Communications system providing adaptive polling based upon positive and negative polling events and related methods

• US 20050030913A1
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: TeamOn Systems Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Roy, Shaibal
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A communications system may include at least one data storage device for storing messages for respective users, and a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each associated with a respective user for accessing the messages stored on the at least one data storage device. Moreover, the communications system may further include an adaptive polling engine for polling the at least one data storage device for stored messages and providing the polled messages to mobile wireless communications devices of respective users. The adaptive polling engine may advantageously learn respective user usage patterns for each mobile wireless communications device, and change a respective rate of polling for each mobile wireless communications device based thereon.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

at least one data storage device for storing messages for respective users;

a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each associated with a respective user for accessing the messages stored on said at least one data storage device; and

an adaptive polling engine for polling said at least one data storage device for stored messages and providing the polled messages to mobile wireless communications devices of respective users;

said adaptive polling engine changing a respective rate of polling for each mobile wireless communications device based upon at least one positive polling event and at least one negative polling event, the least one negative polling event comprising a lack of authorized communications.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the lack of authorized communications with said adaptive polling engine is based upon a given mobile wireless communications device being outside a wireless coverage area.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the lack of authorized communications with said adaptive polling engine is based upon an invalid user login.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the at least one negative polling event further comprises a decrease in storage of messages for the respective user at the at least one data storage device.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the at least one positive polling event comprises an increase in storage of messages for the respective user at the at least one data storage device.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the at least one positive polling event comprises an increase in message access requests from a given mobile wireless communications device.

7. An adaptive polling engine for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each associated with a respective user with at least one data storage device, the at least one data storage device for storing messages for respective users, the adaptive polling engine comprising:

an interface module for communicating with the mobile wireless communications devices; and

an adaptive polling engine module coupled to said interface module for polling the at least one data storage device for stored messages and providing the polled messages to mobile wireless communications devices of respective users;

said adaptive polling engine module changing a respective rate of polling for each mobile wireless communications device based upon at least one positive polling event and at least one negative polling event, the least one negative polling event comprising a lack of authorized communications.

8. The adaptive polling engine of claim 7 wherein the lack of authorized communications with said adaptive polling engine is based upon a given mobile wireless communications device being outside a wireless coverage area.

9. The adaptive polling engine of claim 7 wherein the lack of authorized communications with said adaptive polling engine is based upon an invalid user login.

10. The adaptive polling engine of claim 7 wherein the at least one positive polling event comprises an increase in message access requests from a given mobile wireless communications device.

11. An method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each associated with a respective user with at least one data storage device, the at least one data storage device for storing messages for respective users, the method comprising:

polling the at least one data storage device for stored messages and providing the polled messages to mobile wireless communications devices of respective users; and

changing a respective rate of polling for each mobile wireless communications device based upon at least one positive polling event and at least one negative polling event, the least one negative polling event comprising a lack of authorized communications with a given mobile wireless communications device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the lack of authorized communications is based upon a given mobile wireless communications device being outside a wireless coverage area.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the lack of authorized communications is based upon an invalid user login.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one positive polling event comprises an increase in message access requests from a given mobile wireless communications device.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each associated with a respective user with at least one data storage device, the at least one data storage device for storing messages for respective users, the computer-readable medium comprising:

an interface module for communicating with the mobile wireless communications devices; and

an adaptive polling engine module coupled to said interface module for polling the at least one data storage device for stored messages and providing the polled messages to mobile wireless communications devices of respective users;

said adaptive polling engine module changing a respective rate of polling for each mobile wireless communications device based upon at least one positive polling event and at least one negative polling event, the least one negative polling event comprising a lack of authorized communications with the adaptive polling engine module.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the lack of authorized communications with the adaptive polling engine module is based upon a given mobile wireless communications device being outside a wireless coverage area.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the lack of authorized communications with the adaptive polling engine module is based upon an invalid user login.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the at least one positive polling event comprises an increase in message access requests from a given mobile wireless communications device.