System and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device

• US 20010009015A1
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Published: 07/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P., Lazaridis, Mihal
• Granted Patent: US 6,401,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 : where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 : Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 : Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device upon sensing a triggering event is disclosed. A redirector program operating at the host system enables a user to continuously redirect certain user-selected data items from the host system to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering events has occurred. The redirector program operates in connection with event generating applications and repackaging systems at the host system to configure and detect a particular user-defined event, and then to repackage the user-selected data items in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for processing messages at a mobile communications device, wherein a first message is received at a first computer identified by a first address, and a second message is received at a second computer identified by a second address, and wherein the first and second messages are redirected from the first and second computers to the mobile communications device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the first message at the mobile communications device, wherein the first message is packaged within an envelope addressed using a third address that identifies the mobile communications device;

removing the envelope from the first message;

displaying the first message at the mobile communications device;

generating a first reply message to the first message, wherein the first reply message is addressed using the first address as an originating address of the first reply message;

receiving the second message at the mobile communications device, wherein the second message is packaged within an envelope addressed using the third address that identifies the mobile communications device;

removing the envelope from the redirected second message;

displaying the second message at the mobile communications device; and

generating a second reply message to the second message, wherein the second reply message is addressed using the second address as an originating address of the second reply message.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the first computer is the user'"'"'s office computer system and the first address is the e-mail address of the user'"'"'s office computer system.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein the second computer is an network server and the second address is an e-mail account address associated with the network server.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein the network server is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the second address is an e-mail account associated with the ISP.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the mobile communications device is a device selected from the group consisting of a hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data message capabilities, and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.

6. A mobile communications device for processing messages, wherein a first message is received at a first computer identified by a first address, and a second message is received at a second computer identified by a second address, and wherein the first and second messages are redirected from the first and second computers to the mobile communications device, comprising:

means for receiving the first message at the mobile communications device, wherein the first message is packaged within an envelope addressed using a third address that identifies the mobile communications device;

means for removing the envelope from the first message;

means for displaying the first message at the mobile communications device;

means for generating a first reply message to the first message, wherein the first reply message is addressed using the first address as an originating address of the first reply message;

means for receiving the second message at the mobile communications device, wherein the second message is packaged within an envelope addressed using the third address that identifies the mobile communications device;

means for removing the envelope from the redirected second message;

means for displaying the second message at the mobile communications device; and

means for generating a second reply message to the second message, wherein the second reply message is addressed using the second address as an originating address of the second reply message.

7. A wireless mobile communications device associated with a first computer system identified by a first electronic address, wherein the first computer system includes a wireless redirector component for redirecting messages from the first computer system to the wireless mobile communications device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a redirected message from the first computer system;

a memory for storing the redirected message;

a message generator for generating a reply message to the redirected message at the mobile device using the first electronic address of the first computer system as an originating address of the reply message; and

a transmitter for transmitting the reply message to the first computer system.

8. The wireless mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the first computer system packages the messages into electronic envelopes addressed using the electronic address of the wireless mobile communications device prior to redirection, the device further comprising:

an unpackaging module for unpackaging the messages from the electronic envelopes to thereby recover the messages, wherein the unpackaged messages appear to the user of the mobile communications device to have the same address format as the messages would appear to a user of the first computer system.

9. The wireless mobile communications device of

claim 8

, wherein the electronic envelope is further addressed using the first electronic address of the first computer system, and wherein the message generator uses the first electronic address to generate the reply message.

10. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the first computer is the user'"'"'s desktop computer.

11. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the first computer is a network server computer system.

12. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the mobile communications device is a device selected from the group consisting of hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data message capabilities, and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.

13. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, further comprising:

a redirector component for redirecting messages received at the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

14. The mobile communications device of

claim 13

, wherein the redirector component includes:

means for configuration one or more redirection events at the mobile communications device;

means for detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the mobile communications device and for generating a redirection trigger; and

means, response to the redirection trigger, for continuously redirecting messages from the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

15. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the mobile communications device is configured to receive both voice and non-voice messages.

16. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, further comprising:

a command generator for generating one or more commands that control the wireless redirector at the first computer system, wherein the transmitter transmits the one or more commands from the mobile communications device to the first computer system.

17. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable the wireless redirector.

18. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable a preferred list function at the wireless redirector, wherein the preferred list function limits message redirection to a set of message senders set forth in a preferred list stored at the first computer system.

19. The mobile communications device of

claim 18

, wherein the one or more commands include a command to add or subtract message senders from the preferred list.

20. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command to enable message encryption at the wireless redirector so that messages are encrypted at the first system prior to being redirected to the mobile communications device.

21. The mobile communications device of

claim 20

, further comprising:

a decryption module for decrypting the encrypted messages redirected from the first computer system.

22. The mobile communications device of

claim 7

, wherein the wireless redirector component establishes a secure link from the first computer system to the mobile communications device prior to redirecting messages, the secure link being established, in part, by an encryption module operating at the first computer system, the mobile communications device further comprising:

a decryption module for decrypting the encrypted messages redirected from the first computer system.

23. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command to cause the first computer system to execute a search and retrieval operation on a remote database.

24. The mobile communications device of

claim 23

, wherein a result from the search and retrieval operation is returned to the mobile communications device via the wireless redirector component.

25. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command that instructs the first computer system to route a message attachment to an external device.

26. The mobile communications device of

claim 16

, wherein the one or more commands include a command that instructs the first computer system to route a message attachment to the mobile communications device.