Pushback methods and apparatus for use in communicating messages to mobile communication devices

• US 20070072617A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gao, Wen, Patterson, Ian, Ferguson, Tabitha, Lewis, Allan, Godfrey, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

One illustrative method for use by a host server in pushing messages to a mobile communication device involves the steps of causing a message to be sent to a relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device through one of a plurality of wireless communication networks which are communicatively coupled to the relay network; receiving, from the relay network, a result message when the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network, the result message comprising a message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message; maintaining storage of the message in memory accessible by the host server after the result message is received; receiving, from the relay network, a status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available to receive the message when the mobile communication device is available to receive the message through the wireless communication device; and causing the message to be sent again to the relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device in response to receiving the status message. During the unavailability of the mobile device, the relay network refrains from maintaining storage of the message in memory of the relay network.

Claims

1. A method for use by a relay network in pushing messages to a mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, at the relay network, a message from a host server for delivery to the mobile communication device through one of a plurality of wireless communication networks which are communicatively coupled to the relay network;

causing a result message to be sent to the host server based on identifying that the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network, the result message comprising a message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message;

refraining from maintaining storage and management of the message in memory of the relay network after the result message is sent to the host server;

causing a status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available to be sent to the host server based on identifying that the mobile communication device is available to receive the message through the wireless communication device; and

receiving again, at the relay network, the message corresponding to the message identifier from the host server for delivery to the mobile communication device in response to the status message being sent to the host server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the relay network, a confirmation message from the host server which indicates that the result message was received by the host server; and

refraining from storing and managing the message at the relay network based on receiving the confirmation message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the result message to be sent comprises the further act of refraining to include the message within the result message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the message at the relay network comprises receiving the message along with the message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to identifying that the mobile communication device is unavailable, attempting to send the message to the mobile communication device at least one time through the wireless communication network;

failing to receive any acknowledgement message from attempting to send the message to the mobile communication device; and

identifying that the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network based on failing to receive any acknowledgement message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the relay network, a state request message from the host server; and

causing the status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available to be sent to the host server in response to receiving the state request message from the host server, the status message comprising an address associated with the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the message comprises the further act of receiving, within the message, an instruction indication to receive the status message from the relay network in response to the relay network'"'"'s identifying that the mobile communication device is available.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an electronic mail (e-mail) message or other application data message.

9. A message server of a relay network which is adapted to receive a message from a host server for delivery to the mobile communication device through one of a plurality of wireless communication networks which are communicatively coupled to the relay network;

cause a result message to be sent to the host server based on identifying that the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network, the result message comprising a message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message;

refrain from maintaining storage and management of the message in memory of the relay network after the result message is sent to the host server;

cause a status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available to be sent to the host server based on identifying that the mobile communication device is available to receive the message through the wireless communication device; and

receive again, at the message server, the message corresponding to the message identifier from the host server for delivery to the mobile communication device in response to the status message being sent to the host server.

10. The message server of claim 9, which is further adapted to receive a confirmation message from the host server which indicates that the result message was received by the host server, and refrain from storing and managing the message in the relay network based on receiving the confirmation message.

11. The message server of claim 9, which is further adapted to refrain from including the message within the result message.

12. The message server of claim 9, which is further adapted to receive the message along with the message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message.

13. The message server of claim 9, which is further adapted to attempt to send the message to the mobile communication device at least one time through the wireless communication network prior to identifying that the mobile communication device is unavailable;

fail to receive any acknowledgement message from attempting to send the message to the mobile communication device; and

identify that the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network based on failing to receive any acknowledgement message.

14. The message server of claim 9, which is further adapted to receive a state request message from the host server and cause the status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available to be sent to the host server in response to receiving the state request message from the host server.

15. The message server of claim 9, wherein the act of receiving the message comprises the further act of receiving an instruction indication from the host server to receive the status message from the message server in response to identifying that the mobile communication device is available.

16. A method for use by a host server in pushing messages to a mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

causing a message to be sent to a relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device through one of a plurality of wireless communication networks which are communicatively coupled to the relay network;

receiving, from the relay network, a result message when the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network, the result message comprising a message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message;

maintaining storage of the message corresponding to the message identifier in memory accessible by the host server after the result message is received;

receiving, from the relay network, a status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available when the mobile communication device is available to receive the message through the wireless communication device; and

causing the message corresponding to the message identifier to be sent again to the relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device in response to receiving the status message.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing a confirmation message which indicates that the result message was received by the host server to be sent to the relay network, thereby causing the relay network to refrain from storing and managing the message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of receiving the result message comprises the further act of failing to receive the message within the result message.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of causing the message to be sent to the relay network comprises including the message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message to be included in the message.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying the message from the memory with use of the message identifier.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing a state request message to be sent to the relay network; and

receiving, from the relay network, the status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available in response to causing the state request message to be sent, the status message comprising an address of the mobile communication device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of causing the message to be sent comprises the further act of including an instruction indication in the message to receive the status message from the relay network in response to identifying that the mobile communication device is available.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the message comprises an electronic mail (e-mail) message or other application data message.

24. A host server which is adapted to cause a message to be sent to a relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device through one of a plurality of wireless communication networks which are communicatively coupled to the relay network;

receive, from the relay network, a result message when the mobile communication device is unavailable to receive the message through the wireless communication network, the result message comprising a message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message;

maintain storage of the message in memory accessible by the host server after the result message is received;

receive, from the relay network, a status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available when the mobile communication device is available to receive the message through the wireless communication device; and

cause the message to be sent again to the relay network for delivery to the mobile communication device in response to receiving the status message.

25. The host server of claim 24, which is further adapted to cause a confirmation message which indicates that the result message was received by the host server to be sent to the relay network, causing the relay network to refrain from storing and managing the message.

26. The host server of claim 24, which is further adapted to receive the result message which fails to include the message.

27. The host server of claim 24, which is further adapted to cause the message to be sent to the relay network along with the message identifier which uniquely corresponds to the message.

28. The host server of claim 24, which is further adapted to identify the message from the memory with use of the message identifier.

29. The host server of claim 24, which is adapted to cause a state request message to be sent to the relay network;

and receive, from the relay network, the status message which indicates that the mobile communication device is available in response to causing the state request message to be sent.

30. The host server of claim 24, which is adapted to cause the message to be sent along with an instruction indication in the message to receive the status message from the relay network in response to identifying that the mobile communication device is available.