hardware and/or software requirements.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for effecting a switch between online and offline modes of electronic message processing, in response to a computer making a transition between online and offline states, comprising the steps of:

processing electronic messages in accordance with the online mode, the online mode being capable of processing electronic messages in cooperation with a server, when the computer is in the online state;

determining that the computer has made a transition from the online state to the offline state;

in response to the determination that the computer has made a transition from the online state to the offline state, processing electronic messages in accordance with the offline mode.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises making a determination that the computer has been undocked from a docking station.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises making a determination that the computer has been disconnected from the server.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the online mode is defined by a configuration file, at least a portion of the configuration file being determined by receiving a first input set.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the offline mode is defined by a configuration file, at least a portion of the configuration file being determined by receiving a second input set.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the online mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

immediately sending an outgoing electronic message;

immediately receiving an incoming electronic message;

resolving an electronic message name against an address book on the server; and

polling the server for a new electronic message.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the offline mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

queuing outgoing electronic messages for subsequent sending;

resolving electronic message names against an address book on the computer; and

suppressing polling of the server for new electronic messages.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the offline mode includes performing the steps of:

establishing a secondary connection to the mail server; and

in response to establishing the secondary connection to the mail server, processing electronic messages in accordance with the online mode.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the secondary connection is a dial-up connection.

10. A method for effecting a switch between an online mode and an offline mode of electronic message processing, in response to a computer making a transition between online and offline states, comprising the steps of:

determining whether the computer is in a first state or a second state;

in response to the computer being in the first state, processing an electronic message in accordance with a first mode;

receiving an indication that the computer has switched from the first state to the second state; and

in response to the indication that the computer has switched from the first state to the second state, processing an electronic message in accordance with a second mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first state comprises the computer having an operable connection to a server and the computer being operable to process electronic messages in cooperation with the server, via the operable connection;

and wherein the second state comprises the computer being without an operable connection to a server and being inoperable to process electronic messages in cooperation with the server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operable connection is a LAN connection.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the first mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

immediately sending an outgoing electronic message over the operable connection;

immediately receiving an incoming electronic message over the operable connection;

resolving an electronic message name against an address book on the server; and

polling the server over the operable connection for a new electronic message.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the second mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

queuing outgoing electronic messages for subsequent sending;

resolving electronic message names against an address book on the computer; and

suppressing polling of the server.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first state comprises the computer being without an operable connection to a server and being inoperable to process electronic messages in cooperation with the server;

and wherein the second state comprises the computer having an operable connection to a server and the computer being operable to process electronic messages in cooperation with the server, via the operable connection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the first mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

queuing outgoing electronic messages for subsequent sending;

resolving electronic message names against an address book on the computer; and

suppressing polling of the server.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the second mode includes performing a step selected from a group including:

immediately sending an outgoing electronic message over the operable connection;

immediately receiving an incoming electronic message over the operable connection;

resolving an electronic message name against an address book on the server; and

polling the server over the operable connection for a new electronic message.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the second mode includes performing the steps of:

establishing a secondary connection to the mail server; and

in response to establishing the secondary connection to the mail server, processing electronic messages in accordance with the first mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the secondary connection is a dial-up connection.

20. In a system including a server, a portable computer, and a docking station, the docking station including a network interface for connecting the portable computer to the server, a method for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal indicating that the portable computer is docked in the docking station;

in response to the indication that the portable computer is docked in the docking station, determining whether the network interface is in an online state or an offline state;

in response to the determination that the network interface is in the online state, processing an electronic message in accordance with an online mode; and

in response to the determination that the network interface is in the offline state, processing an electronic message in accordance with an offline mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal indicating that the portable computer is not docked in the docking station; and

in response to the indication that the portable computer is not docked in the docking station, processing an electronic message in accordance with the offline mode.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the portable computer has a modem connection for connecting the portable computer to the server, the method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal indicating that the portable computer is not docked in the docking station; and

in response to the indication that the portable computer is not docked in the docking station, determining whether the modem connection is in an online state or an offline state;

in response to a determination that the modem connection is in an online state, processing an electronic message in accordance with an online mode

in response to a determination that the modem connection is in an offline state, processing an electronic message in accordance with an offline mode.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the portable computer has a modem connection for connecting the portable computer to the server, the method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal indicating that the portable computer is not docked in the docking station; and

receiving a command requiring an online state of operation;

in response to the command requiring an online state of operation, establishing a modem connection with the server, thereby placing the portable computer in the online state;

processing an electronic message in accordance with an online mode.