Methods and apparatus for efficiently managing the storage of e-mail message information for a mobile station

• US 7,212,814 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scian, Anthony Fabian, Wilson, Sean Elliot
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US10/997,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/425, 455/413, 455/423, 455/405, 709/206, 709/203, 709/207, 715/752, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for efficiently managing the storage of e-mail message information for a mobile station are described. In one illustrative example, a plurality of e-mail messages are received by the mobile station through a wireless network and stored in memory. If a size of the e-mail messages reaches a predetermined limit of the memory, e-mail message bodies of some of the e-mail messages (e.g. relatively “old” e-mails) are automatically deleted from the memory while e-mail message headers of the e-mail messages are retained. E-mail message headers of e-mail messages having deleted e-mail message bodies may still be visually displayed in a list at the mobile station. Subsequently, if a user selection of one of these e-mail messages in the list is identified, an e-mail message body of the e-mail message is requested by the mobile station and received from a server through the wireless network. Thus, the e-mail message body of the selected e-mail message may still be visually displayed at the mobile station.

Claims

1. A method for use in managing the storage of e-mail message information in a mobile station, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, at the mobile station, a plurality of e-mail messages through a wireless network and storing e-mail information of the e-mail messages in memory;

identifying whether a size of the e-mail information has reached a first predetermined limit of the memory;

deleting, from the memory, at least portions of e-mail message bodies of some of the e-mail messages while retaining storage of e-mail message headers thereof based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit;

identifying whether the size of the e-mail information has reached a second predetermined limit of the memory; and

deleting, from the memory, the e-mail message headers of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of deleting at least portions of the e-mail message bodies comprises the further act of deleting the e-mail message bodies in their entirety.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining storage of the e-mail messages having the e-mail message bodies at a server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by one or more processors of the mobile station without user intervention.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

additionally deleting, from the memory, e-mail metadata of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

requesting and receiving an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message; and

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

causing an indication for retrieving the e-mail message body to be visually displayed in response to identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

identifying a user selection of the indication for retrieving the e-mail message body;

requesting and receiving the e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network in response to identifying the user selection of the indication; and

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

requesting and receiving an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server;

setting an indication for refraining from further deletion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the e-mail message body received from the server;

identifying again whether a size of the e-mail information has reached the first-predetermined limit of the memory; and

refraining from deleting any portion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the indication after identifying again that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit of the memory.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining storage of e-mail message metadata of the e-mail messages which have e-mail message bodies that were deleted from the memory, the e-mail message metadata including identifiers for uniquely identifying the e-mail messages at a server.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a storage medium;

computer instructions stored in the storage medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a mobile station for;

receiving a plurality of e-mail messages through a wireless network and storing e-mail information of the e-mail messages in memory;

identifying whether a size of the e-mail information has reached a first predetermined limit of the memory;

deleting, from the memory, at least portions of e-mail message bodies of some of the e-mail messages while retaining storage of e-mail message headers thereof based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit;

identifying whether the size of the e-mail information has reached a second predetermined limit of the memory; and

deleting, from the memory, the e-mail message headers of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein deleting at least portions of the e-mail message bodies comprises deleting the e-mail message bodies in their entirety.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

maintaining storage of the e-mail messages having the e-mail message bodies at a server.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are executable by the one or more processors of the mobile station without user intervention.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

additionally deleting, from the memory, e-mail metadata of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

requesting and receiving an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message; and

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

causing an indication for retrieving the e-mail message body to be visually displayed in response to identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

identifying a user selection of the indication for retrieving the e-mail message body;

requesting and receiving the e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network in response to identifying the user selection of the indication; and

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

causing an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identifying a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

requesting and receiving an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

causing the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server;

setting an indication for refraining from further deletion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the e-mail message body received from the server;

identifying again whether a size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit of the memory; and

refraining from deleting any portion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the indication after identifying again that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit of the memory.

18. A mobile station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a user interface which includes a visual display for displaying e-mail message information;

memory;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver, the user interface, and the memory;

the one or more processors being operative to;

receive a plurality of e-mail messages through the wireless transceiver and store e-mail information of the e-mail messages in the memory;

identify whether a size of the e-mail information has reached a first predetermined limit of the memory;

delete, from the memory, at least portions of e-mail message bodies of some of the e-mail messages while retaining storage of e-mail message headers thereof based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit;

identify whether the size of the e-mail information has reached a second predetermined limit of the memory; and

delete, from the memory, the e-mail message headers of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

19. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein deleting at least portions of the e-mail message bodies comprises deleting the e-mail message bodies in their entirety.

20. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors delete e-mail message bodies without user intervention.

21. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

additionally delete, from the memory e-mail metadata of the e-mail messages based on identifying that the size of the e-mail information has reached the second predetermined limit.

22. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identify a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

request and receive an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message; and

cause the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body.

23. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identify a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

cause an indication for retrieving the e-mail message body to be visually displayed in response to identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

identify a user selection of the indication for retrieving the e-mail message body;

request and receive the e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network in response to identifying the user selection of the indication; and

cause the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server.

24. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an e-mail message header of an e-mail message having a deleted e-mail message body to be visually displayed in a list;

identify a user selection of the e-mail message through a user interface;

request and receive an e-mail message body of the e-mail message from a server through the wireless network based on identifying the user selection of the e-mail message;

cause the e-mail message body of the e-mail message to be visually displayed after receiving the e-mail message body from the server;

set an indication for refraining from further deletion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the e-mail message body received from the server;

identify again whether a size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit of the memory; and

refrain from deleting any portion of the e-mail message body for the e-mail message having the indication after identifying again that the size of the e-mail information has reached the first predetermined limit of the memory.