System and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device

• US 6,401,113 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/781,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 709/253, 709/238, 709/207, 455/555-557, 340/7.21, 340/7.29, 340/7.51, 707/201
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 : where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 : Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 : Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device upon sensing a triggering event is disclosed. A redirector program operating at the host system enables a user to continuously redirect certain user-selected data items from the host system to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering events has occurred. The redirector program operates in connection with event generating applications and repackaging systems at the host system to configure and detect a particular user-defined event, and then to repackage the user-selected data items in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device. The host system can be a desktop computer that redirects messages received from a network to the mobile device and that redirects reply messages from the mobile device to the network.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communications device associated with a first computer system identified by a first electronic address, wherein the first computer system includes a wireless redirector component for continuously redirecting messages, as they are received, from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a redirected message from the first computer system;

a memory for storing the redirected message;

a message generator for generating a reply message to the redirected message at the wireless mobile communications device, wherein the reply message is addressed using the first electronic address of the first computer system as an originating address, and using a destination address; and

a transmitter for transmitting the reply message to the first computer system, wherein the first computer system is a desktop computer system that causes the reply message to be redirected to the destination address.

2. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a redirector component for redirecting messages received at the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

3. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display for displaying messages.

4. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is a device selected from the group consisting of a hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data messaging capabilities and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.

5. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the messages redirected from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communication device are packaged into electronic envelopes by the wireless redirector component, the wireless mobile communication device further comprising an unpackaging module for removing the redirected messages from the electronic envelopes.

6. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless redirector component includes:

means for configuring one or more redirection events at the first computer system;

means for detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the first computer system and for generating a redirection trigger; and

means, responsive to the redirection trigger, for continuously redirecting messages, as they are received, from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device.

7. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is configured to receive both voice and non-voice messages.

8. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a command generator for generating one or more commands that control the wireless redirector component, wherein the transmitter transmits the one or more commands from the wireless mobile communications device to the first computer system.

9. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 8, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable the wireless redirector component.

10. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 8, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable a preferred list function at the wireless redirector component, wherein the preferred list function limits message redirection to a set of message senders stored in a preferred list at the first computer system.

11. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 10, wherein the one or more commands include a command to add or subtract message senders from the preferred list.

12. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 8, wherein the one or more commands include a command that instructs the first computer system to route a message attachment to an external device.

13. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless redirector component establishes a secure link from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device prior to redirecting messages, the secure link being established by an encryption module operating at the first computer system, the wireless mobile communication device further comprising:

a decryption module for decrypting the encrypted messages redirected from the first computer system.

14. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the one or more commands include a command that causes the first computer system to execute a search and retrieval operation on a remote database.

15. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 14, wherein a result from the search and retrieval operation is returned to the wireless mobile communications device via the wireless redirector component.

16. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the first electronic address is an e-mail address associated with the user of the wireless mobile communications device.

17. A wireless mobile communications device associated with a first computer system identified by a first electronic address, wherein the first computer system includes a wireless redirector component for continuously redirecting messages, as they are received, from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a redirected message from the first computer system;

a memory for storing the redirected message;

a message generator for generating a reply message to the redirected message at the mobile device, wherein the reply message is addressed using the first electronic address of the first computer system as an originating address, and using a destination address;

a transmitter for transmitting the reply message to the first computer system; and

a redirector component for redirecting messages received at the mobile communications device to the first computer system, wherein the first computer system is a desktop computer system that causes are reply message to be redirected to the destination address.

18. The mobile communications device of claim 17, wherein the redirector component includes:

means for configuration one or more redirection events at the mobile communications device;

means for detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the mobile communications device and for generating a redirection trigger; and

means in response to the redirection trigger, for continuously redirecting messages from the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

19. A wireless mobile communications device associated with a first computer system having an associated first electronic address and including a wireless redirector component for redirecting messages from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device, comprising:

means for receiving a redirected message from the first computer system;

means for storing the redirected message;

means for generating a reply message to the redirected message at the wireless mobile communications device, wherein the reply message is addressed using the first electronic address as an originating address, and using a destination address; and

means for transmitting the reply message to the first computer system, wherein the first computer system is a desktop computer system that causes the reply message to be redirected to the destination address.

20. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for redirecting messages received at the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

21. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for displaying messages.

22. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is a device selected from the group consisting of a hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data messaging capabilities and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.

23. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the messages redirected from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communication device are packaged into electronic envelopes by the wireless redirector component, the wireless mobile communication device further comprising a means for removing the redirected messages from the electronic envelopes.

24. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the wireless redirector component includes:

means for configuring one or more redirection events at the first computer system;

means for detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the first computer system and for generating a redirection trigger; and

means, responsive to the redirection trigger, for redirecting messages from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device.

25. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is configured to receive both voice and non-voice messages.

26. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for generating one or more commands that control the wireless redirector component, wherein the means for transmitting transmits the one or more commands from the wireless mobile communications device to the first computer system.

27. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable the wireless redirector component.

28. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable a preferred list function at the wireless redirector component, wherein the preferred list function limits message redirection to a set of message senders stored in a preferred list at the first computer system.

29. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 28, wherein the one or more commands include a command to add or subtract message senders from the preferred list.

30. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein the one or more commands include a command that instructs the first computer system to route a message attachment to an external device.

31. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the wireless redirector component establishes a secure link from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device prior to redirecting messages, the secure link being established by an encryption module operating at the first computer system, the wireless mobile communication device further comprising:

means for decrypting the encrypted messages redirected from the first computer system.

32. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the one or more commands include a command that causes the first computer system to execute a search and retrieval operation on a remote database.

33. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 32, wherein a result from the search and retrieval operation is returned to the wireless mobile communications device via the wireless redirector component.

34. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 19, wherein the first electronic address is an e-mail address associated with the user of the wireless mobile communications device.