Method and system for providing network synchronization with a unified messaging system

• US 8,762,577 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Whynot, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/610,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,012 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/246, 709/248, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

A method for providing network synchronization with a unified messaging system is provided. The method includes receiving and storing message data, such as voice data, for a specified recipient. An enhanced e-mail message is generated for the recipient. The message, which is in hypertext mark-up language (HTML) format, includes the message data and a synchronization link that points to a web server. The message is sent to the recipient through an e-mail server corresponding to an e-mail client associated with the recipient. When the client downloads the message from the server and renders the HTML, the synchronization link is fetched. As a result, the web server receives a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from the client based on the message and provides network synchronization based on that HTTP request.

Claims

1. A method for providing network synchronization with a unified messaging system, comprising:

receiving and storing message data for a specified recipient;

generating an enhanced e-mail message, the message comprising the message data and a synchronization link;

sending the enhanced e-mail message to the specified recipient;

receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from an e-mail client associated with the recipient, the HTTP request generated by the e-mail client in response to rendering of the enhanced email message by the e-mail client; and

providing network synchronization based on the received HTTP request without additional recipient interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, sending the message to the recipient comprising sending the enhanced e-mail message to an e-mail server corresponding to the e-mail client associated with the recipient, the e-mail server operable to send the enhanced e-mail message to the e-mail client for the recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising processing the message data, and wherein processing the message data further comprises marking the message data as read.

4. The method of claim 1, the synchronization link pointing to a web server and receiving the HTTP request comprising receiving the HTTP request at the web server.

5. The method of claim 1, the enhanced e-mail message comprising hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and receiving the HTTP request from the e-mail client based on the enhanced e-mail message comprising receiving the HTTP request in response to the HTML of the enhanced e-mail message being rendered.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the message data by marking the message data as read.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the message data by deleting the message data.

8. A unified messaging system, comprising:

a media application server comprising a processor coupled to a memory, operable to receive and store message data for a specified recipient and to generate an enhanced e-mail message for the recipient based on the message data, the media application server comprising at least one processor, the enhanced e-mail message comprising the message data and a synchronization link; and

a web server coupled to the media application server, the web server operable to receive a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from an e-mail client associated with the recipient, the request generated by the e-mail client in response to rendering of the enhanced email message by the e-mail client and to provide network synchronization based on the received HTTP request without additional recipient interaction, the synchronization link pointing to the web server.

9. The system of claim 8, the web server further operable to process the message data.

10. The system of claim 9, the web server operable to process the message data by marking the message data as read.

11. The system of claim 9, the web server operable to process the message data by deleting the message data.

12. The system of claim 8, the media application server further operable to send the enhanced e-mail message to the specified recipient via an e-mail server corresponding to the e-mail client associated with the recipient, the e-mail server operable to send the enhanced e-mail message to the e-mail client for the recipient.

13. The system of claim 8, the enhanced e-mail message comprising hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and the web server operable to receive the HTTP request from the e-mail client in response to the HTML of the enhanced e-mail message being rendered.

14. A unified messaging system, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage media; and

instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media, the instructions operable for causing the unified messaging system to receive and store message data for a specified recipient, to generate an enhanced e-mail message, the enhanced e-mail message comprising the message data and a synchronization link, to send the enhanced e-mail message to the specified recipient, to receive a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request from an e-mail client associated with the recipient, the request generated by the e-mail client in response to rendering of the enhanced email message by the e-mail client, and to provide network synchronization based on the HTTP request without additional recipient interaction.

15. The system of claim 14, the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to process the message data.

16. The system of claim 15, the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to process the message data by marking the message data as read.

17. The system of claim 15, the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to process the message data by deleting the message data.

18. The system of claim 14, the synchronization link pointing to a web server and the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to receive the HTTP request by receiving the HTTP request at the web server.

19. The system of claim 14, the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to send the enhanced e-mail message to the specified recipient by sending the enhanced e-mail message to an e-mail server corresponding to the e-mail client associated with the recipient, the e-mail server operable to send the enhanced e-mail message to the specified e-mail client for the recipient.

20. The system of claim 14, the enhanced e-mail message comprising hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and the instructions further operable for causing the unified messaging system to receive the HTTP request from the e-mail client based on the enhanced e-mail message by receiving the HTTP request in response to the HTML of the enhanced e-mail message being rendered.