SMARTER MECHANISM TO IMPLEMENT PUSH EMAIL ON HANDHELD DEVICES

• US 20130179514A1
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arora, Rajni, Mahajan, Sachin, Singh, Harpreet
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,628 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 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A push email system which includes an email server and an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)-type server. The email server is configured to receive email for an email account of a mobile user and notify the USSD-type server of the receipt of the email for the mobile user. The USSD-type server is configured to send a USSD or USSD-like message to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the USSD or USSD-like message notifying the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device of the receipt of the email by the email server for the account of the mobile user. Also disclosed is a method of pushing email to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device.

Claims

1. A push email system comprising an email server and an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)-type server,

the email server configured to receive email for an email account of a mobile user and notify the USSD-type server of the receipt of the email for the mobile user;

the USSD-type server configured to send a USSD or USSD-like message to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the USSD or USSD-like message notifying the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device of the receipt of the email by the email server for the account of the mobile user.

2. The push email system of claim 1 wherein the USSD-type server is a USSD server.

3. The push email system of claim 2 wherein the USSD or USSD-like message is a USSD message.

4. The push email system of claim 2 wherein the handheld device is a GSM handheld device.

5. The push email system of claim 1 wherein the USSD-type server is a USSD-like server.

6. The push email system of claim 5 wherein the USSD or USSD-like message is a USSD-like message.

7. The push email system of claim 5 wherein the handheld device is a non-GSM handheld device.

8. The push email system of claim 2 wherein the handheld device is a non-GSM handheld device.

9. A push email system comprising an email server and an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) server,

the email server configured to receive email for an email account of a mobile user and notify the USSD server of the receipt of the email for the mobile user;

the USSD server configured to send a USSD message to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the USSD message notifying the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device of the receipt of the email by the email server for the account of the mobile user.

10. The push email system of claim 9 wherein the handheld device is a GSM handheld device.

11. The push email system of claim 9 wherein the handheld device is a non-GSM handheld device.

12. A method of pushing email to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the method including:

receiving, by an email server, an email for an email account of a mobile user;

notifying, by the email server, an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)-type server of the receipt of the email by sending a message to the USSD-type server, the message including information identifying the mobile user and the email account of the mobile user;

receiving, by the USSD-type server, the message;

sending a USSD or USSD-like message to the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the message notifying the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device of the receipt by the email server of the email for an account of the user; and

responsive to a message from the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, downloading the email to the user'"'"'s handheld device from the email server.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the USSD-type server is a USSD server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the USSD or USSD-like message is a USSD message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the handheld device is a GSM handheld device.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the USSD-type server is a USSD-like server.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the USSD or USSD-like message is a USSD-like message.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the handheld device is a non-GSM handheld device.

19. A method of pushing email to a mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the method including:

receiving, by an email server, an email for an email account of a mobile user;

notifying, by the email server, an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) server of the receipt of the email by sending a message to the USSD server, the message including information identifying the mobile user and the email account of the mobile user;

receiving, by the USSD server, the message;

sending a USSD message to the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, the message notifying the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device of the receipt by the email server of the email for an account of the user; and

responsive to a message from the mobile user'"'"'s handheld device, downloading the email to the user'"'"'s handheld device by the email server.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the handheld device is a GSM handheld device or a non-GSM handheld device.