Method and device for electronic mail

• US 20060155810A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartner Information Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Smartner Information Systems Limited
• Inventors: Butcher, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/534,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155810A1
• 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: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method manages emails in a mobile terminal of a mobile email system. The mobile email system including an email system and an email server coupled to a static terminal and in wireless communication with said mobile terminal. The static terminal has a folder-based data storage structure for storing emails received by a user of said static terminal. The email server is also configured to provide said received emails to said mobile terminal. The mobile terminal locally duplicates at least a portion of said state terminal folder-based data storage structure. The user is able to manage emails sent to a single address using said static and said mobile terminal. The method includes inputting, at said mobile terminal, a command from said user to move an email from a first of said local storage folder structure to a second folder of said local storage structure. The method further includes deleting said email from said local storage of said mobile terminal responsive to said user move command. The method further includes sending said move command from said mobile terminal to said email server.

Claims

1. A method of managing emails in a mobile terminal of a mobile e-mail system, the mobile email system comprising an email server coupled to a static terminal and in wireless communication with said mobile terminal, said static terminal having a folder-based data storage structure for storing emails received by a user of said static terminal, said email server also being configured to provide said received emails to said mobile terminal, said mobile terminal locally duplicating at least a portion of said static terminal folder-based data storage structure, whereby said user is able to manage emails sent to a single address using said static and said mobile terminal, the method comprising:

inputting, at said mobile terminal, a command from said user to move an email from a first folder of said local storage structure to a second folder of said local storage structure;

deleting said email from said local storage of said mobile terminal responsive to said user move command; and

sending said move command from said mobile terminal to said email server.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first folder comprises an incoming mail-box of said mobile terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second folder of said storage structure local to said mobile terminal has associated property data for specifying said second folder as a folder in which emails are not to be stored locally in said mobile terminal, and wherein said deleting is conditional upon said property data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending of said move command comprises encoding said move command as a command email and sending said command email.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mobile terminal is in intermittent contact with said email server, said method further comprising connecting said mobile terminal to said server via an internet connection.

8. A method of managing emails in a mobile email system, comprising:

implementing the method of claim 1;

receiving said move command at said email server; and

sending a command to perform said move to said static terminal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said email server comprises a first email server for receiving and sending emails to and from said user from and to a third party, and a second email server for sending emails to said mobile terminal and receiving and forwarding commands from said mobile terminal;

the method further comprising receiving said move command at said second email server and forwarding said move command to said first email server; and

wherein said first email server performs said command sending to said static terminal.

10. An email management system configured to operate in accordance with claim 9.

6. A mobile terminal for a mobile email system, the mobile email system comprising an email server coupled to a static terminal and in wireless communication with said mobile terminal, said static terminal having a folder-based data storage structure for storing emails received by a user of said static terminal, said email server also being configured to provide said received emails to said mobile terminal, said mobile terminal comprising:

program memory storing processor implementable instructions;

data memory locally duplicating at least a portion of said static terminal folder-based data storage structure; and

a processor coupled to said program memory and to said data memory, for loading and implementing said instructions, said instructions comprising instructions for controlling the processor to;

input, at said mobile terminal, a command from said user to move an email from a first folder of said local storage structure to a second folder of said local storage structure;

delete said email from said local storage of said mobile terminal responsive to said user move command; and

send said command from said mobile terminal to said email server.

7. The mobile terminal claimed by claim 6, wherein the processor implementable instructions are carried by a data carrier.

11. A method of managing documents in a mobile terminal of a mobile document system, the mobile document system comprising a document server coupled to a static terminal and in wireless communication with said mobile terminal, said static terminal having a folder-based data storage structure for storing documents received by a user of said static terminal, said document server also being configured to provide said received documents to said mobile terminal, said mobile terminal locally duplicating at least a portion of said static terminal folder-based data storage structure whereby said user is able to manage documents sent to a single address using said static and said mobile terminal, the method comprising:

inputting, at said mobile terminal, a command from said user to move a document from a first folder of said local storage structure to a second folder of said local storage structure;

deleting said document from said local storage of said mobile terminal responsive to said user move command; and

sending said move command from said mobile terminal to said document server.

13. A method of managing documents in a mobile document system, comprising:

implementing the method of claim 11;

receiving said move command at said document server; and

sending a command to perform said move to said static terminal.

15. A document management system configured to operate in accordance with a method of managing documents in a mobile document system, comprising:

implementing the method of claim 11;

receiving said move command at said document server; and

sending a command to perform said move to said static terminal, wherein said document server comprises a first document server for receiving and sending documents to and from said user from and to a third party, and a second document server for sending documents to said mobile terminal and receiving and forwarding commands from said mobile terminal;

the method further comprising receiving said move command at said second document server and forwarding said move command to said first document server; and

wherein said first document server performs said command sending to said static terminal.

12. (canceled)

14. A mobile terminal for a mobile document system, the mobile document system comprising a document server coupled to a static terminal and in wireless communication with said mobile terminal, said static terminal having a folder-based data storage structure for storing documents received by a user of said static terminal, said document server also being configured to provide said received documents to said mobile terminal, said mobile terminal comprising:

program memory storing processor implementable instructions;

data memory locally duplicating at least a portion of said static terminal folder-based data storage structure; and

a processor coupled to said program memory and to said data memory, for loading and implementing said instructions, said instructions comprising instructions for controlling the processor to;

input, at said mobile terminal, a command from said user to move a document from a first folder of said local storage structure to a second folder of said local storage structure;

delete said document from said local storage of said mobile terminal responsive to said user move command; and

send said command from said mobile terminal to said document server.