Method for continuously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

• US 6,954,782 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Raissipour, David A., Price, Robert M., Wells, Stephen T., Thurlow, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/223,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/232, 379/93, 707/7, 707/201, 345/327, 345/352, 705/27, 455/517
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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

Abstract

An electronic mail (e-mail) application program includes a configurable, e-mail messaging feature for automatically responding to a portable computer'"'"'s transition between online and offline states. The e-mail application program determines the state of a connection between a portable computer and an electronic mail server and processes electronic messages in accordance with the appropriate state. The portable computer'"'"'s transition between an online state and an offline state triggers a user-configurable response, designed to permit the continuation of electronic mail message processing in a manner that accommodates the state change. The e-mail application program responds to such a transition by automatically switching between online and offline modes of operation. The e-mail application program can also respond to such a transition by establishing a secondary connection to a mail server when a primary connection is rendered inoperative. A user may configure various aspects of the invention to respond to a transition in a way that accommodates the user'"'"'s hardware and/or software requirements.

Claims

1. A method for automatically effecting a switch between online and offline modes of electronic message processing, in response to a computer making a transition between online and offline states, the method comprising:

processing electronic messages in accordance with the online mode, the online mode being capable of processing electronic messages in cooperation with a server, when the computer is in the online state, comprising the steps of;

polling the server for a new electronic message,

resolving an electronic message name against an address book on the server,

immediately sending an outgoing electronic message, and

immediately receiving an incoming electronic message;

determining that the computer has made a transition from the online state to the offline state; and

in response to the determination that the computer has made a transition from the online state to the offline state, automatically switching to processing electronic messages in accordance with the offline mode, comprising the steps of;

queuing outgoing electronic messages for subsequent sending;

resolving electronic message names against an address book on the computer; and

suppressing polling of the server for new electronic messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises making a determination that the computer has been undocked from a docking station.

3. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises making a determination that the computer has been disconnected from the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the online mode is defined by a configuration file, at least a portion of the configuration file being determined by receiving a first input set.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the offline mode is defined by a configuration file, at least a portion of the configuration file being determined by receiving a second input set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing electronic messages in accordance with the offline mode further comprises the steps of:

establishing a secondary connection to the server; and

in response to establishing the secondary connection to the server, processing electronic messages in accordance with the online mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secondary connection is a dial-up connection.

9. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.