System and method for providing componentized transports and forms

• US 7,191,449 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burgess, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIDDIQI, MOHAMMAD A
• Application Number:
  US09/785,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/43, 714/57, 709/224, 709/204, 709217-219, 709/328, 709/203, 709/206, 709/202, 709/227, 709/228, 719313-320, 719328-329, 455/466, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Described is a system and method for managing and displaying messages within a mobile device. The invention provides a method for centrally controlling data flow throughout the communication system. The invention provides a means to receive a message over a communications medium, identify a registered form to handle the message, and to pass it to the registered form for display.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium on a mobile computing device having computer-executable components for managing a message within a mobile device, comprising:

a main application executing on a mobile device and in communication with a messaging component of the mobile device and a table of the mobile device, wherein the table of the mobile device includes a listing of class identifiers that each describe a class of message, each class identifier being associated with a corresponding message form, wherein;

the messaging component is configured to receive a first message that is specifically formatted for communication with the messaging component,

the first message is associated with a class identifier that distinguishes the first message from other messages formatted for communication with a different messaging component,

the messaging component is configured to pass a notice to handle the first message to the main application using a standard interface,

the notice is in a standardized message format and includes the class identifier associated with the first message,

the main application is configured to query the table to identify a message form registered to handle messages associated with the class identifier such that the identified message form is configured to handle messages formatted for communication with the message component,

the main application is configured to instantiate the identified message form, pass the first message to the instantiated message form and display the instantiated message form with the first message,

the messaging component is further configured to receive a second message and pass the second message to the instantiated message form, and

the main application is further configured to display the instantiated message form with the second message without having to create a new message form, wherein the first message is not displayed with the instantiated message form.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging component comprises a message transport.

3. The computer-implemented medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging component comprises a storage component.

4. The computer-implemented medium of claim 1, further comprising another messaging component that communicates with the messaging component and the main application using the standard interface.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the class identifier is one identifier in a plurality of hierarchically structured class identifiers.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the table further includes a default message form that is returned when the class identifier is not in the listing of class identifiers.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the table comprises a system registration database.

8. A computer-readable medium on a mobile computing device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

receiving a first message over a transport interface of the mobile computing device, wherein the first message is specifically formatted for communication with the transport interface, and further wherein the first message is associated with a class identifier that identifies the transport interface for which the first message is formatted;

receiving over a standard interface of the mobile computing device a notice to handle the first message, wherein the standard interface is configured to receive the notice in a standardized message format;

retrieving the class identifier from the first message, wherein the class identifier distinguishes the first message from other messages formatted for communication with a different transport interface of the mobile computing device;

accessing a registry to identify a message form registered to handle messages having the retrieved class identifier, wherein the identified message form is configured to handle messages formatted for communication with the transport interface, wherein the registry includes a listing of class identifiers that each describe a class of message, each class identifier being associated with a corresponding message form;

instantiating the identified message form;

passing the first message to the instantiated message form;

displaying the instantiated message form with the first message;

receiving a second message over the transport interface;

passing the second message to the instantiated message form; and

displaying the instantiated message form with the second message without having to create a new message form, wherein the first message is not displayed with the instantiated message form.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the notice to handle the first message comprises an instruction to display the message on the mobile computing device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the class identifier is stored within a property of the first message.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the registry further includes a default message form that is returned when the class identifier is not in the listing of class identifiers.

12. A system for managing communication messages on a mobile device, comprising:

a message form object of a mobile device having a first standardized interface for communicating information with other components in the system of the mobile device, wherein;

the message form object handles communication messages associated with a class identifier, and

the class identifier identifies a message transport for which the communication message is formatted;

an application having a second standardized interface for communicating information with other components in the system, wherein;

the application is configured to identify and instantiate the message form object that is registered to handle a first communication message received by the system based on the associated class identifier, wherein the message form object is registered in a registry of the mobile device having a plurality of message from objects associated with a plurality of identifies, and

the class identifier distinguishes the first communication message from other communication messages formatted for communication with a different message transport; and

a message transport having a third standardized interface for communicating information with other components in the system, wherein;

the message transport receives the first communication message that is specifically formatted for communication with the message transport,

the message transport is configured to pass the first communication message associated with the class identifier to the message form object,

the message form object is configured to handle communication messages formatted for communication with the message transport,

the application is further configured to display the instantiated message form object with the first communication message,

the message transport is further configured to receive a second communication message and pass the second communication message to the instantiated message form object, and

the application is further configured to display the instantiated message form object with the second communication message without having to create a new message form object, wherein the first communication message is not displayed with the instantiated message form object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first standardized interface includes means for instructing the message form object to perform actions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first standardized interface comprises an ImessageForm interface.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first standardized interface comprises an IFormProvider interface.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the second standardized interface includes means for instructing the application to perform actions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second standardized interface comprises an ImessageFormHost interface.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second standardized interface comprises an IMailSyncCallBack interface.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the third standardized interface includes means for instructing the message transport to perform actions.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the third standardized interface comprises a IMailSyncHandler interface.