Minimizing data transfer from POP3 servers

• US 20060277257A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lloyd, Owen W., Stauber, William S., Kromann, Paul K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate minimizing data transfer from a post office protocol (POP) server to a client device by employing a date filter with a predefined date range and applying a message body size threshold above which only a message header will be downloaded to conserve bandwidth and/or memory space on the client device. A user can request download of a message for which only a message header was originally downloaded if the header comprises information of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A method of mitigating bandwidth and memory consumption by a user device when retrieving email via a post office protocol, comprising:

identifying a user request to download at least a portion of an email message body;

determining whether the message is more recent than a predetermined threshold time; and

determining whether the message body portion is larger than a threshold body size relative to the size of a header for the message to assess whether to download all or part of the message body in addition to the message header.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the message header and the message body portion when the message is more recent than the predetermined threshold time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the message header and the message body portion when the message body portion is smaller than the threshold body size.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading only the message header when the message is less recent than the predetermined threshold time and the message body portion is larger than the threshold body size.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising permitting a user to request download of the message body associated with a downloaded message header.

6. The method of claim 1, the threshold body size is predetermined based at least in part on an estimate of the size of the message header.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically determining the threshold body size based on a time period since a last download request.

8. The method of claim 7, the act of dynamically determining the threshold body size comprises:

determining an amount of waste, measured in bytes, for each of a header-only download protocol and a header-plus-partial message download protocol; and

solving for a partial message size wherein the waste generated by each protocol is equivalent.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a boundary that delineates a point at which one protocol becomes more efficient than the other.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

11. A data transfer minimization system that facilitates mitigating resource consumption during message download from a message server, comprising:

a date filter that determines whether a message is within a predefined date range to permit the message to be analyzed; and

a message analysis component that assess a size of a header for the message and a message body portion and compares the size of the message body portion to a threshold body size defined in bytes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the message server is a post office protocol server.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a client device that downloads only the message header if the message is outside the predefined date range and has message body portion that is larger than the threshold body size.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a client device that downloads the message header and message body if the message is within the predefined date range or has a message body size below the threshold body size.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a threshold calculation component that dynamically determines an optimal threshold body size for message bodies based at least in part on a time period since a last download request by a client.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold body size is predetermined and configurable by a user.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a boundary detection component that determines a point at which one of a header-only download protocol and a header-plus-partial message download protocol becomes more efficient than the other.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein efficiency is assessed based at least in part on a number of wasted bytes.

19. An email architecture comprising the system of claim 11.

20. A system that facilitates minimizing data transfer from a post office protocol server to a client, comprising:

means for determining a size of a message header;

means for determining a threshold message body size;

means for applying a date filter to exclude messages less recent than an earliest date in a date range associated with the date filter;

means for comparing a message body size to the threshold message body size; and

means for selecting a download method based at least in part on information related to at least one of the means for applying the date filter and the means for comparing the message body size.