Methods and apparatus for facilitating the delivery of e-mail using different data communication services

• US 7,548,757 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Major, Harry Richmond
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casca; Fred A
• Application Number:
  US11/556,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435, 455/435.3, 455/432.1, 455/445, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating the delivery of e-mail messages from a mobile communication device are disclosed. In one disclosed example, an end user of the mobile device enters e-mail message information corresponding to a new e-mail message through a user interface. Preferably, the user interface is an e-mail graphical user interface (GUI) provided by the mobile device. The mobile device identifies whether a packet data service (e.g. GPRS) for communicating e-mail messages is available to it. If the packet data service is available, the mobile device causes the e-mail message information to be sent via the packet data service. If the packet data service is unavailable, however, the mobile device causes the e-mail message information to be sent in a short message service (SMS) message via an SMS-to-Email service. Advantageously, a common GUI interface which does not change depending on the availability of the packet data service is utilized and service-specific formatting for SMS-to-Email by the end user is not required.

Claims

1. In a mobile communication device, a method of delivering e-mail message information via a wireless communication network comprising the acts of:

causing an e-mail interface of an e-mail application for e-mail message delivery to be displayed in a display of the mobile communication device, the e-mail interface for the e-mail message delivery including an e-mail recipient address field, an e-mail subject field, and an e-mail message body field;

receiving, through the e-mail interface, e-mail message information corresponding to a new e-mail message to be delivered, the e-mail message information including an e-mail recipient address from the e-mail recipient address field, an e-mail subject from the e-mail subject field, and an e-mail message body from the e-mail message body field;

identifying, by the mobile communication device, whether a first data communication service is made available to the mobile communication device via the wireless communication network;

in response to receiving the e-mail message information;

if the first data communication service is made available via the wireless communication network;

causing, by the mobile communication device, the e-mail message information to be sent through the wireless communication network via the first data communication service and

otherwise, if the first data communication service is identified as being made unavailable via the wireless communication network;

formatting, by the mobile communication device without user intervention, the e-mail message information in accordance with a second data communication service, and sending the formatted e-mail message information through the wireless communication network via the second data communication service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data communication service is different from the second data communication service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data communication service comprises an SMS-to-Email service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data communication service comprises a data packet service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data communication service operates in accordance with a 2.5 Generation (2.5G) compatible standard.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data communication service operates in accordance with a 3^rd Generation (3G) compatible standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data communication service comprises General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

8. The method of claim 1, which is performed by computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium, the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of the mobile communication device for performing the method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data communication service comprises a short message service (SMS) message service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, via the user interface, an actuation to send the e-mail message information; and

wherein the acts of formatting and sending the e-mail message information are performed by the mobile communication device in response to the act of detecting.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, via the user interface, an actuation to send the e-mail message information; and

wherein the acts of formatting and sending are performed by the mobile communication device in response to the act of detecting the actuation without detecting further user intervention.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter;

a user interface which includes a display;

one or more processors coupled to the receiver, the transmitter, and the user interface; and

the one or more processors being operative to;

cause an electronic mail (e-mail) interface of an e-mail application for e-mail message delivery to be displayed in the display, the e-mail interface for the e-mail message delivery including an e-mail recipient address field, an e-mail subject field, and an e-mail message body field;

receive, through the e-mail interface, e-mail message information corresponding to a new e-mail message to be delivered, the e-mail message information including an e-mail recipient address from the e-mail recipient address field, an e-mail subject from the e-mail subject field, and an e-mail message body from the e-mail message body field;

identify whether a first data communication service is made available to the mobile communication device via a wireless communication network;

in response to the receipt of the e-mail message information;

if the first data communication service is made available via the wireless communication network;

cause the e-mail message information to be transmitted through the wireless communication network via the first data communication service; and

otherwise, if the first data communication service is identified as being made unavailable via the wireless communication network;

format, without user intervention, the e-mail message information in accordance with a second data communication service, and transmit the formatted e-mail message information through the wireless communication network via the second data communication service.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the first data communication service comprises General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the second data communication service comprises an SMS-to-Email service.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, the first data communication service comprises a packet data service.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the first data communication service comprises a packet data service which operates in accordance with a 3^rd Generation (3G) compatible standard.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the second data communication service comprises a short message service (SMS) message service.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to format and send the e-mail message information in response to detecting, via the user interface, an actuation to send the e-mail message information.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to format and send the e-mail message information in response to detecting, via the user interface, an actuation to send the e-mail message information without detecting further user intervention.