Asynchronous real-time retrieval of data

• US 7,363,349 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Marl, Coyle Brett, Friedman, Gregory Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie
• Application Number:
  US10/770,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709/229, 709/201, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• 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 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user'"'"'s remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server. The gateway server then relays the requested information back to the user'"'"'s remote communication device.

Claims

1. A gateway server, comprising:

a presentation service unit configured to receive data requests from a plurality of remote communication devices, the data requests requesting to send data to or receive data from a data store such data requests corresponding to users of the plurality of remote communication devices which originate the data requests therefrom; and

a real-time service unit configured to exchange the data requests from the presentation service unit to an access client associated with the data store, wherein

the presentation service unit establishes a communication instance for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real-time service unit, and associates the communication instance established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with subsequent data requests from the same requesting remote communication device; and

the presentation service unit utilizes device characteristics corresponding to the requesting remote communication device to determine a threshold time to return a reply to a data request to the requesting remote communication device.

2. The gateway server recited in claim 1, Wherein the device characteristics correspond to a specific characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

3. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a generic characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

4. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the presentation service unit includes a cache configured to store the received data.

5. The gateway server recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a directory identifying a connection between one or more access clients and the real-time service unit.

6. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the data store includes a database.

7. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the data store includes a server device configured to provide services to one or more access clients.

8. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the data store is selected from the group consisting of:

a Microsoft Exchange server, a Lotus Domino server, an IMAP mail store, a POP3 mail store, and a NTFS file system.

9. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the presentation service unit is configured to receive the data requests from the remote communication device over a wireless network.

10. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein a timing of communications between the real-time service unit and the access client is independent of a timing of communications between the presentation service unit and the remote communication device.

11. The gateway server recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a directory storing an entry corresponding to the remote communication devices and a corresponding connection between the real-time service unit and the access client, the entry identifying both the remote communication device and real-time service unit connected to the access client.

12. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the gateway server provides access to email data, calendar data and directory data.

13. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the data store resides behind a corporate firewall.

14. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the access client associated with the data stored resides behind a corporate firewall.

15. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the access client associated with the data store is a public email server.

16. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the real-time service unit maintains a persistent connection with the access client.

17. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the real-time service unit is configured to receive data corresponding to a particular one of the data requests, and stores the received data in a memory on the gateway server;

and

the presentation service unit is configured to determine if the received data is stored in the memory, retrieve the received data from the memory, and transmit the received data to the remote communication device.

18. The gateway server recited in claim 1, wherein the presentation service unit issues a communication instance ID associated with the established communication instance to the remote communication device.

19. The gateway server recited in claim 18, wherein the presentation service unit determines a threshold time to return a reply to the initial data request to the remote communication device and sends the communication instance ID after the threshold time elapses.

20. The gateway server recited in claim 19, wherein subsequent data requests are received from the remote communication device with the communication instance ID.

21. A method of retrieving data from a data store, comprising:

receiving data request from a plurality of remote communication device devices at a presentation service unit, the data requests requesting to send data to or receive data from a data store;

establishing a communication instance for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real time service unit;

providing the received data requests to a real-time service unit;

relaying the data requests from the real-time service unit to an access client associated with the data store;

associating the communication instance established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with subsequent data requests from the same requesting remote communication device; and

utilizing device characteristics corresponding to the requesting remote communication device to determine a threshold time to return a reply to a data request to the requesting remote communication device.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

setting a timer upon receiving the initial data request;

when the timer reaches a threshold value, determining whether data requested in the initial data request has been retrieved from the data store; and

if the requested data has been retrieved, forwarding the requested data to the requesting remote communication device, and

if the requested data has not been retrieved, forwarding a message to the requesting remote communication device instructing the requesting remote communication device to resubmit the initial data request, the resubmitted initial data request becoming the subsequent data request.

23. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the message causes the requesting remote communication device to automatically resubmit the initial data request.

24. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the message prompts a user of the requesting remote communication device to resubmit the initial data request.

