Method and system for providing backup messages to wireless devices during outages

• US 7,623,848 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MessageOne, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Marketing USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenfelt, Michael I., Mirchandani, Satin
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US10/805,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20050003807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/248, 709/203, 709/207, 455/412.1, 455/421.1, 455/414.4, 455/412.2, 714/4
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention provides an improved technique for providing email to a wireless device during an outage. Email messages are redirected from the primary email system to a secondary email system during an outage such as, for example, a natural disaster. Email messages are accessible from the secondary email system through a wireless device. A notification message is sent to the user'"'"'s wireless device alerting them that their email messages are available on the secondary email system through their wireless device. After the termination of the outage, email messages received during the outage are synchronized into the users standard email application.

Claims

1. A method for providing backup electronic messaging services to wireless devices during outages, comprising:

sending email messages from a primary email system to a user'"'"'s wireless device;

when said primary email system is unavailable, redirecting said email messages from said primary email system to a secondary email system and from said secondary email system to said user'"'"'s wireless device;

notifying said user that said email messages are available on said user'"'"'s wireless device through said secondary email system at a time when said redirection of said email messages has been implemented;

at a time when said primary email service becomes available, redirecting said email messages from said secondary email system to said primary email system and from said primary email system to said user'"'"'s wireless device;

notifying said user that said email messages are available on said user'"'"'s wireless device through said primary email system at a time when said redirection of said email messages has been implemented; and

synchronizing said email messages received on said secondary email system while said primary email system was unavailable with the messages in said primary email system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said primary email system is located remotely from said secondary email system and is interconnected to said secondary email system through the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a determination of when said primary email system is unavailable is performed manually by assessing whether an error message has been received indicating an inability to deliver an email message to said primary email system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said email messages to all addresses on said primary email system are automatically redirected to said secondary email system at any time any of said email addresses on said primary email system are unavailable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said email messages to all email addresses on said primary email system are redirected to said secondary email system after some, but less than all, of said email messages are unavailable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of notifying said user that said email messages are available on said secondary email system further includes the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the time at which said primary email system is available includes periodically pinging email addresses on said primary email system and evaluating whether a response is received from said email addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification of said user that said email messages are again available on said primary email system consists of the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ability to redirect said email messages from said primary email system to said secondary email system is password protected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of said wireless devices is selected from the group consisting of personal digital assistant devices, cell phones and pagers.

11. A method for intercepting and redirecting email messages to wireless devices, comprising:

changing a domain name system designation of a primary email system responsive to detection of an outage of the primary email system;

directing inbound email messages to an alternate facility; and

delivering said email messages from said alternate facility to said wireless devices; and

notifying an intended recipient of said email messages that said messages are available on said recipient'"'"'s wireless device through said alternate facility at such time as said redirection of said email messages has been implemented.

12. A method for delivering backup messages to wireless devices, comprising:

maintaining a mapping of alternate email addresses of the wireless devices;

delivering, via said alternate email address, the email messages to said wireless device responsive to detection of an outage of a primary email system;

wherein said step of delivering is performed during said outage of a primary path for delivering said email messages; and

notifying an intended recipient of said email messages that said messages are available on said recipient'"'"'s wireless device through said alternate facility at such time as said redirection of said email messages has been implemented.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

pulling messages from a mailbox within a secondary email system to the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said mailbox is a pop3 mailbox.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said mailbox is an imap4 mailbox.

16. A system for providing backup electronic messaging services to wireless devices during outages, comprising:

a primary email system, wherein said primary email system is configured for delivering email messages to said wireless devices;

a secondary email system, wherein said secondary email system is configured for delivering said email messages to said wireless devices at a time when said primary email system is unavailable;

at a time when said primary email system becomes unavailable, users of said wireless devices are notified that said primary email system is unavailable; and

at a time when said primary email service again becomes available, redirecting said email messages from said secondary email system back to said primary email system for delivery to said wireless devices, notifying said users that said email messages are available on said users wireless device through said primary email system, and synchronizing said email-messages received on said secondary email system—

while said primary email-system was unavailable with the messages in said primary email system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said primary email system is located remotely from said secondary email system and is interconnected to said secondary email system through the Internet.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said system is adapted to manually detect when said primary email system is unavailable by assessing whether an error message has been received indicating an inability to deliver said email messages to said primary email system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said email messages to all addresses on said primary email system are automatically redirected to said secondary email system at any time any of said email addresses on said primary email system are unavailable.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said email messages to all email addresses on said primary email system are redirected to said secondary email system after some, but less than all, of said email messages are unavailable.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said notification to said user that said email messages are available on said secondary email system further includes an automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein assessing a time at which said primary email system is available includes periodically pinging an email addresses on said primary email system and evaluating whether a response is received from said email addresses.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein notifying said user that said email messages are again available on said primary email system consists of the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said user.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein an ability to redirect said email messages from said primary email system to said secondary email system is password protected.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more-of said wireless devices is selected from the group consisting of personal digital assistant devices, cell phones and pagers.