Method and system for generating and processing electronic meeting communications for multiple formats

• US 20070288658A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Van, Anh Ngoc, Lam, Wing Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method for generating electronic meeting communications for multiple formats and a messaging server for adapted in accordance with the method. The method comprises: receiving on the messaging server a first electronic meeting communication having a first meeting component in a first format, the first meeting component including event information; determining a second meeting component in a second format different from the first format, the second meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component; and sending a second electronic meeting communication comprising at least the first and second meeting components from the messaging server to one or more recipient devices.

Claims

1. A method for use on a messaging server for generating electronic meeting communications for multiple formats, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the messaging server a first electronic meeting communication having a first meeting component in a first format, the first meeting component including event information;

determining a second meeting component in a second format different from the first format, the second meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component; and

sending a second electronic meeting communication comprising at least the first and second meeting components from the messaging server to one or more recipient client devices.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising inserting the second meeting component into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising, after inserting the second meeting component into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server, one of formatting or reformatting the electronic meeting communication in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard for email.

4. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first meeting component is one of at least two meeting components in one or more respective formats in the first electronic meeting communication (212;

222).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining a third meeting component in a third format different from both the first and second formats, the third meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component, wherein the second electronic meeting communication further comprises the third meeting component.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising inserting the second and third meeting components into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first, second and third meeting components are in increasing order of preference.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising, after inserting the second and third meeting components into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server, one of formatting or reformatting the electronic meeting communication in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard for email.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second electronic meeting communication has a format in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first component, second component, and third component are one of an iCalendar message component in accordance with the iCalendar standard, a proprietary message header component in accordance with a proprietary message header format, and a text component readable by normal email clients, wherein the first component, second component, and third component are each in a different format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the proprietary message header format is compatible with one or more Lotus Notes proprietary message header formats.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the proprietary message header component is positioned at the beginning of the second electronic meeting communication, the text component is positioned within the second electronic meeting communication after the proprietary message header component, and the iCalendar component is positioned within the second electronic meeting communication after the text component.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second electronic meeting communication has a global content-type of multipart/alternative.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second electronic meeting communication is an email message.

29. A machine readable medium comprising program code means executable on a computing device having a programmable processor for implementing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

15. A messaging server for generating electronic meeting communications for multiple formats, the messaging server being in communication with one or more client devices via a communications network, the messaging server comprising:

a communication subsystem for sending and receiving electronic communications;

a processor and memory, the memory including data and instructions to configure the processor to;

receive on the messaging server a first electronic meeting communication having a first meeting component in a first format, the first meeting component including event information;

determine a second meeting component in a second format different from the first format, the second meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component; and

send a second electronic meeting communication comprising at least the first and second meeting components from the messaging server to one or more recipient client devices.

16. The messaging server as claimed in claim 15, wherein the memory including data and instructions to further configure the processor to insert the second meeting component into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server.

17. The messaging server as claimed in claim 16, wherein the memory including data and instructions to further configure the processor to insert the second meeting component into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server, one of formatting or reformatting the electronic meeting communication in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard for email.

18. The messaging server as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first meeting component is one of at least two meeting components in one or more respective formats in the first electronic meeting communication.

19. The messaging server as claimed in claim 15, wherein the memory including data and instructions to further configure the processor to determine a third meeting component in a third format different from both the first and second formats, the third meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component, wherein the second electronic meeting communication further comprises the third meeting component.

20. The messaging server as claimed in claim 19, wherein the memory including data and instructions to further configure the processor to insert the second and third meeting components into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server.

21. The messaging server of claim 19, wherein the first, second and third meeting components are in increasing order of preference.

22. The messaging server as claimed in claim 19, wherein the memory including data and instructions to further configure the processor to, after inserting the second and third meeting components into the first electronic meeting communication received on the messaging server, perform one of the steps of formatting or reformatting the electronic meeting communication in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard for email.

23. The messaging server as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second electronic meeting communication has a format in accordance with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard.

24. The messaging server as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first component, second component, and third component are one of an iCalendar message component in accordance with the iCalendar standard, a proprietary message header component in accordance with a proprietary message header format, and a text component readable by normal email clients, wherein the first component, second component, and third component are each in a different format.

25. The messaging server of claim 24, wherein the proprietary message header format is compatible with one or more Lotus Notes proprietary message header formats.

26. The messaging server of claim 24, wherein the proprietary message header component is positioned at the beginning of the second electronic meeting communication, the text component is positioned within the second electronic meeting communication after the proprietary message header component, and the iCalendar component is positioned within the second electronic meeting communication after the text component.

27. The messaging server of claim 25, wherein the second electronic meeting communication has a global content-type of multipart/alternative.

28. The messaging server of claim 26, wherein the second electronic meeting communication is an email message.