System and method for preparing and sending an electronic mail communication using a wireless communications device

• US 6,745,024 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Han, Charles S., DeJaco, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/480,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 709/206, 709/217, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A system and method for preparing and sending e-mail communications using a wireless communications device are disclosed. In one embodiment, input data comprising audio, image, and/or video data is encoded and transmitted to a cellular network. An integrated e-mail processor connected to the cellular network processes the coded data into a composite e-mail message and forwards the message to a server. The server then forwards the composite e-mail message to the indicated recipient(s). In another embodiment, the wireless communications device processes the coded data into a composite e-mail message and forwards it to a server via a cellular network. In either embodiment, the server may be dedicated to the cellular network. The invention thus enables users of handheld wireless communications devices, users of other devices lacking typing keyboards, or users presently unable to use a typing keyboard to prepare and send e-mail messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input data via at least one input unit of a wireless communications device as directed by a user;

encoding the input data to obtain coded data;

transmitting a signal from the wireless communications device to a cellular network, the signal being based at least in part on the coded data;

composing an electronic mail (‘

e-mail’

) message from a base message and attachment data, the attachment data being based at least in part on the coded data; and

sending the e-mail message to a server,

wherein the input data comprises at least one among audio data and image data and at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cellular network comprises an integrated e-mail processor, and

wherein composing the e-mail message is performed substantially by the integrated e-mail processor.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein sending the e-mail message is performed at least in part using SMTP.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein sending the e-mail message occurs at least in part over the public switched telephone network.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the server has a direct network connection to the cellular network.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein a recipient of the e-mail message is selected by the user from among an addressee list stored on the integrated e-mail processor, the addressee list comprising e-mail addresses.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the base message is generated at least in part by the integrated e-mail processor.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the base message is selected by the user from among a message list stored on the integrated e-mail processor, the message list comprising at least portions of e-mail messages.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the integrated e-mail processor comprises storage, and

wherein at least a portion of said storage is reserved for use by the user.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein transmitting a signal from the wireless communications device to the cellular network occurs at least in part through a web browser application executing on the wireless communications device.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the server is dedicated to the cellular network.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the server processes e-mail messages received from the cellular network in a different manner from other e-mail messages.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing is completed.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing has begun.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server is dedicated to the cellular network.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server processes e-mail messages received from the cellular network in a different manner from other e-mail messages.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing is completed.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing has begun.

23. A data storage medium having instructions stored thereon, said instructions being executable by an array of logic elements and defining a method comprising:

receiving input data via at least one input unit of a wireless communications device as directed by a user;

encoding the input data to obtain coded data;

transmitting a signal from the wireless communications device to a cellular network, the signal being based at least in part on the coded data;

composing an electronic mail (‘

e-mail’

) message from a base message and attachment data, the attachment data being based at least in part on the coded data; and

sending the e-mail message to a server,

wherein the input data comprises at least one among audio data and image data and at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

24. The medium according to claim 23, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

25. The medium according to claim 23, wherein the cellular network comprises an integrated e-mail processor, and

wherein composing the e-mail message is performed substantially by the integrated e-mail processor.

26. The medium according to claim 23, wherein the server processes e-mail messages received from the cellular network in a different manner from other e-mail messages.

27. The medium according to claim 23, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing is completed.

28. A system comprising:

a wireless communications device, said device comprising

(1) at least one input unit for receiving input data,

(2) a processing unit for encoding the input data, and

(3) an RF stage for transmitting a signal based at least in part on the coded data; and

a cellular network for receiving the signal,

wherein said cellular network comprises an integrated e-mail processor, and

wherein the input data comprises at least one among audio data and image data, and

wherein at least one among the wireless communications device and the cellular network composes an e-mail message from a base message and attachment data, the attachment data being based at least in part on the coded data and wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network to the wireless communication device before sending of the e-mail message commences.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the server processes e-mail messages received from the cellular network in a different manner from other e-mail messages.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein composing an e-mail message consists of attaching said attachment data to said base message, and

wherein transmitting a signal from a wireless communications device to a cellular network occurs before said composing is completed.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving input data as directed by a user;

means for encoding the input data to obtain coded data;

means for transmitting a signal to a cellular network, the signal being based at least in part on the coded data;

means for composing an electronic mail (‘

e-mail’

) message from a base message and attachment data, the attachment data being based at least in part on the coded data; and

means for sending the e-mail message to a server,

wherein the input data comprises at least one among audio data and image data and at least a portion of the e-mail message is echoed by the cellular network before sending of the e-mail message commences.