System and method for processing message attachments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving an e-mail containing an original attachment at a data service, said e-mail addressed to a data processing device to which said data service is communicatively coupled, said data processing device having specified processing capabilities;
determining an original format of said original attachment by analyzing data within said original attachment, wherein the data within said original attachment comprises header data;
storing said original attachment in said original format on said data service;
if said original attachment is in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then;
converting a copy of said original attachment based on said specified processing capabilities to a modified attachment in a format which said data processing device can process;
generating linking information linking a modified attachment with said original attachment;
storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and
transmitting said e-mail with said modified attachment to said data processing device; and
if said original attachment is not in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then;
generating an attachment identifier;
generating linking information linking said attachment identifier with said original attachment;
storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and
transmitting said e-mail with said attachment identifier to said data processing device;
receiving an e-mail response from said data processing device intended to include said original attachment;
locating said original attachment from said linking information and attaching said original attachment to said e-mail response; and
transmitting said e-mail response with said original attachment to its destination.
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Abstract
A method is described comprising: receiving an e-mail containing an original attachment at a data service, the e-mail addressed to a data processing device to which the data service is communicatively coupled, the data processing device having specified processing capabilities; converting the original attachment based on the specified processing capabilities to a format which the data processing device can process; receiving an e-mail response from the data processing device intended to include the original attachment; locating and reattaching the original attachment; and transmitting the e-mail message with the original attachment to its destination.
49 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving an e-mail containing an original attachment at a data service, said e-mail addressed to a data processing device to which said data service is communicatively coupled, said data processing device having specified processing capabilities; determining an original format of said original attachment by analyzing data within said original attachment, wherein the data within said original attachment comprises header data; storing said original attachment in said original format on said data service; if said original attachment is in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; converting a copy of said original attachment based on said specified processing capabilities to a modified attachment in a format which said data processing device can process; generating linking information linking a modified attachment with said original attachment; storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and transmitting said e-mail with said modified attachment to said data processing device; and if said original attachment is not in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; generating an attachment identifier; generating linking information linking said attachment identifier with said original attachment; storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and transmitting said e-mail with said attachment identifier to said data processing device; receiving an e-mail response from said data processing device intended to include said original attachment; locating said original attachment from said linking information and attaching said original attachment to said e-mail response; and transmitting said e-mail response with said original attachment to its destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 35, 36)
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12. A system comprising:
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an attachment analysis module to determine an original format of an original attachment in an e-mail addressed to a data processing device by analyzing the data within said original attachment, wherein said attachment analysis module searches in an attachment header of said e-mail to identify said original format; a data storage device to store the original attachment in the original format; if said original attachment is in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; an attachment conversion module to convert a copy of said original attachment based on processing capabilities of said data processing device to a modified attachment in a format which said data processing device can process; and an attachment transmission module to transmit said e-mail with said modified attachment to said data processing device; said attachment analysis module to further generate linking information linking a modified attachment with said original attachment and to store said linking information in a table; and if said original attachment is not in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; an attachment identifier generation module to generate an attachment identifier; and an attachment transmission module to transmit said e-mail with said attachment identifier to said data processing device; said attachment analysis module to further generate linking information linking said attachment identifier with said original attachment and to store said linking information in a table; said attachment analysis module to further locate and attach said original attachment to an e-mail response in response to receiving said e-mail response from said data processing device intended to include said original attachment, wherein said linking information is used to locate said original attachment responsive to receiving said e-mail response. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 37)
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24. A machine readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes said machine to perform the operations of:
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determining an original format of said original attachment by analyzing data within said original attachment, wherein the data within said original attachment comprises header data; storing said original attachment in said original format on said data service; if said original attachment is in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; converting a copy of said original attachment based on said specified processing capabilities to a modified attachment in a format which said data processing device can process; generating linking information linking a modified attachment with said original attachment; storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and transmitting said e-mail with said modified attachment to said data processing device; and if said original attachment is not in a format that can be modified by said data service to a format which said data processing device can process, then; generating an attachment identifier; generating linking information linking said attachment identifier with said original attachment; storing said linking information in a table on said data service; and transmitting said e-mail with said attachment identifier to said data processing device; receiving an e-mail response from said data processing device intended to include said original attachment; locating said original attachment from said linking information and attaching said original attachment to said e-mail response; and transmitting said e-mail response with said original attachment to its destination. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38)
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Specification