APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING MESSAGES OVER MULTIPLE MEDIUMS

• US 20080062881A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hassan, Ahmed, Wilson, J.F. Sean, Martin, Daryl
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method for transmitting data to a communication device that is configured to receive data through a plurality of alternative communications mediums. The method comprises: determining a priority associated with a data message that is to be provided to the communications device; selecting a desired communications medium for providing the data message to the communications device, wherein if the priority is a first priority, the desired communications medium is selected from a first set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, and if the priority is a second priority, the desired communications medium is selected from a second set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, the first set including at least one communications medium from the plurality of communications mediums that is not included in the second set; and providing the data message to the communications device over the desired communications medium if the desired communications medium is available.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data to a communication device that is configured to receive data through a plurality of alternative communications mediums, said method comprising:

determining a priority associated with a data message that is to be provided to the communications device;

selecting a desired communications medium for providing the data message to the communications device, wherein if the priority is a first priority, the desired communications medium is selected from a first set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, and if the priority is a second priority, the desired communications medium is selected from a second set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, the first set including at least one communications medium from the plurality of communications mediums that is not included in the second set; and

providing the data message to the communications device over the desired communications medium if the desired communications medium is available.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first priority indicates a higher relative data message priority than the second priority.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one communications medium that is included in the first set and not included in the second set has a higher relative data transmission cost than any of the communication mediums that are included in the second set.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein when the priority is the first priority, the desired communications medium is selected at least partly in dependence on which, if any, of the communications mediums in the first set are immediately available for providing the data message to the communications device.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein selecting the desired communications medium comprises determining, when the priority is the second priority and more than one communications medium is included in the second set, which of the communications mediums in the second set are immediately available for providing the data message to the communications device and (a) if more than one of the communications mediums in the second set are immediately available, selecting as the desired communications medium the available communications medium having the lowest data transmission cost;

(b) if only one of the communications mediums in the second set is immediately available, selecting the immediately available communications medium as the desired communications medium; and

(c) if none of the communications mediums in the second set is immediately available, then placing the data message in a queue while waiting for at least one of the communications medium in the second set to become available.

6. The method of claim 2 comprising, if the priority is the second priority and no communication medium in the second set is immediately available for transmitting the data message to the communications device, placing the data message in a queue for future transmission over a communications medium in the second set.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising, after a data message associated with a second priority has been queued for a threshold time period, changing the associated priority from second priority to first priority and removing the data message from the queue.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one communication medium included in the second set is also included in the first set.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communication device is a mobile electronic communication device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communication device is a server for sending data to and receiving data from a mobile electronic communication device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one communications medium that is included in the first set but not included in the second set comprises a cellular-type wireless communications network.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data message is an email message and determining the priority comprises:

creating a message notification that includes information derived from the email message;

sending the message notification to the communications device over a communication medium selected from the first set; and

monitoring for a reply to the message notification from the communications device and setting the priority to either said first priority or said second priority in dependence upon a result of the monitoring.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the priority is set to the first priority if the result of the monitoring indicates that a user of the communications device is desirous of receiving the entire email message immediately.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the priority further comprises:

determining, prior to sending the message notification and in dependence on a characteristic of the email message, whether the email message is not urgent and if the email message is determined to be not urgent, then setting the priority to the second priority without sending the message notification or monitoring for a reply to the message notification.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristic includes a sender identity of the email message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the data message includes multiple parts and a separate priority and desired communications medium is determined for at least some of the multiple parts.

27. A computer program product for transmitting data to a communication device that is configured to receive data through a plurality of alternative communications mediums, said computer program product comprising a computer readable medium embodying program code executable by a processor of a computing device or system to cause said computing device or system to perform the method of claim 1.

17. A first communication device for transmitting data to a second communication device that is configured to receive data from the first communication device through a plurality of alternative communications mediums, said first communications device comprising a data delivery module for:

determining a priority associated with a data message that is to be provided to the second communications device;

selecting a desired communications medium for providing the data message to the second communications device, wherein if the priority is a first priority the desired communications medium is selected from a first set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, and if the priority is a second priority the desired communications medium is selected from a second set that includes at least one of the plurality of communications mediums, the first set including at least one communications medium from the plurality of communications mediums that is not included in the second set; and

providing the data message to the second communications device over the desired communications medium if the desired communications medium is available.

18. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein the first priority indicates a higher relative data message priority than the second priority.

19. The first communications device of claim 18 wherein the communications medium that is included in the first set and not included in the second set has a higher relative data transmission cost than any of the communication mediums that are included in the second set.

20. The first communications device of claim 18 wherein the communications medium that is included in the first set and not included in the second set comprises a wireless cellular wide area network, and the second set includes a communications medium that comprises a local area network.

21. The first communications device of claim 18 wherein the data delivery module is configured for, if the priority is the second priority and no communication medium in the second set is immediately available for transmitting the data message to the second communications device, placing the data message in a queue for future transmission over a communications medium in the second set.

22. The first communications device of claim 21 wherein the data delivery module is configured for changing, after a data message associated with a second priority has been queued for a threshold time period, the associated priority from second priority to first priority and removing the data message from the queue.

23. The first communications device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the data message is an email message and the data delivery module is configured for:

determining in dependence on a characteristic of the email message whether the email message is urgent;

if the email message is urgent;

creating a message notification that includes information derived from the email message;

sending the message notification to the second communications device, over a communication medium selected from the first set the message notification;

monitoring for a reply to the message notification from the second communications device; and

setting the priority to either said first priority or said second priority in dependence on a result of the monitoring; and

if the email message is not urgent, setting the priority to the second priority.

24. The first communications device of claim 23, wherein the data delivery module is configured to set the priority to the first priority if the result of the monitoring indicates that a user of the second communications device is desirous of receiving the entire email message immediately.

25. The first communications device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second communication device is a mobile electronic communication device and the first communication device is a server for sending data to and receiving data from the mobile electronic communication device.

26. The first communications device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second communication device is a server for sending data to and receiving data from mobile electronic communication devices and the first communication device is a mobile electronic communication device.