METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING E-MAIL FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20100169443A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Russell, Jake A., Roundtree, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A software and/or hardware facility that allows users to enable e-mail on a mobile device in an automated fashion. Using a mobile device, a user selects an e-mail service that they desire to access. An access request is made from the mobile device to a configuration management server. The configuration management server sends an e-mail, SMS message, or other message to the user or to a system administrator with the access request. The user or system administrator is presented with a form that allows the user or administrator to provide sufficient information to enable e-mail service for the mobile device. The configuration management server may store the received information in a database so that the information can be re-used by other mobile device users having the same e-mail domain. The information is transmitted to the mobile device and is used to enable e-mail service on the device.

Claims

1. A method of providing configuration parameters to a mobile device to allow the mobile device to access an e-mail service, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access an e-mail service, the request transmitted from a mobile device of the user and containing an e-mail address of the user;

querying a configuration settings database to determine whether configuration parameters associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address are stored in the configuration settings database;

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are stored in the configuration settings database, transmitting the stored configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service; and

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are not stored in the configuration settings database, querying a system administrator for configuration parameters necessary to access the e-mail service, receiving configuration parameters from the system administrator, and transmitting the received configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters that are queried to the system administrator are dependent on the e-mail service to which access is being sought.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a system administrator for configuration parameters comprises:

prompting the user for an address associated with the system administrator;

receiving the system administrator address from the user; and

transmitting a message to the system administrator at the received system administrator address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the address is an e-mail address and the message is an e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the address is an instant messaging address and the message is an instant message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the address is a VPN service address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a system administrator for configuration parameters comprises transmitting a message to the user with instructions to the user to forward the message to the system administrator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a system administrator for configuration parameters includes providing a link to a form that is completed by the system administrator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the form contains a plurality of data fields, a portion of which are pre-populated with data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the configuration parameters received from the system administrator in the configuration settings database, the received configuration parameters being associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user when the mobile device has been configured to access the e-mail service.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the user to install additional applications used in conjunction with the e-mail service.

13. A system for providing configuration parameters to a mobile device to allow the mobile device to access an e-mail service, the system comprising:

a configuration settings database that contains a plurality of domain names and configuration parameters associated with each of the plurality of domain names; and

a configuration server coupled to the configuration settings database and configured to;

receive a request from a user to access an e-mail service, the request transmitted from a mobile device of the user and containing an e-mail address of the user;

query the configuration settings database to determine whether configuration parameters associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address are stored in the configuration settings database;

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are stored in the configuration settings database, transmit the stored configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service; and

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are not stored in the configuration settings database, query a system administrator for configuration parameters necessary to access the e-mail service, receive configuration parameters from the system administrator, and transmit the received configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuration parameters that are queried to the system administrator are dependent on the e-mail service to which access is being sought.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the query to a system administrator for configuration parameters comprises:

prompting the user for an address associated with the system administrator;

receiving the system administrator address from the user; and

transmitting a message to the system administrator at the received system administrator address.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the address is an e-mail address and the message is an e-mail message.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the address is an instant messaging address and the message is an instant message.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the address is a VPN service address.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the query to a system administrator for configuration parameters comprises transmitting a message to the user with instructions to the user to forward the message to the system administrator.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the query to a system administrator for configuration parameters includes providing a link to a form that is completed by the system administrator.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the form contains a plurality of data fields, a portion of which are pre-populated with data.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuration server is further configured to store the configuration parameters received from the system administrator in the configuration settings database, the received configuration parameters being associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuration server is further configured to notify the user when the mobile device has been configured to access the e-mail service.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuration server is further configured to direct the user to install additional applications used in conjunction with the e-mail service.

25. A method of providing configuration parameters to a mobile device to allow the mobile device to access an e-mail service, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access an e-mail service, the request transmitted from a mobile device of the user and containing an e-mail address of the user;

querying a configuration settings database to determine whether configuration parameters associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address are stored in the configuration settings database;

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are stored in the configuration settings database, transmitting the stored configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service; and

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are not stored in the configuration settings database, prompting the user for an address to which a configuration form should be sent, receiving from the user an address to which the configuration form should be sent, transmitting to the received address a configuration form containing a plurality of data fields for receiving configuration parameters necessary to access the e-mail service receiving configuration parameters in a completed configuration form, and transmitting the received configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of data fields is dependent on the e-mail service to which access is being sought.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the received address is an e-mail address.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the received address is associated with a system administrator.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the received address is associated with the user.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein a portion of the plurality of data fields are pre-populated with data.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising storing the received configuration parameters in the configuration settings database, the received configuration parameters being associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising notifying the user when the mobile device has been configured to access the e-mail service.

33. A system for providing configuration parameters to a mobile device to allow the mobile device to access an e-mail service, the system comprising:

a configuration settings database that contains a plurality of domain names and configuration parameters associated with each of the plurality of domain names; and

a configuration server coupled to the configuration settings database and configured to;

receive a request from a user to access an e-mail service, the request transmitted from a mobile device of the user and containing an e-mail address of the user;

query the configuration settings database to determine whether configuration parameters associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address are stored in the configuration settings database;

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are stored in the configuration settings database, transmit the stored configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service; and

if configuration parameters associated with the domain name are not stored in the configuration settings database, prompt the user for an address to which a configuration form should be sent, receive from the user an address to which the configuration form should be sent, transmit to the received address a configuration form containing a plurality of data fields for receiving configuration parameters necessary to access the e-mail service, receive configuration parameters in a completed configuration form, and transmit the received configuration parameters to the mobile device of the user so that the mobile device can be configured to access the e-mail service.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the plurality of data fields is dependent on the e-mail service to which access is being sought.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the received address is an e-mail address.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the received address is associated with a system administrator.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the received address is associated with the user.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein a portion of the plurality of data fields are pre-populated with data.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the configuration server is further configured to store the received configuration parameters in the configuration settings database, the received configuration parameters being associated with the domain name from the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the configuration server is further configured to notify the user when the mobile device has been configured to access the e-mail service.