System and method for improved synchronization between a server and a client

• US 9,590,927 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Warren, Joseph R., Froelich, Karl, Lemarchand, Remi A., Novitskey, Robert R., Gray, Ronald E., Hartwell, Aaron, Power, Brendan, Curtis, Brent, Bonilla, Nicole A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US13/861,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/219, 715/748, 358/403
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system and method for improved client and server communications, more particularly, an improved protocol that may be used for communication between a client and a server, such as in an email environment. Many features are provided for improved communications. An email server may provide the best message body available for an email message, may transfer an entire data object if requested property or properties are not well defined within the data object, may provide progress data for use in tracking download progress, and may send error information for a data object having an error. Email changes may be optimized at an email server component, even if the email changes occurred at another email server component. An email server may maintain a table of changes that occur to folders at an associated data store, and may notify a subscribed email client component of changes that occur in the table.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an email server component of an email server computing system, the email server component configured to receive a request from an email client component for delivery of at least one message having a body to the email client component, the request including an identifier of a body format preference, the body format preference identifying a body format from among a plurality of available body formats;

wherein, for each of the one or more messages, the email server component selects a body formatted according to the identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the body of the at least one message is formatted according to a markup language format.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the markup language format comprises an HTML format.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein selection of the body by the email server component is limited to a body format selected from among the plurality of available body formats.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the email client component is configured to convert the body to a second format different from the body formatted according to the identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is included in the request as a BEST_BODY flag.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one message further includes a header.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the email server component is configured to transmit the header prior to transmitting the body of the at least one message to the email client component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the email server component is configured to transmit the at least one message to the email client component, wherein the at least one message includes a header and the formatted body, the formatted body based on the identifier.

10. A system comprising:

an email client component of an email client computing system, the email client component configured to transmit to an email server component a request for delivery of at least one message having a body from the email server component, the request including an identifier of a body format preference, the body format preference identifying a body format from among a plurality of available body formats;

wherein, for each of the one or more messages, the email client component receives, in response to the request, a body formatted according to the identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one message is transmitted by the email server component to the email client component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the email server component operates on an email server computing system remote from the email client computing system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the body of the at least one message is formatted according to a markup language format.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the markup language format comprises an HTML format.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the body of the at least one message is formatted according to a body format selected from a group of email message body formats comprising:

a Rich text format (RTF);

a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) format; and

a plain text format.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier is included in the request as a BEST_BODY flag.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the body has a non-standard body format.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the email client component is configured to convert the body to a second format different from the body format selected based on the identifier.

19. A computer-readable device comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed on a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:

generating a request for delivery of at least one message having a body, the request including an identifier of a body format preference, the body format preference identifying a body format from among a plurality of available body formats;

transmitting the request to an email server component;

in response to the request, receiving the at least one message, wherein the at least one message includes a body formatted according to the identifier.

20. The computer-readable device of claim 19, wherein the at least one message is transmitted by the email server component to the email client component.