Email fetching system and method in a portable electronic device

• US 20090006570A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Keen, Dan, Ganatra, Nitin K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for fetching email from an email server to a portable electronic device is disclosed. The method includes fetching email from the email server upon occurrence of at least one of: expiration of a first period of time after activation of an email application running on the device; expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in the foreground; expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background; or expiration of a fourth period of time after the portable device is unlocked.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device configured with an email application, fetching email from an email server upon occurrence of at least one of;

expiration of a first period of time after activation of the email application;

expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in foreground on the portable electronic device;

expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background on the portable electronic device;

or

expiration of a fourth period of time after unlocking of the portable device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, third or fourth periods of time is user-definable.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first period of time is greater than approximately 1 minute.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second period of time is greater than or equal to approximately 5 minutes.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third period of time is greater than or equal to approximately 15 minutes.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the fourth period of time is approximately 1 minute.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second and third periods of time are adapted to extend battery life of the portable electronic device by setting the third period to be substantially longer than the second period.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second period is approximately 5 minutes and third period is at least approximately 15 minutes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second and third periods of time are adapted to reduce network bandwidth employed by the portable electronic device due to the fetching of the email by setting the third period to be substantially longer than the second period.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second period is approximately 5 minutes and third period is at least approximately 15 minutes.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activation of the email application occurs upon occurrence of at least one of launching or resuming of the email application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon activation of the email application, resetting the first time period,

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

upon activation of the email application, resetting the second and third periods.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

anytime the device is unlocked, resetting the fourth period.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

anytime email is fetched, resetting the second and third periods.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device configured with an email application, repeatedly fetching email from an email server upon occurrence of a next one of;

expiration of a first period of time after activation of the email application;

expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in foreground on the portable electronic device;

expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background on the portable electronic device;

or

expiration of a fourth period of time after unlocking of the portable device.

17. A portable computing device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

an email application; and

instructions for fetching email from an email server upon occurrence of at least one of;

expiration of a first period of time after activation of the email application;

expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in foreground on the portable electronic device;

expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background on the portable electronic device;

or

expiration of a fourth period of time after unlocking of the portable device.

18. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more computer programs including instructions, which when executed by a portable computing device with an email application, cause the device to fetch email to the portable device from an email server upon occurrence of at least one of:

expiration of a first period of time after activation of the email application;

expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in foreground on the portable electronic device;

expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background on the portable electronic device;

or

expiration of a fourth period of time after unlocking of the portable device.

19. A portable computing device with a touch screen display, comprising means for fetching email to the portable device from an email server upon occurrence of at least one of expiration of a first period of time after activation of the email application;

expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in foreground on the portable electronic device;

expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background on the portable electronic device;

or

expiration of a fourth period of time after unlocking of the portable device.