Method and system for communicating a message attachment

• US 20080139199A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Plestid, Thomas Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting electronic messages. The system includes a messaging application executing on a computer. The messaging application is operable to receive from a message sender an electronic message having an attachment associated therewith, operable to communicate the electronic message to the mobile communication device via a first wireless data path and operable to communicate the attachment associated with the electronic message to the mobile communication device via a second wireless data path having a higher bandwidth than the first wireless data path.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting electronic messages from a computer to a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic message having an attachment associated therewith;

transmitting the electronic message to the mobile communication device via a first wireless data path between the computer and the mobile communication device; and

transmitting the attachment to the mobile communication device via a second wireless data path between the computer and the mobile communication device, the second wireless data path having a higher bandwidth than the first wireless data path.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer and the mobile communication device communicate via the first wireless data path in order to establish the second wireless data path.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second wireless data paths is a secure data path.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first data path passes through a message relay and the second data path circumvents the message relay.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first wireless data path passes through a first wireless gateway and the second data path passes through a second wireless gateway.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second wireless data path is a virtual private network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of terminating the second wireless data path upon completion of the transmission of the attachment.

8. A system for transmitting electronic messages from a computer to a mobile communication device, the system comprising:

a computer; and

a messaging application executing on the computer, the messaging application operable to;

receive from a message sender an electronic message having an attachment associated therewith,

communicate the electronic message to the mobile communication device via a first wireless data path and

communicate the attachment associated with the electronic message to the mobile communication device via a second wireless data path, the second wireless data path having a higher bandwidth than the first wireless data path.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer communicates with the mobile communication device via the first wireless data path in order to establish the second wireless data path.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second wireless data paths is a secure data path.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the first data path passes through a message relay and the second data path circumvents the message relay.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the first wireless data path passes through a first wireless gateway and the second data path passes through a second wireless gateway.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the second wireless data path is a virtual private network.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the second wireless data path is terminated upon completion of the transmission of the attachment.

15. A method of receiving a message attachment at a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a notification of a message attachment via a first wireless path between the mobile communication device and a communication node; and

receiving the message attachment via a second wireless data path between the mobile communication device and the communications node, the second wireless data path having a higher bandwidth than the first wireless data path.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile communication device communicates to the communication node via the first wireless data path in order to establish the second wireless data path.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second wireless data paths is a secure data path.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first data path passes through a message relay and the second data path circumvents the message relay.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first wireless data path passes through a first wireless gateway and the second data path passes through a second wireless gateway.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the second wireless data path is a virtual private network.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the second wireless data path is a secondary PDP context of higher QoS passing through the first wireless gateway.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the step of querying the user as to whether the message attachment is to be downloaded.

23. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the message attachment is downloaded automatically.