Method and apparatus for efficient polling

• US 7,870,207 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Martin, Daryl, Hassan, Ahmed E., Sadek, Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwang; Joon H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE IV, THOMAS E
• Application Number:
  US11/614,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

An e-mail distribution server may manage many pull e-mail accounts by periodically, as defined by an interval time, polling associated pull e-mail servers for new mail. If the e-mail distribution server receives an e-mail message destined for a recipient having a pull e-mail account managed by the e-mail distribution server, the e-mail distribution server may recognize an opportunity to poll the pull e-mail server associated with the pull e-mail account sooner than the expiration of the interval time.

Claims

1. A method of handling an e-mail message, said method comprising:

managing, at a mail distribution server, a pull e-mail account for a first mail user agent, where said managing involves periodically polling a pull e-mail server to determine whether new e-mail messages have been received by said pull e-mail server, where said new e-mail messages specify an address associated with said pull e-mail account;

receiving, at said mail distribution server, an e-mail message from a second mail user agent;

determining, at said mail distribution server, said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account;

responsive to determining said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account, triggering an interruption of said managing;

responsive to said interruption, waiting a predetermined waiting period, wherein said predetermined waiting period is based on a measured network latency value; and

responsive to expiration of said predetermined waiting period, polling said pull e-mail server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first mail user agent is associated with a first mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said second mail user agent is associated with a second mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, subsequent to said polling said pull e-mail server responsive to said interruption, receiving an indication, from said pull e-mail server, a new e-mail message has arrived.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

sending a request to said pull e-mail server to obtain said new e-mail message; and

receiving a response to said request from said pull e-mail server, said response including said new e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising sending said new e-mail message to said first mail user agent.

7. A mail distribution server comprising a processor adapted to:

manage a pull e-mail account for a first mail user agent, where said managing involves periodically polling a pull e-mail server to determine whether new e-mail messages have been received by said pull e-mail server, where said new e-mail messages specify an address associated with said pull e-mail account;

receive an e-mail message from a second mail user agent;

determine whether said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account;

trigger an interruption of said managing, where said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account;

wait a predetermined waiting period, wherein said predetermined waiting period is based on a measured network latency value; and

poll, responsive to expiration of said predetermined waiting period, said pull e-mail server.

8. The mail distribution server of claim 7 wherein said processor is further adapted to:

send a request to said pull e-mail server to obtain said new e-mail message; and

receive a response to said request from said pull e-mail server, said response including said new e-mail message.

9. The mail distribution server of claim 8 wherein said processor is further adapted to send said new e-mail message to said first mail user agent.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions, when performed by a processor, cause said processor to:

manage a pull e-mail account for a first mail user agent, where said managing involves periodically polling a pull e-mail server to determine whether new e-mail messages have been received by said pull e-mail server, where said new e-mail messages specify an address associated with said pull e-mail account;

receive an e-mail message from a second mail user agent;

determine whether said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account;

trigger an interruption of said managing, where said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account;

wait a predetermined waiting period, wherein said predetermined waiting period is based on a measured network latency value; and

responsive to expiration of said predetermined waiting period, poll said pull e-mail server.

11. A method of managing an incoming mail message, said method comprising:

managing a first pull e-mail account for a first mail user agent, where said managing involves periodically polling a first pull e-mail server to determine whether new e-mail messages have been received by said first pull e-mail server, where said new e-mail messages specify an address associated with said first pull e-mail account;

managing a second pull e-mail account for a second mail user agent, said second pull e-mail account associated with a second pull e-mail server;

receiving, from said first pull e-mail server and responsive to said polling, an incoming e-mail message;

determining whether said incoming e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, an address associated with said second pull e-mail account;

where said incoming e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said second pull e-mail account, triggering an interruption of said managing said second pull e-mail account;

responsive to said interruption, waiting a predetermined waiting period, wherein said predetermined waiting period is based on a measured network latency value; and

responsive to expiration of said predetermined waiting period, polling said second pull e-mail server.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining a record, said record including said address associated with said first pull e-mail account and said address associated with said second pull e-mail account.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising, subsequent to said polling said pull e-mail server responsive to said interruption, receiving an indication, from said pull e-mail server, a new e-mail message has arrived.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

sending a request to said pull e-mail server to obtain said new e-mail message; and

receiving a response to said request from said pull e-mail server, said response including said new e-mail message.