Remote electronic mailbox access
First Claim
1. A method of retrieving electronic mail messages over a wireless network, the method comprising:
- receiving a first electronic mail retrieval request message on a gateway by a router utilizing a first socket from a wireless device, the first electronic mail retrieval request message being in a format compatible with the wireless device, the first electronic mail retrieval request message identifying a user account;
in response to receiving the first electronic mail retrieval request, looking up the user account in a user database to determine a remote electronic mail message server and to determine a protocol of the wireless device;
converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval request message into a second electronic mail retrieval message that is in a format that is compatible with the remote electronic mail message server of an external network;
sending the second electronic mail retrieval request message from the gateway over the external network in communication with the gateway to the remote electronic mail message server;
receiving a first electronic mail retrieval reply message on the gateway from the remote electronic mail message server of the external network in response to the second electronic mail retrieval request message;
converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval reply message into a second electronic mail retrieval reply message that is in a format that is compatible with the wireless device by conforming the second electronic mail retrieval reply message to the protocol of the wireless device that has been determined from the user account of the user database; and
sending the second electronic mail retrieval reply message from the gateway to the wireless device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for retrieving electronic mail messages via a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a gateway for sending an electronic mail retrieval reply message to a wireless device in response to receiving an electronic mail retrieval request message from the wireless device. The apparatus further comprises an application module. The application module has computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions convert the retrieval request message into a format capable of transmission over an external computer network and the computer readable instructions convert the retrieval reply message into a format capable of transmission over a wireless network.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of retrieving electronic mail messages over a wireless network, the method comprising:
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receiving a first electronic mail retrieval request message on a gateway by a router utilizing a first socket from a wireless device, the first electronic mail retrieval request message being in a format compatible with the wireless device, the first electronic mail retrieval request message identifying a user account; in response to receiving the first electronic mail retrieval request, looking up the user account in a user database to determine a remote electronic mail message server and to determine a protocol of the wireless device; converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval request message into a second electronic mail retrieval message that is in a format that is compatible with the remote electronic mail message server of an external network; sending the second electronic mail retrieval request message from the gateway over the external network in communication with the gateway to the remote electronic mail message server; receiving a first electronic mail retrieval reply message on the gateway from the remote electronic mail message server of the external network in response to the second electronic mail retrieval request message; converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval reply message into a second electronic mail retrieval reply message that is in a format that is compatible with the wireless device by conforming the second electronic mail retrieval reply message to the protocol of the wireless device that has been determined from the user account of the user database; and sending the second electronic mail retrieval reply message from the gateway to the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for retrieving electronic mail messages over a wireless network, the system comprising:
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means for receiving a first electronic mail retrieval request message on a gateway from a wireless device, the first electronic mail retrieval request message being in a format compatible with the wireless device, the means for receiving the first electronic mail retrieval request comprising a router receiving the first electronic mail retrieval request utilizing a first X socket; means for converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval request message into a second electronic mail retrieval message that is in a format that is compatible with a remote electronic mail message server of an external network, the means for converting at the gateway comprising a protocol handler that receives the first electronic mail retrieval request from the router using an X.25 protocol; means for sending the second electronic mail retrieval request message from the gateway over an external network in communication with the gateway to the remote electronic mail message server, the means for sending comprising a local mail server that receives the second electronic mail retrieval message from the protocol handler using a second X socket; means for receiving a first electronic mail retrieval reply message on the gateway from the remote electronic mail message server of the external network in response to the second electronic mail retrieval request message; means for converting at the gateway the first electronic mail retrieval reply message into a second electronic mail retrieval reply message that is in a format that is compatible with the wireless device; and means for sending the second electronic mail retrieval reply message from the gateway to the wireless device.
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Specification