E-mail proxy

• US 20040024826A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Fuchs, Eran, Halahmi, Erez
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A system and method for providing e-mail messages to a user in a more efficient manner. Specifically, the system and method of the present invention enable attachments to be downloaded separately from the text-part of the e-mail message, which requires less bandwidth to download. Instead, these attachments are represented by links in the message which is downloaded to the e-mail client of the user, such that the user can “click on” or otherwise select a link in order to retrieve the attachment. Preferably, the attachment is downloaded to the computational device of the user in a streamed manner.

Claims

1. A method for selectively downloading a multi-part c-mail message to an e-mail client operated by a user from an e-mail server, the multi-part e-mail message optionally including an attachment, the method comprising:

retrieving at least attachment information for the multi-part e-mail message from the e-mail server;

preparing a formatted message for sending to the e-mail client, said formatted message containing a link to the attachment if present, such that the attachment is not sent to the e-mail client;

sending said formatted message to the e-mail client; and

displaying said formatted message to the user by the e-mail client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said attachment information includes the entirety of the multi-part e-mail message, such that said preparing further comprises separating the multi-part e-mail message into a plurality of portions, including at least a first portion containing the attachment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-part e-mail message includes a text-part, such that said preparing further comprises separating the multi-part e-mail message into a second portion containing said text-part, and wherein said preparing includes adding said second portion to said formatted message.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting said link by the user from said formatted message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

downloading said attachment in a streamed manner for viewing by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a Web browser for interacting with the user; and

displaying said attachment by said Web browser, such that said downloading said attachment is performed according to HTTP.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said attachment is decoded before being downloaded.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said attachment information is a header for the attachment, such that the method further comprises:

downloading the attachment from the e-mail server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said downloading the attachment is performed in parallel to said preparing said formatted message.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said downloading the attachment includes decoding said attachment.

11. Ale method of claim 1, wherein said attachment information is a header for the attachment, such that the method further comprises:

selecting said link by the user from said formatted message;

downloading the attachment from the e-mail server, and downloading said attachment to the e-mail client client in a streamed manner for viewing by the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a Web browser for interacting with the user; and

displaying said attachment by said Web browser, such that said providing said Web browser is performed according to HTTP.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieving at least attachment information includes providing an e-mail proxy for communicating with the e-mail server and with the e-mail client, such that said retrieving at least attachment information, said preparing said formatted message, and said sending said formatted message are performed by said e-mail proxy.

14. A system for selectively downloading a multi-part e-mail message for a user, the multi-part e-mail message optionally including an attachment, the system comprising:

(a) an e-mail server for receiving the multi-part e-mail message;

(b) an e-mail proxy in communication with said e-mail server for receiving at least attachment information about the multi-part e-mail message, if the attachment is present, and for preparing a formatted message containing a link to the attachment; and

(c) an e-mail client in communication with said e-mail proxy for receiving said formatted message and for displaying said formatted message to the user, such that the attachment is displayed to the user after the user selects said link.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said e-mail proxy downloads the attachment with said attachment information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said e-mail proxy downloads the attachment separately from said attachment information.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the multi-part e-mail message contains a text-part, and said formatted message includes said text-part.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said e-mail proxy downloads and decodes the attachment before the attachment is sent to said e-mail client.

19. A system for selectively downloading a multi-part e-mail message for a user, the multi-part e-mail message optionally including an attachment, the system comprising:

(a) an e-mail server for receiving the multi-part e-mail message;

(b) an e-mail processor being located at said e-mail server for receiving at least attachment information about the multi-part re-mail message, if the attachment is present, and for preparing a formatted message containing a link to the attachment; and

(c) an e-mail client in communication with said e-mail server for receiving said formatted message and for displaying said formatted message to the user, such that the attachment is displayed to the user after the user selects said link.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said e-mail processor processes the attachment with said attachment information.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said e-mail processor processes the attachment separately from said attachment information.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the multi-part e-mail message contains a text-part, and said formatted message includes said text-part.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said e-mail processor decodes the attachment before the attachment is sent to said e-mail client.

24. A method for selectively downloading a multi-part e-mail message to an e-mail client operated by a user from an e-mail proxy, the multi-part e-mail message optionally including at least one attachment, the method comprising:

retrieving at least a portion of the multi-part e-mail message from an e-mail server;

if present, downloading the at least one attachment of the multi-part e-mail message from said e-mail server;

separating said at least a portion of the multi-part e-mail message into a plurality of portions;

preparing a formatted message by the e-mail proxy for sending to the e-mail client, said formatted message containing a link to the at least one attachment, such that the portion containing the at least one attachment is not sent to the e-mail client;

sending said formatted message to the e-mail client; and

displaying said formatted message to the user by the e-mail client.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the multi-part e-mail message includes a text-part, such that separating said at least a portion of the multi-part e-mail message further comprises separating the multi-part e-mail message into a second portion containing said text-part, and wherein said separating said at least a portion of the multi-part e-mail message includes adding said second portion to said formatted message.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting said link by the user from said formatted message.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

downloading the at least one attachment in a streamed manner for viewing by the user.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a Web browser for interacting with the user, and

displaying the at least one attachment by said Web browser, such that downloading the at least one attachment in a steamed manner is performed according to HTTIP.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one attachment is decoded before being downloaded.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein said preparing is performed in parallel to said preparing said formatted message.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said downloading the at least one attachment includes decoding the at least one attachment.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein said attachment information is a header for the at least one attachment, such that the method further comprises:

selecting said link by the user from said formatted message;

downloading the at least one attachment from the e-mail server; and

downloading the at least one attachment from proxy to client in a streamed manner for viewing by the user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing a Web browser for interacting with the user; and

displaying the at least one attachment by said Web browser.

34. A system for selectively downloading a multi-part e-mail message for a user, the multi-part e-mail message optionally including an attachment, the system comprising:

(a) an e-mail server for receiving the multi-part e-mail message containing at least one of a header or text body;

(b) an e-mail proxy in communication with said e-mail server for receiving at least attachment information about the multi-part e-mail message, and for preparing a formatted message containing a link to the attachment in conjunction with said at least one of header or text body; and

(c) an e-mail client in communication with said e-mail proxy for directly receiving said formatted message and for displaying said formatted message to the user, such that the attachment is displayed to the user after the user selects said link.