System and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device

• US 6,389,457 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/782,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20010004744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.54, 340/7.29, 340/7, 340/21, 340/7.51, 709/206, 709/238, 709/245, 709/253, 709/207, 455/555-557, 707/201
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• 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: H04M 2203/353 : where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 : Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 : Communication routing or communication path finding
• 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 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device upon sensing a triggering event is disclosed. A redirector program operating at the host system enables a user to continuously redirect certain user-selected data items from the host system to the user'"'"'s mobile data communication device upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering events has occurred. The redirector program operates in connection with event generating applications and repackaging systems at the host system to configure and detect a particular user-defined event, and then to repackage the user-selected data items in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device. The host system can be a desktop computer that stores and redirects messages received from a network to the mobile device and also stores and redirects messages received from the mobile device to the network.

Claims

1. A method of mirroring data items between a host system and one or more mobile communication devices, wherein the host system is a desktop networked computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more incoming data items directed to a common address associated with a user account of the host system;

storing at the host system in association with the user account the one or more incoming data items;

copying the one or more incoming data items;

sending the copies to a mobile communication device;

receiving at the host system outgoing data items sent from the mobile communication device; and

storing at the host system the data items sent from the mobile communication device, the host system causing the sent data items to be sent to the network;

wherein data items generated at either the host system or the mobile communication device share the common address as an address from which data items originated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common address is an e-mail address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the data items redirected to the mobile communication device; and

decrypting encrypted data items sent from the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the data items sent from the mobile communication device; and

decrypting encrypted data items received at the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

packaging into electronic envelopes the data items prior to redirecting them; and

unpackaging from electronic envelopes the data items sent from the mobile communication devices.

6. A method of mirroring data items between a computer system and a mobile communication device, wherein the computer system is a desktop networked computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more incoming data items from a network directed to a common electronic address;

storing the one or more incoming data items at the computer system;

copying the one or more incoming data items;

sending the copied incoming data items to the mobile communication device;

receiving at the computer system outgoing data items sent from the mobile communication device; and

storing at the computer system the outgoing data items sent from the mobile communication device, the computer system causing the outgoing data items to be sent to the network;

wherein data items generated at either the computer system or the mobile communication device share the common electronic address as an address from which data items originated.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

prior to sending the copied incoming data items to the mobile communication device, encrypting the copied incoming data items and placing each encrypted copied incoming data item into a separate electronic envelope addressed using an electronic address of the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

at the mobile communication device, removing the encrypted copied incoming data item from each electronic envelope, and decrypted the encrypted copied incoming data item in order to recover the copied incoming data item at the mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the common electronic address is an e-mail address.

10. A method of mirroring data items between a first computer system and a mobile communication device, wherein the first computer system is a desktop networked computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving data items at the first computer system from a network directed to an e-mail address associated with a user of the mobile communication device and the first computer system;

generating a copy of each received data item;

transmitting the copies of the received data items to the mobile communication device;

generating data items at the mobile communication device and transmitting the generated data items from the mobile communication device to a wireless communication network; and

receiving the generated data items at the first computer system, wherein the first computer system causes the generated data items to be sent to the wireless communication network;

wherein data items generated at the mobile communication device or the first computer system are addressed using the e-mail address associated with the user of the mobile communication device and the first computer system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

prior to sending the copied data items to the mobile communication device, encrypting the copied data items and placing each encrypted copied data item into a separate electronic envelope addressed using an electronic address of the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

at the mobile communication device, removing the encrypted copied data item from each electronic envelope, and decrypting the encrypted copied data item in order to recover the copied data item at the mobile communication device.