METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONFIGURING AN EMAIL ACCOUNT ON AN EMAIL CLIENT

• US 20080307077A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott James, Langoulant, Brendan, Adams, Ricci Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/924,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A technique of configuring an email client application to set up a user'"'"'s email account on the email client application. In one embodiment, the email client application requests the user to input an email address and a password and based on the email address, the email client application determines the corresponding email server providing the email service. Then, the email client searches stored information regarding the email service or server and automatically sets up an email account based on the stored information.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which cause a data processing system to configure a user'"'"'s email client application, the method comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s input of an email address and a password for an email service to be accessed by the email client application; and

automatically configuring the user'"'"'s email client application, based only on the email address, password and stored information pertaining to the email service, to communicate with an email server providing the email service.

2. A medium as in claim 1, wherein the stored information comprises an email service locator corresponding to a domain name of the email address.

3. The medium as in claim 2, wherein the email service locator is selected from the group consisting of:

hostname, IP address, URI, and FQDN.

4. A medium as in claim 1, wherein the stored information further comprises and an email service protocol corresponding to a domain name of the email address.

5. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s input of the user'"'"'s full name.

6. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying to the user, after determining stored information corresponding to a domain name of the email address exists, an option for the user to select automatic email client application configuration.

7. A medium as in claim 6, the method further comprising:

determining, from the stored information, a commercial source identifier associated with the email service; and

displaying to the user the commercial source identifier associated with the email service to be automatically configured.

8. A medium as in claim 1, wherein the stored information is provided by a remote server accessed by the email client application.

9. A medium as in claim 8, wherein the remote server is a DNS server.

10. A medium as in claim 1, wherein the stored information is provided as a local service extension.

11. A medium as in claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the email client application further comprises:

determining, from the stored information, a hostname of the email service corresponding to the email address and wherein the email service hostname identified corresponds to at least one of an incoming email server and an outgoing email server.

12. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, from the stored information, an email protocol corresponding to the email service locator.

13. A medium as in claim 12, wherein the email protocol is selected from the group consisting of IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.

14. A medium as in claim 12, further comprising:

determining, from the stored information, a URI corresponding to the email service, wherein the protocol is HTTP.

15. A medium as in claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the email client application further comprises:

generating a plurality of connection settings permutations with at least one setting selected from the group consisting of;

email protocol and encryption;

attempting to connect to the email server with each of the plurality of connection permutations; and

identifying a valid connection permutation by receiving, from the email server, a response to the attempt to connect.

16. A medium as in claim 15, wherein the email protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

IMAP, POP3 and SMTP and wherein the plurality of permutations are ranked to attempt an IMAP connection before a POP3 connection and to attempt encrypted connections over unencrypted.

17. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

authenticating the email account and account password on the email server upon receiving a response from the email server.

18. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying to the user, while email on the server is being accessed by the email client application, an indication that at least one of an automatic configuration or an account authentication is occurring.

19. A medium as in claim 18, wherein the email on the server accessed is limited to that of an inbox of the email account.

20. A medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

automatically displaying to the user, upon authentication, email from the email server.

21. A computer implemented method of configuring a user'"'"'s email client application, the method comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s input of an email address and a password for an email service to be accessed by the email client application; and

automatically configuring the user'"'"'s email client application, based only on the email address, password and stored information pertaining to the email service, to communicate with an email server providing the email service.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein automatically configuring the email client application further comprises:

determining, from the stored information, a service locator of the email service corresponding to the email address;

determining, from the stored information, an email service protocol corresponding to the email service locator;

attempting to connect to an email server using the email service locator and the email service protocol; and

authenticating the email account and account password on the email server upon receiving a response from the email server.

23. A method as in claim 21, the method further comprising:

displaying to the user, while email on the server is being accessed by the email client application, an indication that at least one of an automatic configuration or an account authentication is occurring.

24. A data processing system comprising:

a means for receiving a user'"'"'s input of an email address and a password for an email service to be accessed by the email client application; and

a means for automatically configuring the user'"'"'s email client application, based only on the email address, password and stored information pertaining to the email service, to communicate with an email server providing the email service.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a means for determining, from the stored information, a hostname or IP address of the email service corresponding to the email address;

a means for determining, from the stored information, an email service protocol corresponding to the email service hostname or IP address;

a means for attempting to connect to an email server using the email service hostname or IP address and the email service protocol; and

a means for authenticating the email account and account password on the email server upon receiving a response from the email server.