Communications system providing reduced access latency and related methods
First Claim
1. A communications system comprising:
- a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective software client using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing electronic mail (email) to send at least one access request;
a plurality of email data storage devices for storing email data files, each email data file being associated with a respective mobile wireless communications device, each email data file having a unique identification (UID) associated therewith, and each email data storage device using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols; and
a protocol interface device comprisinga protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof, anda protocol engine module for communicating with said plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof,said protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of said email data storage devices for DIDs of email data files stored thereon to maintain a DID list, and for cooperating with said protocol converter module to provide the DID list to the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the DID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the UID list,said protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from said software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with said given mobile wireless communication device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system may include data storage devices for storing data files, and mobile wireless communications devices (MWCDs) generating access requests for the data files. The data storage devices and MWCDs may each use one or more different operating protocols. Each data file may be associated with a respective MWCD and have a unique identification (UID) associated therewith. The system may also include a protocol interface device including a protocol converter module for communicating with the MWCDs using respective operating protocols thereof, and a protocol engine module for communicating with the data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof. The protocol engine module may also poll the data storage devices for UIDs of data files stored thereon, and cooperate with the protocol converter module to provide UIDs for respective data files to the MWCDs upon receiving access requests therefrom.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A communications system comprising:
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a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective software client using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing electronic mail (email) to send at least one access request; a plurality of email data storage devices for storing email data files, each email data file being associated with a respective mobile wireless communications device, each email data file having a unique identification (UID) associated therewith, and each email data storage device using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols; and a protocol interface device comprising a protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof, and a protocol engine module for communicating with said plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof, said protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of said email data storage devices for DIDs of email data files stored thereon to maintain a DID list, and for cooperating with said protocol converter module to provide the DID list to the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the DID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the UID list, said protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from said software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with said given mobile wireless communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of electronic mail (email) data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective software client, and the software clients and email data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing email, and the mobile wireless communications devices for sending at least one access request for accessing email data files stored on the email data storage devices, each email data file being associated with a respective mobile wireless communications device and having a unique identification (WD) associated therewith, the protocol interface device comprising:
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a protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof; and a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof; said protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of the email data storage devices for UIDs of email data files stored thereon to maintain a UID list, and for cooperating with said protocol converter module to provide the UID list to the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the UID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the UID list; said protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from said software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with said given mobile wireless communications device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of communications devices with a plurality of electronic mail (email) data storage devices, the communications devices each comprising a respective software client, and the software clients and email data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing email, and the communications devices for sending at least one access request for accessing email data files stored on the email data storage devices, each email data file being associated with a respective communications device and having a unique identification (UID) associated therewith, the protocol interface device comprising:
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a protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of the plurality of communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof; and a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof; said protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of the email data storage devices for UIDs of email data files stored thereon, to maintain a DID list, and for cooperating with said protocol converter module to provide the UID list to the respective software client of each of the plurality of communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the DID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the DID list; said protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of said plurality of communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from said software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with said given communications device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of electronic (email) data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective software client, and the software clients and email data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing email, and the mobile wireless communications devices for sending at least one access request for accessing email data files stored on the email data storage devices, each email data file being associated with a respective mobile wireless communications device and having a unique identification (UID) associated therewith, the method comprising:
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providing a protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof; and providing a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof, the protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of the email data storage devices for UIDs of email data files stored thereon to maintain a UID list current to within a polling interval, for cooperating with the protocol converter module to provide the UID list to the respective software client of each of the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the UID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the UID list; the protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from the software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with the given mobile wireless communications device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable modules for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of electronic (email) data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices each comprising a respective software client, and the software clients and email data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols as configuration commands and instructions for accessing email, and the mobile wireless communications devices for sending at least one access request for accessing email data files stored on the email data storage devices, each email data file being associated with a respective mobile wireless communications device and having a unique identification (UID) associated therewith, the computer-readable medium comprising:
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a protocol converter module for communicating with the respective software client of each of the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols thereof; and a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of email data storage devices using respective operating protocols thereof, the protocol engine module also for initiating, at a first time, polling of the email data storage devices for UIDs of email data files stored thereon to maintain a UID list, and for cooperating with said protocol converter module to provide the UID list to the respective software client of each of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices upon receiving access requests therefrom, the UID list being provided by the protocol engine module independent of respective ones of the email data files so that the respective ones of the email data files are to be retrieved at a second time different from the first time based upon the UID list, said protocol engine module also initiating polling for a given one of said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices without initiated configuration commands and instructions from said software client thereof, and irrespective of communications with said given mobile wireless communication device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification