Dynamic current device status

• US 7,558,825 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thorson, Derral Charles, Bodin, William Kress
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US10/047,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709203-207, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of email administration including receiving in a transcoding gateway from a client device one or more email display status attributes describing one or more email display capability statuses for a domain, receiving in the transcoding gateway from a sender an email display capability status request for the domain, in which the capability status request includes a domain identification, finding, in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one email display capability status record for the domain, in which the email display capability status record for the domain includes at least one of the email display capability status attributes, and sending at least one of the email display capability status attributes to the sender.

Claims

1. A method of email administration comprising the steps of:

receiving in a transcoding gateway from a client device one or more email display status attributes describing one or more email display capability statuses for a domain;

receiving in the transcoding gateway from a sender an email display capability status request for the domain, wherein the capability status request comprises a domain identification and the email display capability status request includes a sender identification identifying the sender, further comprising;

determining, in dependence upon the sender identification, that the sender is authorized to send email to a connection address in the domain, further comprising;

finding, in dependence upon the sender identification and in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one sender authorization record, wherein;

the sender authorization record represents authorization for the sender to send email to a connection address in the domain;

the sender authorization record comprises sender authorization attributes including a connection address in the domain; and

finding at least one email display capability record for the domain further comprises finding, in dependence upon the domain identification and in dependence upon the connection address, at least one email display capability status record for the domain;

finding, in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one email display capability status record for the domain, wherein the email display capability status record for the domain includes;

a display capability identification;

a display capability description;

a connection type, wherein the connection type is an indication of the protocol or communications technology to be used to send an email or digital objects to client devices;

a connection address, wherein the connection address is an indication of where to send email or digital objects from the transcoding gateway;

a transcode type, wherein the transcode type is an indication whether digital objects in email are to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway or forwarded for further processing elsewhere;

an availability field, wherein the availability field is a status indication of whether a display capability is currently available, including indicating whether a client device or display device is powered off or on; and

a recent usage field, wherein the recent usage field is a status indication of a recent time when a capability was used; and

sending at least one email display capability status attribute to the sender.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving an email in a transcoding gateway, the email comprising an email address and at least one digital object;

determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, wherein the determining results in a determination;

forwarding the email, including the digital object, to the email address, if the determination is that the digital object is not to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway; and

if the determination is that the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, carrying out the further steps of;

transcoding the digital object into a transcoded digital object; and

downloading the transcoded digital object to a destination client device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

transcoding the digital object further comprises transcoding the digital object into a digital file having a digital format and a file name; and

downloading the transcoded digital object further comprises downloading the digital file to a destination client device at an internet address recorded in an internet address field of a client device record, the client device record having;

recorded in a mailbox address field in the client device record, a mailbox address identical to the email address of the email message, and,

recorded in a digital file format code field of the client device record, a digital file format code indicating that the client device represented by the client device record is capable of receiving the digital format of the digital file.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, further comprises finding a capability record having a connection address equal to the email address.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein forwarding the email further comprises forwarding the entire email, including the digital object, to an email client in another transcoding gateway in a client device.

6. A system of email administration comprising:

means for receiving, stored in a transcoding gateway from a client device, one or more email display status attributes describing one or more email display capability statuses for a domain;

means for receiving, stored in the transcoding gateway from a sender, an email display capability status request for the domain, wherein the capability status request comprises a domain identification and the email display capability status request includes a sender identification identifying the sender, further comprising;

means for determining, in dependence upon the sender identification, that the sender is authorized to send email to a connection address in the domain, further comprising;

means for finding, in dependence upon the sender identification and in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one sender authorization record, wherein;

the sender authorization record represents authorization for the sender to send email to a connection address in the domain;

the sender authorization record comprises sender authorization attributes including a connection address in the domain; and

means for finding at least one email display capability record for the domain further comprises means for finding, in dependence upon the domain identification and in dependence upon the connection address, at least one email display capability status record for the domain;

means for finding, in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one email display capability status record for the domain, wherein the email display capability status record for the domain includes;

a display capability identification;

a display capability description;

a connection type, wherein the connection type is an indication of the protocol or communications technology to be used to send an email or digital objects to client devices;