25. The method recited in claim 22, further comprising:

before the timer reaches a threshold value, periodically determining whether data requested in the initial or subsequent data request has been retrieved from the data store; and

if the requested data has been retrieved, forwarding the requested data to the requesting remote communication device.

26. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a specific characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

27. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a generic characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

28. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising relaying data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to a data request;

and storing the retrieved data relayed from the real-time service unit in a cache provided by the presentation service unit before forwarding the retrieved data from the presentation service unit to the requesting remote communication device.

29. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

receiving authentication information from the remote communication device at the presentation service unit.

30. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

creating an entry in a directory corresponding to the remote communication device and a connection between the real-time service unit and the access client, the entry identifying both a user of the remote communication device and the real-time service unit connected to the access client.

31. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the communication instance is an entry in memory associating the remote communication device with the communication instance ID.

32. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the communication instance identifies a location in memory at which data retrieved from the data store in response to the initial data request will be stored.

33. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the communication instance identifies includes a flag indicating if data to be retrieved from the data store in response to the initial data request has been received and stored by the presentation service.

34. The method recited in claim 21, wherein relaying the initial data request from the real-time service to an access client associated with the data store includes:

establishing a secure connection between the real-time service unit and the access client;

providing the access client with encryption information over the secure connection;

encrypting the initial data request with the encryption information; and

relaying the encrypted data request to the access client.

35. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the secure connection is established using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol.

36. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the secure connection is established through a load balancer configured to receive communications for the presentation service unit.

37. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the encryption information includes a public encryption session identification and a private encryption key.

38. The method recited in claim 34, further comprising receiving, at the real-time service unit, data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to the initial data request.

39. The method recited in claim 34, wherein receiving data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to the initial data request includes:

receiving the retrieved data from the access client over an unsecure connection, wherein the retrieved data has been encrypted using the encryption information; and

decrypting the retrieved data using the encryption information.

40. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising maintaining a persistent connection between the real-time service unit and the access client so that the real-time service unit is configured to immediately process another data request without having to initiate a new command channel for the other data request.

41. The method recited in claim 21, wherein the receiving, at the real-time service unit, of the data retrieved from the data store is independent of the forwarding of the retrieved data from the presentation service to the remote communication device.

42. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

issuing a communication instance ID associated with the established communication instance to the remote communication device.

43. The method according to claim 42, further comprising:

determining a threshold time to return a reply to the initial data request to the remote communication device and issuing the communication instance ID after the threshold time elapses.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein subsequent data requests are received from the remote communication device with the communication instance ID.

45. A data retrieval system, comprising:

a data store;

an access client associated with the data store;

a remote communication device that issues a data request, the data request requesting to send data to or receive data from the data store;

a presentation service unit that includes a memory, the presentation service unit configured to receive the data request from the remote communication device; and

a real-time service unit configured to maintain a persistent connection with the access client associated with the data store, exchange the data request to the access client via the persistent connection, and store data received from the access client in response to the data request in the memory,

wherein the presentation service unit is configured to retrieve the data from the memory and transmit the data to the remote communication device, establish a communication instance for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real time service unit, and associate the communication instance established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with a subsequent data request from the same requesting remote communication device, and

the presentation service unit utilizes device characteristics corresponding to the requesting remote communication device to determine a threshold time to return a reply to a data request to the requesting remote communication device.

46. The data retrieval system recited in claim 45, wherein the real-time service unit is configured to store the data in the memory independently of the presentation service unit retrieving the data from the memory and transmitting the data to the remote communication device.

47. The data retrieval system according to claim 45, wherein the presentation service unit issues a communication instance ID associated with the established communication instance to the remote communication device.

48. The data retrieval system recited in claim 47, wherein the presentation service unit determines a threshold time to return a reply to the initial data request to the remote communication device and sends the communication instance ID after the threshold time elapses.

49. The data retrieval system recited in claim 48, wherein subsequent data requests are received from the remote communication device with the communication instance ID.