System for handling file attachments

• US 20030095550A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin, Lewis, John Ervin, Schlieber, Karl J., Lai, Danh Tan
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 : Connectivity information update
• 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 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 : Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/06 : between gateways and public network devices

Abstract

A method and system for forwarding an attachment sent to a wireless device includes receiving a message with an attachment within a wireless network, detecting the attachment, accessing a forwarding address associated with the message, and sending the attachment to the forwarding address.

Claims

1. A method for handling a message and an attachment sent to a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a message with an attachment within a wireless network;

detecting the attachment;

accessing a forwarding address associated with the message; and

sending the attachment to the forwarding address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an acknowledgement message indicating that the attachment has been forwarded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a subscriber to configure a forwarding address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment further comprises:

reading a header of the message; and

ascertaining the presence of the attachment from information contained in the header.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment further comprises:

reading a header of the message; and

ascertaining the type of the attachment from information contained in the header.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment further comprises:

reading a size of the message; and

associating the presence of the attachment when the size of the message is more than a threshold size.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment further comprises:

reading the attachment; and

ascertaining the type of the attachment from information contained in a header of the attachment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the forwarding address further comprises:

accessing a data structure containing a subscriber'"'"'s information; and

returning the forwarding address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the forwarding address further comprises:

accessing the message; and

determining the forwarding address from the message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the attachment to the forwarding address further comprises:

translating the attachment into a different format; and

appending the forwarding address to the attachment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating the attachment into a common format; and

storing the attachment in a data structure.

12. A method for forwarding an attachment sent to a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a message with an attachment within a wireless network;

detecting the type of attachment;

translating the message and attachment into a common format;

accessing a subscriber'"'"'s information to determine a forwarding address to which the attachment is to be sent;

storing the message and attachment in a data structure;

translating the attachment into a format suitable for forwarding to a device associated with the forwarding address; and

sending the attachment to the device at the forwarding address.

13. A system for handling a message and an attachment sent to a wireless device, the system comprising:

a component for receiving a message with an attachment within a wireless network;

a component for detecting the attachment;

a component for accessing a forwarding address associated with the message; and

a component for sending the attachment to the forwarding address.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a component for sending an acknowledgement message indicating that the attachment has been forwarded.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a component for enabling a subscriber to configure a forwarding address.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for detecting the attachment is further configured to:

read a header of the message; and

ascertain the presence of the attachment from information contained in the header.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for detecting the attachment is further configured to:

read a header of the message; and

ascertain the type of the attachment from information contained in the header.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for detecting the attachment is further configured to:

read a size of the message; and

associate the presence of the attachment when the size of the message is more than a threshold size.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for detecting the attachment is further configured to:

read the attachment; and

ascertain the type of the attachment from information contained in a header of the attachment.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for accessing the forwarding address is further configured to:

access a data structure containing a subscriber'"'"'s information; and

return the forwarding address.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for accessing the forwarding address is further configured to:

access the message; and

determine the forwarding address from the message.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for sending the attachment to the forwarding address is further configured to:

translate the attachment into a different format; and

append the forwarding address to the attachment.

23. The system of claim 13 further comprising a component for:

translating the attachment into a common format; and

storing the attachment in a data structure.