Message prioritization and buffering in a limited network

• US 20030078983A1
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clifford Lardin, David Holbrook, Terence Sean Sullivan
• Original Assignee: Clifford Lardin, David Holbrook, Terence Sean Sullivan
• Inventors: Sullivan, Terence Sean, Holbrook, David, Lardin, Clifford
• Application Number:
  US10/001,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078983A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method for prioritizing and proactively buffering messages in a messaging system (10) with limited network resources, such as intermittent or unreliable communications links, or limited storage capacity. Messages, either in whole or in separate elements such as a header and a body, are assigned a prioritization value from factors such as the service level of the sender and recipient, the probability that the recipient will access a particular receiving node, the type of message element, and the age of the message. Messages are identified with the highest prioritization value, and these messages are delivered to a receiving node until the limited resource is exhausted. This may be used to optimize the use of a limited resource in a messaging system (10), increasing the probability that important messages will be available at the messaging nodes (14) from which they are requested. Combined with proactive buffering, messages can be delivered to a destination, such as a portable messaging unit (40), from messaging nodes (14) without reliable communications with a central server (12).

Claims

1. A method for the optimization of a messaging system comprising a sending node and at least one receiving node, within a data network with a limited resource, comprising the steps of

a) assigning messages a prioritization value at said sending node;

b) identifying selected messages with a highest said prioritization value at said sending node, and

c) delivering said selected messages to an appropriate said receiving node, until said limited resource is exhausted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing said selected messages at said receiving node prior to a user request to collect selected messages from said messaging system, thereby proactively buffering selected messages at said receiving node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of decomposing messages into message elements at said sending node, and then processing each said message element as an independent message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein decomposition divides messages into said message elements comprising

a) a header comprising at least a sender messaging address identifier and a message subject;

b) a first message section, comprising no more than a predetermined amount of data, and

c) a second message section.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the type of said message element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the full text of said message is provided to a set of messaging nodes that is a smaller subset of the messaging nodes provided with a header of said message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said limited resource comprises communications time between said sending node and said receiving node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said limited resource comprises collective communications bandwidth from said sending node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said limited resource comprises storage capacity on said receiving node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the age of said message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the service level of the sender of said message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the service level of the recipient of said message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon an association table value for relating said receiving node and a message recipient.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the payment of a surcharge for the express delivery of said message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value is greater for administrative messages.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the geographic location of said receiving node.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said prioritization value depends upon the predicted probability based upon prior behavior that said recipient will request the collection of incoming messages at said receiving node.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is provided to said receiving node when said prioritization value exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending node comprises a central server in a messaging system.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving node comprises a portable messaging unit including user interface means and storage means, operated by a message recipient.