System and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device

• US 20030050987A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: OT Patent Escrow LLC (Ocean Tomo, LLC)
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P., Lazaridis, Mihal
• Application Number:
  US10/277,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050987A1
• 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: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• 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
• 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 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information 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 certain user-selected data items 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 user-selected data items in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting messages from a host system operated by a user to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device, comprising the steps of:

configuring an external redirection event at the host system, wherein the external redirection event is the host system sensing whether the user is in the vicinity of the host system;

receiving messages at the host system; and

if the host system senses that the user is not in the vicinity of the host system, then continuously redirecting the received messages to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device until the host system senses that the user is in the vicinity of the host system.

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

receiving the messages at the mobile data communication device;

generating reply messages at the mobile data communication device to be sent to a plurality of message senders and transmitting the reply messages to the host system;

receiving the reply messages at the host system and configuring address information of the reply messages such that the reply messages use a first address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the mobile data communication device share the first address; and

transmitting the reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.

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

storing information regarding the configuration of the mobile data communication device at the host system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration information stored at the host system includes:

(A) the network address of the mobile data communication device; and

(B) an indication of the types of message attachments that the mobile data communication device can receive and process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration information further includes:

(C) an indication of the type of mobile data communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received messages are addressed using a sender address and a receiver address, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the receiver address is associated with the mobile data communication device;

if the receiver address is associated with the mobile data communication device, then determining a network address of the mobile data communication device and repackaging the messages into electronic envelopes addressed using the receiver address and the network address of the mobile data communication device; and

after receiving the redirected messages at the mobile data communication device, extracting the messages from the electronic envelopes and displaying the messages at the mobile data communication device using the sender address and the receiver address, so that it appears as though the mobile data communication device is the host system.

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

for each message to be redirected, the host system determining whether the message includes an attachment, and if so then determining the type of attachment;

accessing the stored configuration information at the host system to determine whether the mobile data communication device can receive and process attachments of the determined type; and

if so, then redirecting the attachments to the mobile data communication device, and if not, then redirecting the attachments to a device that is capable of processing the attachment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the type of attachment is a sound file.

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

configuring a plurality of redirection events at the host system, wherein the plurality of redirection events include an external event, an internal event, or a networked event.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the external event is a message from the mobile data communication device to start redirection.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the internal event is a calendar alarm.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the internal event is a screen saver activation.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the internal event is a keyboard timeout signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the networked events include messages to begin redirection from computer systems other than the mobile data communication device, which are connected to the host system via a wired network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile data communication device is a device selected from the group consisting of hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data message capabilities, and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile data communication device is a device equipped to receive both voice and non-voice data messages.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the host system includes a preferred list for limiting the redirection step to redirecting only those messages that are transmitted to the host system from a sender on the preferred list.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the preferred list is activated and deactivated at the host system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the preferred list is activated and deactivated by a command message transmitted from the mobile data communication device to the host system.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list by configuring the host system.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list by transmitting a command message from the mobile data communication device to the host system.

23. A method of redirecting messages from a desktop computer system to a mobile data communication device associated with the desktop computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a message redirection program at the desktop system;

providing a screen saver program at the desktop system;

linking the screen saver program to the message redirection program; and

if the message redirection program detects that the screen saver is activated, then continuously redirecting messages from the desktop computer system to the mobile data communication device until the message redirection program detects that the screen saver is deactivated.

24. A system for redirecting information between a host system and a mobile device, comprising:

a first redirector application operating at the host system, wherein the first redirector application is configured to sense a triggering event at the host system and to continuously redirect information from the host system to the mobile device; and

a second redirector application operating at the mobile device, wherein the second redirector application is configured to sense a triggering event at the mobile device and to continuously redirect information from the mobile device to the host system.

25. A method of redirecting information from a host system to a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

providing a set of trigger events at the host system;

selecting one or more of the trigger events from the set of trigger events;

detecting that a trigger event has occurred at the host system;

determining whether the detected trigger event is one of the selected trigger events, and if so then setting a trigger flag at the host system;

receiving information at the host system; and

if the trigger flag is set, then continuously redirecting the received information from the host system to the mobile device.

26. A method of forwarding information from a host system to a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

providing a redirector application at the host system;

configuring the redirector application to forward a plurality of information types to the mobile device, wherein the plurality of information types includes e-mail messages, calendar data, and meeting reminders;

configuring the redirector application to sense a plurality of redirection events, wherein the plurality of redirection events includes a screen saver activation event and a mobile device command event, wherein the screen saver activation event occurs when a screen saver application operating at the host system is activated and the mobile device command event occurs when a user of the mobile device transmits a command to the host system to trigger redirection;

sensing that one of the redirection events has occurred at the host system; and

continuously redirecting the plurality of information types from the host system to the mobile device.

27. A method of redirecting messages between a message server operating at a host system and a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising the steps of:

(A) detecting a plurality of redirection events at the host system, wherein each redirection event is associated with one of the plurality of mobile communication devices;

(B) in response to the redirection events, switching the message server between a redirection mode and a non-redirection mode for the mobile communication devices associated with the redirection events;

(C) if the message server is in the redirection mode for a particular mobile communication device, then;

(C)(1) receiving a first set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device and storing the first set of received messages in a primary memory store;

(C)(2) redirecting the first set of received messages from the primary memory store to the mobile communication device; and

(C)(3) storing the first set of received messages in a secondary store within the mobile communication device; and

(D) if the message server is in the non-redirection mode, then;

(D)(1) receiving a second set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device; and

(D)(2) storing the second set of received messages in the primary memory store.

28. A method of redirecting messages between a message server and a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of desktop systems in communication with the message server via a network;

providing a user profile for each of the plurality of desktop systems at the message server, wherein the user profiles each associate a particular desktop system with a particular mobile data communication device;

configuring the desktop systems to detect one or more redirection events;

detecting at least one redirection event at the desktop systems;

in response to the at least one redirection event, transmitting redirection triggers from the desktop systems to the message server;

detecting the redirection triggers at the message server, wherein each redirection trigger is associated with one of the plurality of mobile communication devices;

in response to the redirection triggers, switching the message server between a redirection mode and a non-redirection mode for the mobile communication devices associated with the redirection triggers.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

if the message server is in the redirection mode for a particular mobile communication device, then;

receiving a first set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device and storing the first set of received messages in a primary memory store;

redirecting the first set of received messages from the primary memory store to the mobile communication device; and

storing the first set of received messages in a secondary store within the mobile communication device; and

if the message server is in the non-redirection mode, then;

receiving a second set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device; and

storing the second set of received messages in the primary memory store.