a connection address, wherein the connection address is an indication of where to send email or digital objects from the transcoding gateway;

a transcode type, wherein the transcode type is an indication whether digital objects in email are to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway or forwarded for further processing elsewhere;

an availability field, wherein the availability field is a status indication of whether a display capability is currently available, including indicating whether a client device or display device is powered off or on; and

a recent usage field, wherein the recent usage field is a status indication of a recent time when a capability was used; and

means for sending at least one email display capability status attribute to the sender.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

means for receiving an email in a transcoding gateway, the email comprising an email address and at least one digital object;

means for determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, wherein the determining results in a determination;

means for forwarding the email, including the digital object, to the email address, if the determination is that the digital object is not to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway; and

if the determination is that the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, means for carrying out the further steps of;

transcoding the digital object into a transcoded digital object; and

downloading the transcoded digital object to a destination client device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

means for transcoding the digital object further comprises means for transcoding the digital object into a digital file having a digital format and a file name; and

means for downloading the transcoded digital object further comprises means for downloading the digital file to a destination client device at an internet address recorded in an internet address field of a client device record, the client device record having;

recorded in a mailbox address field in the client device record, a mailbox address identical to the email address of the email message, and,

recorded in a digital file format code field of the client device record, a digital file format code indicating that the client device represented by the client device record is capable of receiving the digital format of the digital file.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein means for determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, further comprises means for finding a capability record having a connection address equal to the email address.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein means for forwarding the email further comprises means for forwarding the entire email, including the digital object, to an email client in another transcoding gateway in a client device.

11. A computer program product of email administration comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a transcoding gateway from a client device one or more email display status attributes describing one or more email display capability statuses for a domain;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in the transcoding gateway from a sender an email display capability status request for the domain, wherein the capability status request comprises a domain identification and the email display capability status request includes a sender identification identifying the sender, further comprising;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining, in dependence upon the sender identification, that the sender is authorized to send email to a connection address in the domain, further comprising;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for finding, in dependence upon the sender identification and in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one sender authorization record, wherein;

the sender authorization record represents authorization for the sender to send email to a connection address in the domain;

the sender authorization record comprises sender authorization attributes including a connection address in the domain; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for finding at least one email display capability record for the domain further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for finding, in dependence upon the domain identification and in dependence upon the connection address, at least one email display capability status record for the domain;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for finding, in dependence upon the domain identification, at least one email display capability status record for the domain, wherein the email display capability status record for the domain includes;

a display capability identification;

a display capability description;

a connection type, wherein the connection type is an indication of the protocol or communications technology to be used to send an email or digital objects to client devices;

a connection address, wherein the connection address is an indication of where to send email or digital objects from the transcoding gateway;

a transcode type, wherein the transcode type is an indication whether digital objects in email are to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway or forwarded for further processing elsewhere;

an availability field, wherein the availability field is a status indication of whether a display capability is currently available, including indicating whether a client device or display device is powered off or on; and

a recent usage field, wherein the recent usage field is a status indication of a recent time when a capability was used; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for sending at least one email display capability status attribute to the sender.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving an email in a transcoding gateway, the email comprising an email address and at least one digital object;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, wherein the determining results in a determination;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for forwarding the email, including the digital object, to the email address, if the determination is that the digital object is not to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway; and

if the determination is that the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, means, recorded on the recording medium, for carrying out the further steps of;

transcoding the digital object into a transcoded digital object; and

downloading the transcoded digital object to a destination client device.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for transcoding the digital object further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for transcoding the digital object into a digital file having a digital format and a file name; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading the transcoded digital object further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading the digital file to a destination client device at an internet address recorded in an internet address field of a client device record, the client device record having;

recorded in a mailbox address field in the client device record, a mailbox address identical to the email address of the email message, and,

recorded in a digital file format code field of the client device record, a digital file format code indicating that the client device represented by the client device record is capable of receiving the digital format of the digital file.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining, in dependence upon display capability attributes and the email address, whether the digital object is to be transcoded in the transcoding gateway, further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for finding a capability record having a connection address equal to the email address.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for forwarding the email further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for forwarding the entire email, including the digital object, to an email client in another transcoding gateway in a client device.