System and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device

Abstract

A system and method for pushing information from a host system to a mobile data communication device upon sensing a triggering event is disclosed. A redirector program operating at the host system enables a user to continuously redirect certain user-selected data items from the host system to the user's mobile data communication device upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering events has occurred. The redirector program operates in connection with event generating applications and repackaging systems at the host system to configure and detect a particular user-defined event, and then to repackage the user-selected data items in an electronic wrapper prior to pushing the data items to the mobile device.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method of redirecting messages from a host system operated by a user to the user's mobile data communication device, comprising the steps of: 
 configuring an external redirection event at the host system, wherein the external redirection event is the host system sensing whether the user is in the vicinity of the host system;    receiving messages at the host system; and    if the host system senses that the user is not in the vicinity of the host system, then continuously redirecting the received messages to the user's mobile data communication device until the host system senses that the user is in the vicinity of the host system.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving the messages at the mobile data communication device;    generating reply messages at the mobile data communication device to be sent to a plurality of message senders and transmitting the reply messages to the host system;    receiving the reply messages at the host system and configuring address information of the reply messages such that the reply messages use a first address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the mobile data communication device share the first address; and    transmitting the reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 storing information regarding the configuration of the mobile data communication device at the host system.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the configuration information stored at the host system includes: 
 (A) the network address of the mobile data communication device; and    (B) an indication of the types of message attachments that the mobile data communication device can receive and process.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the configuration information further includes: 
 (C) an indication of the type of mobile data communication device.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received messages are addressed using a sender address and a receiver address, the method further comprising the steps of: 
 determining whether the receiver address is associated with the mobile data communication device;    if the receiver address is associated with the mobile data communication device, then determining a network address of the mobile data communication device and repackaging the messages into electronic envelopes addressed using the receiver address and the network address of the mobile data communication device; and    after receiving the redirected messages at the mobile data communication device, extracting the messages from the electronic envelopes and displaying the messages at the mobile data communication device using the sender address and the receiver address, so that it appears as though the mobile data communication device is the host system.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the steps of: 
 for each message to be redirected, the host system determining whether the message includes an attachment, and if so then determining the type of attachment;    accessing the stored configuration information at the host system to determine whether the mobile data communication device can receive and process attachments of the determined type; and    if so, then redirecting the attachments to the mobile data communication device, and if not, then redirecting the attachments to a device that is capable of processing the attachment.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the type of attachment is a sound file.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 configuring a plurality of redirection events at the host system, wherein the plurality of redirection events include an external event, an internal event, or a networked event.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the external event is a message from the mobile data communication device to start redirection.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the internal event is a calendar alarm.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the internal event is a screen saver activation.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the internal event is a keyboard timeout signal.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the networked events include messages to begin redirection from computer systems other than the mobile data communication device, which are connected to the host system via a wired network.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile data communication device is a device selected from the group consisting of hand-held wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data message capabilities, and a wirelessly enabled laptop computer.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile data communication device is a device equipped to receive both voice and non-voice data messages.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host system includes a preferred list for limiting the redirection step to redirecting only those messages that are transmitted to the host system from a sender on the preferred list.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the preferred list is activated and deactivated at the host system.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the preferred list is activated and deactivated by a command message transmitted from the mobile data communication device to the host system.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list by configuring the host system.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the user can add and subtract senders from the preferred list by transmitting a command message from the mobile data communication device to the host system.  
     
     
         23 . A method of redirecting messages from a desktop computer system to a mobile data communication device associated with the desktop computer system, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a message redirection program at the desktop system;    providing a screen saver program at the desktop system;    linking the screen saver program to the message redirection program; and    if the message redirection program detects that the screen saver is activated, then continuously redirecting messages from the desktop computer system to the mobile data communication device until the message redirection program detects that the screen saver is deactivated.    
     
     
         24 . A system for redirecting information between a host system and a mobile device, comprising: 
 a first redirector application operating at the host system, wherein the first redirector application is configured to sense a triggering event at the host system and to continuously redirect information from the host system to the mobile device; and    a second redirector application operating at the mobile device, wherein the second redirector application is configured to sense a triggering event at the mobile device and to continuously redirect information from the mobile device to the host system.    
     
     
         25 . A method of redirecting information from a host system to a mobile device, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a set of trigger events at the host system;    selecting one or more of the trigger events from the set of trigger events;    detecting that a trigger event has occurred at the host system;    determining whether the detected trigger event is one of the selected trigger events, and if so then setting a trigger flag at the host system;    receiving information at the host system; and    if the trigger flag is set, then continuously redirecting the received information from the host system to the mobile device.    
     
     
         26 . A method of forwarding information from a host system to a mobile device, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a redirector application at the host system;    configuring the redirector application to forward a plurality of information types to the mobile device, wherein the plurality of information types includes e-mail messages, calendar data, and meeting reminders;    configuring the redirector application to sense a plurality of redirection events, wherein the plurality of redirection events includes a screen saver activation event and a mobile device command event, wherein the screen saver activation event occurs when a screen saver application operating at the host system is activated and the mobile device command event occurs when a user of the mobile device transmits a command to the host system to trigger redirection;    sensing that one of the redirection events has occurred at the host system; and    continuously redirecting the plurality of information types from the host system to the mobile device.    
     
     
         27 . A method of redirecting messages between a message server operating at a host system and a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising the steps of: 
 (A) detecting a plurality of redirection events at the host system, wherein each redirection event is associated with one of the plurality of mobile communication devices;    (B) in response to the redirection events, switching the message server between a redirection mode and a non-redirection mode for the mobile communication devices associated with the redirection events;    (C) if the message server is in the redirection mode for a particular mobile communication device, then:    (C)(1) receiving a first set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device and storing the first set of received messages in a primary memory store;    (C)(2) redirecting the first set of received messages from the primary memory store to the mobile communication device; and    (C)(3) storing the first set of received messages in a secondary store within the mobile communication device; and    (D) if the message server is in the non-redirection mode, then: 
 (D)(1) receiving a second set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device; and  
 (D)(2) storing the second set of received messages in the primary memory store.  
   
     
     
         28 . A method of redirecting messages between a message server and a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of desktop systems in communication with the message server via a network;    providing a user profile for each of the plurality of desktop systems at the message server, wherein the user profiles each associate a particular desktop system with a particular mobile data communication device;    configuring the desktop systems to detect one or more redirection events;    detecting at least one redirection event at the desktop systems;    in response to the at least one redirection event, transmitting redirection triggers from the desktop systems to the message server;    detecting the redirection triggers at the message server, wherein each redirection trigger is associated with one of the plurality of mobile communication devices;    in response to the redirection triggers, switching the message server between a redirection mode and a non-redirection mode for the mobile communication devices associated with the redirection triggers.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 if the message server is in the redirection mode for a particular mobile communication device, then: 
 receiving a first set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device and storing the first set of received messages in a primary memory store;  
 redirecting the first set of received messages from the primary memory store to the mobile communication device; and  
 storing the first set of received messages in a secondary store within the mobile communication device; and  
   if the message server is in the non-redirection mode, then: 
 receiving a second set of messages at the host system directed to an electronic address associated with the particular mobile communication device; and  
 storing the second set of received messages in the primary memory store.