METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING NETWORK ACCOUNTS AND CONFIGURING DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20100082777A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Merlet, Jean-Francois, Montgomery, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Creating service accounts involves receiving an account identifier entered by a user via a user interface to initiate registering a user device with a network account. One or more host names are determined based on a domain name portion of the account identifier. The one or more host names need not be preconfigured on the user device. Connections are attempted with each of the one or more host names. Each of the connection attempts uses one or more application protocols associated with a type of the network account. It is determined that at least one of the connection attempts results in a successful connection, and a user account is configured on the user device based on a host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an account identifier entered by a user via a user interface to initiate registering a user device with a network account;

determining one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier, wherein the one or more host names are not preconfigured on the user device;

attempting connections with each of the one or more host names, wherein each of the connection attempts uses one or more application protocols associated with a type of the network account;

determining that at least one of the connection attempts results in a successful connection; and

configuring a user account on the user device based on a host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier comprises prefixing the domain name portion of the account identifier with one or more prefixes determined based on the type of the network account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after receiving the user-entered account identifier via the user interface and before determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier:

accessing a database of predetermined host names to determine a known host that handles the network account;

if the known host is determined from the database, configuring the user account on the user device using the known host; and

if the known host is not determined from the database, configuring the user account on the user device based on determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network account comprises an email account and the account identifier comprises an email address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier comprises:

determining, via a domain name service, one or more mail exchange records associated with the domain name portion of the account identifier; and

determining a simple mail transport protocol (SMTP) host name based on the one or more exchange records, and wherein determining the one or more host names comprises determining the one or more host names based on the SMTP host name.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the one or more host names based on the host name of the SMTP host name comprises determining one or more incoming email host names based on a domain name portion of the SMTP host name, wherein the one or more incoming email host names are not preconfigured on the user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a domain name portion of the SMTP host name is different than the domain name portion of the account identifier, and wherein determining the one or more host names based on the host name of the SMTP host name comprises accessing, based on the SMTP hostname, a database of predetermined host names to determine the host and protocol combination.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a database with the host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection, wherein the database is used to configure other user accounts with the host and protocol combination, wherein the other user accounts are associated with the domain name portion of the account identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving account authentication data entered by the user via the user interface, and wherein attempting connections with each of the one or more host names further comprises attempting authentication with each of the one or more host names using the account authentication data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection attempts result in a plurality of successful connections, the method further comprising:

determining a preferred host and protocol combination associated with the plurality of successful connections; and

configuring the user account based on the preferred host and protocol combination.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the user account on the user device based on the host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection comprises configuring two or more user accounts utilizing the host and protocol combination.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor programmed with executable instructions that cause the apparatus to,

receive a user-entered account identifier;

determine one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier, wherein the host names are not preconfigured on the apparatus;

attempt connections with each of the one or more host names, wherein each of the connection attempts uses one or more application protocols associated with a type of the network account;

determine that at least one of the connection attempts results in a successful connection; and

configure a user account on the apparatus based on a host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein determining the one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier comprises prefixing the domain name portion of the account identifier with one or more prefixes determined based on the type of the network account.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to, after receiving the user-entered account identifier via the user interface and before determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier:

access a database of predetermined host names to determine known host that handles the network account;

if the known host is determined from the database, configure the user account on the apparatus using the known host; and

if the known host is not determined from the database, configure the user account on the apparatus based on determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network account comprises an email account and the account identifier comprises an email address, and wherein determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier comprises:

determine, via a domain name service, one or more mail exchange records associated with the domain name portion of the account identifier; and

determine a simple mail transport protocol (SMTP) host name based on the one or more exchange records, and wherein determining the one or more host names comprises determining the one or more host names based on the SMTP host name.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining the one or more host names based on the host name of the SMTP host name comprises determining one or more incoming email host names based on a domain name portion of the SMTP host name, wherein the one or more host names are not preconfigured on the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a domain name portion of the SMTP host name is different that the domain name portion of the account identifier, and wherein determining the one or more host names based on the host name of the SMTP host name comprises accessing, based on the SMTP hostname, a database of predetermined host names to determine known hosts that handles the network account, wherein the one or more host names are obtained from the database.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to update a database with the host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection, wherein the database is used to configure other user accounts with the host and protocol combination, wherein the other user accounts are associated with the domain name portion of the account identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive user-entered account authentication data, and wherein attempting connections with each of the one or more host names further comprises attempting authentication with each of the one or more host names using the account authentication data.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connection attempts result in a plurality of successful connections, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a preferred host and protocol combination associated with the plurality of successful connections; and

configure the user account based on the preferred host and protocol combination.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a memory configured to store the instructions.

22. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, perform:

receiving an account identifier entered by a user via a user interface to initiate registering a user device with a network account;

determining one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier, wherein the host names are not preconfigured on the apparatus;

attempting connections with each of the one or more host names, wherein each of the connection attempts uses one or more application protocols associated with a type of the network account;

determining that at least one of the connection attempts results in a successful connection; and

configuring a user account on the user device based on a host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein determining the one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier comprises prefixing the domain name portion of the account identifier with one or more prefixes determined based on the type of the network account, and wherein the operations further comprise, after receiving the user-entered account identifier via the user interface and before determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier:

accessing a database of predetermined host names to determine a known host that handles the network account;

if the known host is determined from the database, configuring the user account on the user device using the known host; and

if the known host is not determined from the database, configuring the user account on the user device based on determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the network account comprises an email account and the account identifier comprises an email address, and wherein determining the one or more host names based on the domain name portion of the account identifier comprises:

determining, via a domain name service, one or more mail exchange records associated with the domain name portion of the account identifier; and

determining a simple mail transport protocol (SMTP) host name based on the one or more exchange records, and wherein determining the one or more host names comprises determining the one or more host names based on the SMTP host name.

25. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an account identifier entered by a user via a user interface to initiate registering a user device with a network account;

means for determining one or more host names based on a domain name portion of the account identifier, wherein the host names are not preconfigured on the apparatus;

means for attempting connections with each of the one or more host names, wherein each of the connection attempts uses one or more application protocols associated with a type of the network account;

means for determining that at least one of the connection attempts results in a successful connection; and

means for configuring a user account on the user device based on a host and protocol combination associated with the successful connection.