Electronic-mail filtering for mobile devices

• US 20090149203A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Vuornos, Lauri, Backholm, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamic electronic-mail filtering for mobile devices are provided. Incoming e-mail messages are received and provided to an e-mail inbox associated with the intended recipient. Those e-mail messages are evaluated to determine whether they may be desirable to the recipient. Desirability of an e-mail may be determined by such factors as the e-mail address of origin or key words in subject line. E-mail messages determined to be desirable are provided to a mobile device associated with the recipient. The recipient may then be notified concerning the desirable messages.

Claims

1. A method for filtering electronic-mail messages on mobile devices, the method comprising:

receiving one or more electronic-mail messages addressed to a user;

providing the one or more received electronic-mail messages to an inbox associated with the user;

evaluating a message from the one or more received electronic-mail messages to determine whether the message is desirable based on at least a user specification;

providing a copy of one or more desirable messages from the one or more received electronic-mail messages to a mobile device associated with the user; and

notifying the user concerning the copy of the one or more desirable messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address found in a contacts database associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address used to address an outgoing electronic-mail message sent by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages with a subject line including a key word present in a subject line of a previously outgoing electronic-mail message sent by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the desirable messages may be displayed to the user at the mobile device upon request.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a copy of one or more undesirable messages from the one or more received electronic-mail messages to the mobile device associated with the user, and wherein the undesirable messages may be hidden from display until requested by the user.

7. A system for filtering electronic-mail messages on mobile devices, the system comprising:

an e-mail server configured to receive one or more electronic-mail messages addressed to a user, and to provide the one or more electronic-mail messages to an inbox associated with the user;

a mobile device configured to receive and display a copy of one or more electronic-mail messages; and

a mobile e-mail gateway configured to notify the mobile device concerning a copy of one or more desirable messages from the one or more received electronic-mail messages received by the e-mail server, the desirability of the messages having been determined based on at least a user specification.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile e-mail gateway is further configured to provide the mobile device with the copy of the one or more desirable messages.

The system of claim 7, further comprising a contact database configured to store information concerning a plurality of contacts, and wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address found in a contacts database associated with the user

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the contacts database is located on the mobile device associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the contacts database is located on the e-mail server.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein a contacts database associated with the mobile device is configured to synchronize with a contacts database associated with the e-mail server.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a message profile database configured to store information concerning a plurality of outgoing electronic-mail messages sent by the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the message profile database is further configured to store one or more electronic-mail addresses used to address outgoing electronic-mail messages sent by the user, and the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address from the one or more electronic-mail addresses stored in the message profile database.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the message profile database is further configured to store one or more key words present in subject lines of previously outgoing electronic-mail messages sent by the user, and the user specification includes electronic-mail messages with a subject line including at least one key word from the one or more key words stored in the message profile database.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer processor to perform a method for filtering electronic-mail messages on mobile devices comprising:

receiving one or more electronic-mail messages addressed to a user;

providing the one or more received electronic-mail messages to an inbox associated with the user;

evaluating a message from the one or more received electronic-mail messages to determine whether the message is desirable based on at least a user specification;

providing a copy of one or more desirable messages from the one or more received electronic-mail messages to a mobile device associated with the user; and

notifying the user concerning the copy of the one or more desirable messages.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address found in a contacts database associated with the user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages originating from an electronic-mail address used to address an outgoing electronic-mail message sent by the user.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user specification includes electronic-mail messages with a subject line including a key word present in a subject line of a previously outgoing electronic-mail message sent by the user.