System and method for storage of electronic mail

• US 8,238,882 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr K., Hardy, Michael T., Burns, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US11/551,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/216, 709/218, 709/219, 455/412.2, 455/420, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/566, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method of storage of an e-mail includes either receiving the e-mail at a portable electronic device or sending the e-mail from the portable electronic device. The e-mail is marked for saving at the portable electronic device and transmitted by radio communication for receipt by a server and for storage of the e-mail in a backup database.

Claims

1. A method of storage of an e-mail comprising:

one of receiving the e-mail at a portable electronic device and sending the e-mail from the portable electronic device;

marking the e-mail for saving at the portable electronic device, to avoid deletion of the e-mail from a memory of the portable electronic device during a memory management operation, for at least a period of time; and

responsive to marking the e-mail for saving, transmitting the e-mail by radio communication for receipt by a server and for storage of the e-mail in a backup database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein marking the e-mail comprises receiving an input for marking the e-mail and, in response, changing an e-mail storage status.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein marking the e-mail for saving comprises providing an indicator on the e-mail, in response to receipt of the input, to thereby change the e-mail storage status.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein providing said indicator comprises changing a bit flag on the e-mail in response to receipt of the input to thereby change the e-mail storage status.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving the e-mail at the server and storing the e-mail in a backup database.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein storing the e-mail in the backup database comprises storing the e-mail in a table.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising synchronizing the backup database with the portable electronic device after a memory loss at said portable electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein synchronizing the backup database with the portable electronic device comprises restoring the e-mail to the portable electronic device after loss of the e-mail at the portable electronic device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein synchronizing the backup database with the portable electronic device comprises comparing a size of the e-mail from the portable electronic device with a size of the e-mail the backup database and, if the e-mail at the backup database is determined to be smaller in size than the e-mail at the portable electronic device, transmitting the e-mail from the portable electronic device for storage in the backup database.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein synchronizing the backup database with the portable electronic device comprises comparing a size of the e-mail from the portable electronic device with a size of the e-mail at the backup database and, if the e-mail at the backup database is determined to be larger in size than the e-mail at the portable electronic device, saving the e-mail from the backup database, at the portable electronic device.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein synchronizing the backup database with the portable electronic device comprises determining whether or not the e-mail message exists in a list of messages at the portable electronic device and, if so, marking said e-mail message as saved.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein if said e-mail message does not exist in said list of messages, saving said message at said portable electronic device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein if said e-mail message does not exist in said list of messages, saving said message in a collection of e-mail messages marked as saved for which a parent e-mail message has been deleted.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a receiver and transmitter for receiving or sending an e-mail;

a display for displaying the e-mail;

an input device for receiving an input for marking the e-mail for saving to avoid deletion of the e-mail from a memory of the portable electronic device during a memory management operation, for at least a period of time;

a memory for storage of the e-mail; and

a processor coupled to the receiver, the display, the input device and the memory and operable to cause the transmitter to transmit the e-mail by radio communication for receipt by a server and storage of the e-mail in a backup database, in response to the e-mail being marked for saving.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for execution by a processor, the computer-readable code for:

one of receiving an e-mail at a portable electronic device and sending the e-mail from the portable electronic device;

marking the e-mail for saving at the portable electronic device, to avoid deletion of the e-mail from a memory of the portable electronic device during a memory management operation, for at least a period of time; and

responsive to marking the e-mail for saving, transmitting the e-mail by radio communication for receipt by a server and for storage of the e-mail in a backup database.