System and method for pushing calendar event messages from a host system to a mobile data communication device

• US 20030018816A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Hind, Hugh R., Godfrey, James, Mousseau, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 : Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information, such as calendar event messages, from a host system to a mobile data communication device upon sensing a triggering event is disclosed. A redirector program operating at the host system enables a user to continuously redirect calendar event messages, such as meeting reminders and notices, from the host system to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering events has occurred. The redirector program operates in connection with event generating applications and repackaging systems at the host system to configure and detect a particular user-defined event, and then to repackage the calendar event messages in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device. An optimized data structure for storing the calendar event messages is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting meeting requests from a host system to a portable data communications device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a meeting request at the host system structured according to a first format, wherein information regarding the meeting is described using a plurality of text strings;

transforming the meeting request into a second format in which the plurality of text strings are replaced with a plurality of numerical values in order to compress the meeting request;

generating an e-mail message including the compressed meeting request as an attachment to the e-mail message; and

sending the e-mail with the attachment to the portable data communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a wireless data network for transmitting the meeting requests.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the meeting request is associated with a calendar application; and

setting a message type of the e-mail to be associated with the calendar application.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the e-mail at the portable communication device;

selecting the e-mail;

detecting the message type of the e-mail; and

if the message type is associated with the calendar application, then executing the calendar application at the portable data communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

extracting the meeting request information from the compressed file attachment; and

displaying the meeting request information within the calendar application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the e-mail at the portable data communication device;

extracting the meeting request information from the compressed file attachment; and

displaying the meeting request information on the portable data communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

prompting a user of the portable data communication device to respond to the meeting request;

if the user responds affirmatively to the meeting request, then storing the meeting request information in a calendar database associated with the portable data communication device; and

if the user responds negatively to the meeting request, then discarding the meeting request information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

generating a compressed meeting response using the second format;

attaching the compressed meeting response to an e-mail; and

transmitting the e-mail with the compressed meeting response from the portable data communication device to the host system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the e-mail includes the compressed meeting response;

extracting response information from the compressed meeting response; and

updating a calendar application at the host system associated with the portable data communication device using the response information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the response information to a meeting organizer that transmitted the meeting request to the host system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a data structure associated with the second format, wherein the data structure includes a plurality of data segments, including a version number segment and a calendar components segment.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

type-length encoding the calendar components segment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

providing a wireless data network for transmitting the meeting request and the response.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

updating a calendar at the portable data communication device based on the response.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

storing the response to the meeting request at the host system.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

updating a calendar at the host system associated with the portable data communication device based on the response.

13. A method of replying to a meeting request sent from a host system to a portable data communication device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a response to the meeting request from a user of the portable data communication device;

generating a compressed file attachment including the response;

sending an e-mail with the compressed file attachment from the portable data communication device to the host system;

processing the e-mail with the attachment at the host system; and

sending the response to a meeting organizer that generated the meeting request.

18. A computer readable medium encoded with a data structure for storing information related to a meeting request, the data structure comprising:

a calendar command byte;

a version number segment; and

a calendar components segment;

wherein the calendar components segment includes meeting request information that is type-length encoded.

19. A system for redirecting meeting requests from a host system to a portable data communication device, comprising:

a host inbox coupled to the host system for receiving a meeting request associated with the portable data communication device, wherein the meeting request includes a plurality of text strings that provide information regarding the meeting; and

a redirector application operating at the host system for detecting the meeting request and for transforming the plurality of text strings into a plurality of type-length encoded values in order to compress the meeting request;

wherein the redirector application attaches the compressed meeting request to an e-mail and redirects the e-mail to the portable data communication device.

20. A method of sending meeting request information from a portable data communication device to a plurality of meeting attendees, each of the meeting attendees having an associated e-mail address, comprising the steps of:

inputting meeting request information into the portable data communication device, the meeting request information including the e-mail addresses of the meeting attendees;

generating a compressed meeting request file;

attaching the compressed meeting request file to an e-mail and sending the e-mail with the attachment to a server system;

detecting the e-mail with the attachment at the server system and determining that the attachment is a meeting request file;

decompressing the meeting request file; and

sending the meeting request information to the meeting attendees using their e-mail addresses.