Method and system for delivering messages in a communication system

• US 20070118602A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype Limited (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Heinla, Ahti, Mandre, Indrek, Kõnnussaar, Teet, Tepandi, Lauri
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a message delivery system and methods for delivering messages to a computing system. The system uses a message ID structure and a message ID database to allow a user to check whether he or she is recipient of a new message without having to contact the message server that holds messages to be delivered. The resource load related to users checking for messages is therefore left to a separate computing system, allowing the message server to dedicate its resources to the receiving and delivering of messages.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A message delivery system comprising

a message server configured to

receive a message from a first computing system and provide a message ID in response to receiving the message, the message ID being formed to identify the received message;

transmit the message ID to a message ID database;

transmit the message to a second computing system in response to receiving a message request from the second computing system.

the message ID database, configured to

provide a message ID response to the second computing system in response to receiving a message ID query from the second computing system, the message ID response comprising information about message IDs stored in the message ID database.

24. A message delivery system according to claim 23, further comprising the first computing system.

25. A message delivery system according to claim 23, further comprising the second computing system.

26. A message delivery system according to claim 23, further comprising the first computing system and the second computing system.

40. A system according to claim 23 or 27, wherein the message ID database and the message server are mutually resource-independent.

41. A system according to claim 23 or 27, wherein the message ID database is a distributed database, such as a peer-to-peer database;

42. A system according to claim 23 or 27, wherein

the message ID database is a distributed database, such as a peer-to-peer database;

the message ID database and the message server are mutually resource-independent.

27. A computing system for receiving a message from a message server, the system being configured to:

send a message ID query to a message ID database, the message ID database being configured to store message IDs and to transmit a message ID response to the computing system in response to receiving the message ID query, the message ID response comprising information about message IDs stored in the message ID database;

receive the message ID response from the message ID database;

upon receiving the message ID response, determine whether the message ID response indicates that a message is ready for retrieval from the message server;

in the affirmative then to;

request, by sending a message request to the message server, that the message server transmits the message to the computing system;

receive the message transmitted from the message server.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the message ID response contains a message ID that identifies a specific message at the message server.

29. A method for handling one or more messages from a sending computing system, the method comprising the steps of:

a message server providing, in response to receiving the one or more messages, transmitted from the sending computing system, one or more message IDs identifying the received one or more messages;

the message server transmitting at least one of the one or more message IDs to a message ID database;

the message ID database receiving the at least one transmitted message ID.

30. A method according to claim 29, the method further comprising the step of:

the sending computing system transmitting the one or more messages to the message server.

31. A method according to claim 29, wherein the step of transmitting at least one message ID from the message server to the message ID database comprises the steps of:

the message server transmitting the at least one message ID to the sending computing system;

the sending computing system transmitting the at least one message ID to the message ID database.

32. A method according to claim 29, the method further comprising the step of:

a receiving computing system submitting a message ID query to the message ID database, the message ID database in return providing a message ID response, the message ID response comprising information about message IDs stored in the message ID database.

33. A method according to claim 32, the method further comprising the steps of:

the receiving computing system determining whether the message ID response indicates that at least one of the one or more messages is ready for retrieval from the message server;

in the affirmative then;

the receiving computing system submitting a message request to the message server;

the message server transmitting the requested messages to the second computing system in response to receiving the message request;

the receiving computing system receiving the requested messages.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein the message ID corresponding to a message that has been received from the message server by the receiving computing system is stored locally on the receiving computing system.

35. A method according to claim 32, the method further comprising the steps of:

the receiving computing system determining whether the message ID response indicates that at least one of the one or more messages is ready for retrieval from the message server;

in the affirmative then;

the receiving computing system submitting a message request to the message server;

the message server transmitting the requested messages to the second computing system in response to receiving the message request;

the receiving computing system receiving the requested messages;

in which method the message ID corresponding to a message that has been received from the message server by the receiving computing system is stored locally on the receiving computing system.

43. A method according to claim 29 or 36, wherein the message ID database is a distributed database, such as a peer-to-peer database.

44. A method according to claim 29 or 36, wherein the message ID database and the message server are mutually resource-independent.

45. A method according to claim 29 or 36, wherein

the message ID database is a distributed database, such as a peer-to-peer database;

the message ID database and the message server are mutually resource-independent.

46. Software that, when executed on a hardware computing system, enables the system to carry out at least one of the methods according to claim 29 or 36.

47. Software that, when executed on a hardware computing system, enables the system to carry out the method according to claim 43.

48. Software that, when executed on a hardware computing system, enables the system to carry out the method according to claim 44.

49. Software that, when executed on a hardware computing system, enables the system to carry out the method according to claim 45.

50. Hardware operable to carry out at least one of the methods according to claim 29 or 36.

51. Hardware operable to carry out the method according to claim 43.

52. Hardware operable to carry out the method according to claim 44.

53. Hardware operable to carry out the method according to claim 45.

36. A method for receiving a message at a receiving computing system, the method comprising the steps of:

the receiving computing system sending a message ID query to a message ID database, the message ID database being configured to store message IDs and to transmit a message ID response to the receiving computing system in response to receiving the message ID query, the message ID response comprising information about message IDs stored in the message ID database;

the receiving computing system receiving the message ID response from the message ID database;

the receiving computing system determining whether the message ID response indicates that a message is ready for retrieval from a message server, the message server being configured to transmit the message to the receiving computing system in response to receiving a message request from the receiving computing system; and

if a message is ready for retrieval from the message server, then;

the receiving computing system sending a message request to the message server to request the message;

the message server transmitting the message to the receiving computing system in response to receiving the message request;

the receiving computing system receiving the message.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the receiving computing system requests the message only if the receiving computing system has not previously requested and received the message.

38. A method according to claim 36, the method further comprising the step of the receiving computing system storing, upon receiving the message, a message ID associated with the message, the message ID identifying the message on the message server.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein the receiving computing system requests the message only if the corresponding message ID is not available to the receiving computing system.