Wireless communication systems

• US 9,137,280 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Boudreau, Jesse, Murphy, Thomas, Clough, Ian, Panezic, Alan, Yach, David, Omar, Salim, Washburn, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US13/693,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for wireless systems provide a mechanism to enhance the communication capabilities of wireless users. In an embodiment, a server includes a processor that manages information in a database of the server, regulates, using instructions of a policy service in the server, communication of information from each of the clients to other entities, maintains reconfiguration policy with instructions having a sequencing procedure to provide the configuration data and a hierarchy identifying which of the clients controls re-supplying the configuration data to the server, controls, using instructions of a share agent in the server in conjunction with the instructions of the policy service, dissemination of information to one or more of the clients from the database on a shared basis, and manages the database, the router, the policy service, and the share agent using the processor in the server.

Claims

1. A server operable to communicate with a plurality of clients using a router and arranged to control communication to a client selected from the plurality of clients, the server comprising:

memory storing instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, which when executing the instructions cause the processor to perform the operations comprising;

managing information in a database of the server including storing information associated with users of the clients, the information associated with the users including a user identification for each client and storing configuration data to configure the server in a back-up procedure with the clients;

regulating, using instructions of a policy service in the server, communication of information from each of the clients to other entities;

maintaining a reconfiguration policy with instructions having a sequencing procedure to provide the configuration data and a hierarchy identifying which of the clients controls re-supplying the configuration data to the server;

controlling, using instructions of a share agent in the server in conjunction with the instructions of the policy service, dissemination of information to one or more of the clients from the database on a shared basis; and

managing the database, the router, the policy service, and the share agent using the processor in the server.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the controlling the dissemination of information to one or more of the clients from the database on the share basis is performed responsive to a determination of a privacy state of the information among the plurality of clients, and wherein the server is a wireless server and the plurality of clients are a plurality of mobile wireless clients.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising communicating with the plurality of clients over secure connections for all communications between the server and each client such that each one of the secure connections is unique to a different one of the clients.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor when executing instructions cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting, in the server, e-mails from one or more mail domains external to the server, each collected e-mail corresponding to a user identification; and

supporting e-mail services of the clients correlated to the user identifications, the e-mail services including coordinating the sending and receiving of e-mail from each e-mail domain corresponding to the user identifications.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising routing an e-mail message between the one or more clients without processing through e-mail domains identified in the e-mail message.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein managing information includes managing content of one or more of an interactive calendar, an address book, a message board, and a task monitor.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising making informational content, collected from sources external to the server, available to the clients.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising automatically copying information from the server to each client authorized to access the information.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising accessing a video programming source external to the server and to make available video content from the video programming source to each client authorized to access the video content, the video content routed through the server.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising automatically providing data in an identified shared folder of the server to an external server, the identified shared folder correlated to a user identification associated with at least one of the clients.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the data includes calendar data, photograph data, music data, video data, text data, or combinations thereof.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising storing configuration data specifying a configuration of the server and automatically providing the configuration data to an external wireless device based on occurrence of a specified event, the external wireless device correlated to a user identification associated with at least one of the clients.

13. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising providing, to a client, a representation of each media file stored on the server for which the client is authorized to access.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein providing, to a client, a representation of each media file includes providing a thumbnail of each of the media files.

15. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor, when executing instructions, causes the processor to perform operations comprising controlling communication, via the server, to a mobile wireless client selected from the plurality of mobile wireless clients, the communication provided in a format selected from an e-mail message, an instant messaging communication, a page message, a text communication, and a telephonic call.

16. A machine-readable storage memory that stores instructions, which, when the instructions are executed by a controller, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

managing information in a database of a server including storing information associated with users of clients among a plurality of clients, the information associated with the users including a user identification for each client and storing configuration data to configure the server in a back-up procedure with the clients;

regulating, using instructions of a policy service in the server, communication of information from each of the clients to other entities;

maintaining a reconfiguration policy with instructions having a sequencing procedure to provide the configuration data and a hierarchy identifying which of the clients controls re-supplying the configuration data to the server;

controlling, using instructions of a share agent in the server in conjunction with the instructions of the policy service, dissemination of information to one or more of the clients from the database on a shared basis; and

managing the database, a router, the policy service, and the share agent using the controller in the server.

17. The machine-readable storage memory of claim 16, wherein controlling dissemination of information on a shared basis is performed in response to a determination of a privacy state of the information among the plurality of clients.

18. The machine-readable storage memory of claim 16, the instructions including one or more instructions to:

collect, in the server, e-mails from one or more mail domains external to the server, each collected e-mail corresponding to a user identification; and

support e-mail services of the clients correlated to the user identifications, the e-mail services including coordination of the sending and receiving of e-mail from each e-mail domain corresponding to the user identifications.

19. The machine-readable storage memory of claim 16, wherein managing information includes managing content of one or more of an interactive calendar, an address book, a message board, and a task monitor.

20. A method comprising:

managing information in a database of a wireless server including storing information associated with users of mobile wireless clients of a plurality of mobile wireless clients, the information associated with the users including a user identification for each mobile wireless client and storing configuration data to configure the wireless server in a back-up procedure with the mobile wireless clients;

regulating, using instructions of a policy service in the wireless server, communication of information from each of the mobile wireless clients to other entities;

maintaining a reconfiguration policy with instructions having a sequencing procedure to provide the configuration data and a hierarchy identifying which of the mobile wireless clients controls re-supplying the configuration data to the wireless server;

controlling, using instructions of a share agent in the wireless server in conjunction with the instructions of the policy service, dissemination of information to one or more of the mobile wireless clients from the database on a shared basis; and

managing the database, a router, the policy service, and the share agent using a controller in the wireless server.