Proactive message buffering across intermittent network connections
First Claim
1. A method for the delivery of an incoming message in a messaging system comprising a central server of said messaging system, a plurality of messaging nodes, a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers, and a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server;
- said method comprising the steps of a) maintaining an association table, associating user accounts with at least one messaging node;
b) identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of said incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
c) determining membership of a messaging node within a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
d) transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to said messaging node, and e) buffering said incoming message at said messaging node, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system, whereby said incoming message is buffered at messaging nodes from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for proactively buffering data across intermittent network connections, to increase the probability of desired data being available at remote network nodes where the nodes do not have continuous access to the network. An association table (80) associates user accounts with messaging nodes (14). A primary messaging zone (82) is generated, indicating the messaging nodes associated with a recipient user account, at which there is a significant probability that the user may request the collection of messages. During intermittent communications sessions with members of said primary messaging zone (82), incoming messages are delivered to these messaging nodes, where the messages are proactively buffered in preparation for a user request to collect messages while a messaging node (20) cannot collect from external sources. This addresses the problem of a messaging node (20) being unable to obtain new messages, on request, across temporarily inactive network connections, as incoming messages will have already crossed the intermittent connection before being requested.
51 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for the delivery of an incoming message in a messaging system comprising a central server of said messaging system, a plurality of messaging nodes, a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers, and a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server;
- said method comprising the steps of
a) maintaining an association table, associating user accounts with at least one messaging node;
b) identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of said incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
c) determining membership of a messaging node within a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
d) transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to said messaging node, and e) buffering said incoming message at said messaging node, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system, whereby said incoming message is buffered at messaging nodes from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- said method comprising the steps of
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21. A method for the delivery of an incoming message in a messaging system comprising a central server of said messaging system, a plurality of messaging nodes, a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers, and a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server, said method comprising the steps of
a) maintaining an association table, associating user accounts with at least one messaging node; -
b) identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of said incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
c) identifying a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
d) transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to members of said primary messaging zone, and e) buffering said incoming message at said messaging nodes, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system, whereby said incoming message is buffered at messaging nodes from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message.
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22. A proactive buffering means within a messaging system, comprising
a) a central server of said messaging system; -
b) a plurality of messaging nodes;
c) a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers;
d) a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server;
e) a database maintenance means for maintaining an association table associating user accounts with at least one messaging node;
f) an identification means for identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of an incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
g) a determination means for determining membership of said messaging node within a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
h) an intermittent communications means for transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to said messaging node;
i) a storage means for buffering said incoming message at said messaging node, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system, for buffering said incoming message at messaging nodes across intermittent network connections from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message.
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Specification