Method and apparatus for providing post office protocol 3 support for limited storage devices
First Claim
1. A method in a data processing system for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server, the method comprising:
- retrieving header information for electronic messages on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information;
updating an attribute file, wherein the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read;
presenting a mail list on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file; and
responsive to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list, retrieving and presenting the electronic mail message.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server. Header information for electronic messages is retrieved on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information. An attribute file is updated in which the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read. The attribute file contains attributes on a per message basis in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A mail list is presented on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file. Responsive to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list, the electronic mail message is retrieved and presented.
64 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method in a data processing system for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server, the method comprising:
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retrieving header information for electronic messages on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information;
updating an attribute file, wherein the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read;
presenting a mail list on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file; and
responsive to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list, retrieving and presenting the electronic mail message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for sharing a mail account from a post office protocol 3 server with a plurality of users having at least one computing device having limited storage amongst the plurality of users, the method comprising:
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retrieving portions of incoming mail in storage in a mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server, wherein the incoming mail is kept in storage in the mail box at the post office protocol 3 server;
presenting a mail list using the portions of incoming mail retrieved from the mailbox at the post office protocol 3 server;
retrieving, from the post office protocol 3 server, individual messages from the mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server if one of the users selects a message for display; and
filtering the message from the individual messages to a folder in a shared directory in the local storage in response to a user request to save the message, wherein the shared directory is shared by each user sharing the mail account. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A data processing system for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server, the data processing system comprising:
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a bus system;
a communications unit connected to the bus system;
a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and
a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to retrieve header information for electronic messages on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information;
update an attribute file in which the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read;
present a mail list on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file; and
retrieve and present the electronic mail message in response to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list.
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17. A data processing system for sharing a mail account from a post office protocol 3 server with a plurality of users having at least one computing device having limited storage amongst the plurality of users, the data processing system comprising:
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a bus system;
a communications unit connected to the bus system;
a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and
a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to retrieve portions of incoming mail in storage in a mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server in which the incoming mail is kept in storage in the mail box at the post office protocol 3 server;
present a mail list using the portions of incoming mail retrieved from the mailbox at the post office protocol 3 server;
retrieve, from the post office protocol 3 server, individual messages from the mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server if one of the users selects a message for display; and
filter the message from the individual messages to a folder in a shared directory in the local storage in response to a user request to save the message in which the shared directory is shared by each user sharing the mail account.
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18. A data processing system for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server, the data processing system comprising:
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first retrieving means for retrieving header information for electronic messages on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information;
updating means for updating an attribute file, wherein the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read;
presenting means for presenting a mail list on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file; and
second retrieving means and second presenting means, responsive to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list, for retrieving and presenting the electronic mail message. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A data processing system for sharing a mail account from a post office protocol 3 server with a plurality of users having at least one computing device having limited storage amongst the plurality of users, the data processing system comprising:
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first retrieving means for retrieving portions of incoming mail in storage in a mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server in which the incoming mail is kept in storage in the mail box at the post office protocol 3 server;
first presenting means for presenting a mail list using the portions of incoming mail retrieved from the mailbox at the post office protocol 3 server;
second retrieving means for retrieving, from the post office protocol 3 server, individual messages from the mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server if one of the users selects a message for display; and
filtering means for filtering the message from the individual messages to a folder in a shared directory in the local storage in response to a user request to save the message in which the shared directory is shared by each user sharing the mail account. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing electronic mail messages from a post office protocol 3 server, the computer program product comprising:
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first instructions for retrieving header information for electronic messages on the post office protocol 3 server to form retrieved header information;
second instructions for updating an attribute file, wherein the attribute file includes an indication of whether an electronic mail message has been read;
third instructions for presenting a mail list on a display using the retrieved header information and the attribute file; and
fourth instructions, responsive to a selection of an electronic mail message from the mail list, for retrieving and presenting the electronic mail message.
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34. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for sharing a mail account from a post office protocol 3 server with a plurality of users having at least one computing device having limited storage amongst the plurality of users, the computer program product comprising:
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first instructions for retrieving portions of incoming mail in storage in a mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server, wherein the incoming mail is kept in storage in the mail box at the post office protocol 3 server;
second instructions for presenting a mail list using the portions of incoming mail retrieved from the mailbox at the post office protocol 3 server;
third instructions for retrieving, from the post office protocol 3 server, individual messages from the mail inbox at the post office protocol 3 server if one of the users selects a message for display; and
fourth instructions for filtering the message from the individual messages to a folder in a shared directory in the local storage in response to a user request to save the message, wherein the shared directory is shared by each user sharing the mail account.
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Specification