Minimizing data transfer from POP3 servers

• US 7,882,181 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lloyd, Owen W., Kroman, Paul K., Stauber, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal D
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, LOI H
• Application Number:
  US11/144,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate minimizing data transfer from a post office protocol (POP) server to a client device by employing a date filter with a predefined date range and applying a message body size threshold above which only a message header will be downloaded to conserve bandwidth and/or memory space on the client device. A user can request download of a message for which only a message header was originally downloaded if the header comprises information of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A method of mitigating bandwidth and memory consumption by a user device when retrieving email via a post office protocol when a time (T) since a last download request is greater than a predetermined threshold time (D), comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

identifying a user request to download at least a portion of an email message, the at least a portion of the email message including a header for the message and at least a portion of a body for the message;

determining, from an analysis of the message header, whether the message is received at a message server more recently than D;

determining whether the message body portion is less than a threshold body size (R) derived from a size of the message header (H) using a formula R=H/E−

H, wherein E is an expected percentage of messages excluded by D, wherein E=(1−

D/T), and wherein E approaches zero as T decreases to approach D;

if the message is received at the message server more recently than the predetermined threshold time or the message body portion is less than the threshold body size relative to the size of the message header, downloading the at least a portion of the email message to the user device; and

if the message is not received at the message server more recently than the predetermined threshold time and the message body portion is not less than the threshold body size derived from the size of the message header;

downloading the header to the user device in a first download; and

upon user request, downloading the message body to the user device in a second download.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the at least a portion of the email message to the user device when the message body portion is smaller than the threshold body size.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising precluding the downloading of the header or the message body to the user device when the message is less recent than the predetermined threshold time and the message body portion is larger than the threshold body size.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising permitting a user to request download of the message body associated with the downloaded message header.

5. The method of claim 1, the threshold body size is predetermined based at least in part on an estimate of the size of the message header.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically determining the threshold body size based on a time period since a last download request.

7. The method of claim 6, the act of dynamically determining the threshold body size comprises:

determining an amount of wasted bytes, for each of a header-only download protocol and a header-plus-partial message download protocol; and

solving for a partial message size wherein the wasted bytes generated by each protocol is equivalent.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a boundary that delineates a point at which one protocol becomes more efficient than the other.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for mitigating bandwidth and memory consumption by a user device when retrieving email via a post office protocol when a time (T) since a last download request is greater than a predetermined threshold time (D) having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for:

identifying a user request to download at least a portion of an email message, the at least a portion of the email message including a header for the message and at least a portion of a body for the message;

determining, from an analysis of the message header, whether the message is received at a message server more recently than D;

determining whether the message body portion is less than a threshold body size (R) derived from a size of the message header (H) using a formula R=H/E−

H, wherein E is an expected percentage of messages excluded by D, wherein E−

(1−

D/T), and wherein E approaches zero as T decreases to approach D;

if the message is received at the message server more recently than the predetermined threshold time or the message body portion is less than the threshold body size relative to the size of the message header, downloading the at least a portion of the email message to the user device; and

if the message is not received at the message server more recently than the predetermined threshold time and the message body portion is not less than the threshold body size derived from the size of the message header;

downloading the header to the user device in a first download; and

upon user request, downloading the message body to the user device in a second download.

10. A data transfer minimization system executing on one or more processors that facilitates mitigating resource consumption during message download from a message server when a time (T) since a last download request is greater than a predefined date range (D), comprising:

a date filter that determines, from a message header, whether a message corresponding to the message header is within D to permit the message to be analyzed; and

a message analysis component that;

determines whether a message body portion associated with the message header is less than a threshold body size (R) derived from a size of the message header (H) using a formula R=H/E−

H, wherein E is an expected percentage of messages excluded by D, wherein E=(1−

D/T), and wherein E approaches zero as T decreases to approach D;

downloads at least a portion of the email message to a user device if the message is within the predefined date range or the message body portion is less than the threshold body size derived from the size of the message header; and

if the message is not within the predefined date range and the message body portion is not less than the threshold body size relative to the size of the message header;

downloads the header to the user device in a first download; and

downloads, upon user request, the message body to the user device in a second download.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the message server is a post office protocol server.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a client device that downloads the message header and message body if the message is within the predefined date range or has a message body size below the threshold body size.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a threshold calculation component that dynamically determines an optimal threshold body size for message bodies based at least in part on a time period since a last download request by a client.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the threshold body size is predetermined and configurable by a user.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a boundary detection component that determines a point at which one of a header-only download protocol and a header-plus—

partial message download protocol becomes more efficient than the other.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein efficiency is assessed based at least in part on a number of wasted bytes.

17. A system executing on one or more processors that facilitates minimizing data transfer from a post office protocol server to a client when a time (T) since a last download request is greater than a predetermined threshold time (D), comprising:

means for identifying a user request to download at least a portion of an email message, the at least a portion of the email message including a header for the message and at least a portion of a body for the message;

means for determining a size of the message header;

means for determining a threshold message body size;

means for applying a date filter to determine whether the message is more recent than D;

means for determining whether the message body portion is less than a threshold body size (R) derived from a size of the message header (H) using a formula R=H/E−

H, wherein E is an expected percentage of messages excluded by D, wherein E−

(1−

D/T), and wherein E approaches zero as T decreases to approach D;

means for downloading the at least a portion of the email message to the user device if the message is more recent than the predetermined threshold or the message body portion is less than the threshold body size relative to the size of the message header;

means for downloading the header to the user device in a first download and downloading, upon user request, the message body to the user device in a second download if the message is not more recent than the predetermined threshold and the message body portion is not less than the threshold body size derived from the size of the message header;

means for precluding the downloading of the header or the message body to the user device when the message is less recent than the predetermined threshold time and the message body portion is larger than the threshold body size;

means for permitting a user to request download of the message body associated with the downloaded message header; and

means for dynamically determining the threshold body size based on a time period since a last download request.