Communications system with radio device and server

Abstract

A communications system having a first server ( 205 ) with an electronic mail (e-mail) database for managing e-mail accounts, for storing radio device addresses associated with those accounts, and for storing electronic mail messages associated with those accounts. Each message has a header and text. A gateway connects the first server to a two-way radio network. A radio device ( 200 ) has a electronic messaging application. The radio device is capable of two-way communication over the two-way radio network. The first server comprises message handling software arranged to send, to the radio device, a portion of a message of a predetermined size, including a header portion and a text portion. The radio device ( 200 ) can request more of a message.

1 . A method of redirecting messages between a host system and a radio device during a virtual session between the same, comprising the steps of: 
 initiating communication between the host system and the radio device;    registering the radio device at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages directed to a first address at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the messages from the host system to the radio device;    receiving the messages at the radio device;    generating reply messages at the radio device to be sent to the plurality of message senders and transmitting the reply messages to the host system;    receiving the messages at the host system from the radio device and correlating address information of the messages such that the messages use an appropriate address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the radio device share the address associated with the host system; and    transmitting the messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 storing information regarding the configuration of the radio device at the host system.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information stored at the host system includes: 
 (A) the network address of the radio device; and    (B) protocol information regarding the format or coding of the messages.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the configuration information stored at the host system further includes: 
 (C) an indication of an identification of a radio device.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: 
 for each message to be redirected, the host system determining whether the message includes an attachment;    if so, then maintaining the attachment at the host system.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the type of attachment is a readable file.  
     
     
         7 . 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 radio device;    if the receiver address is associated with the radio device, then determining a network address of the radio device and readdressing the messages using the receiver address and the network address of the radio device; and    after receiving the redirecting messages at the radio device, displaying the messages at the radio device using the sender address and the receiver address, so that the radio device is able to act in the same manner as a terminal at the host system.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication is initiated between the host system and the radio device in response to an external event or a networked event.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the external event includes the step of sending a registration message from the radio device to the host system.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the networked event includes the step of sending a page from the host system to the radio device.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sending step is initiated in response to the host system determining that the radio device has registered with a wireless system.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the external event further comprises the step of forming a communications object at the radio device.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of authenticating the radio device at the host system after the communication has been initiated.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio device is a pager.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio device is equipped to send and receive messages.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host system includes a set of rules for limiting the redirection of only those messages that are transmitted to the host system from a sender identified by the set of rules.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a user can modify the set of rules.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the user can modify the set of rules by configuring the host system.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the user can modify the set of rules by transmitting a message from the radio device to the host system.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of rules is activated and deactivated at the host system.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of rules is activated and deactivated by a message transmitted from the radio device to the host system.  
     
     
         22 . A message redirection method performed at a host system during a virtual session between the host system and a radio device, comprising the steps of: 
 associating a first address with the host system;    initiating communication between the host system and the radio device;    registering the radio device at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the received messages from the host system to the radio device;    receiving reply messages from the radio device at the host system and correlating address information of the reply messages using the first address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the radio device share the first address; and    transmitting the configured reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         23 . A message redirection method performed during a virtual session between a host system and a radio device comprising the steps of: 
 initiating communication between the host system and the radio device;    registering the radio device at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the received messages from the host system to a radio device associated with the host system;    receiving the redirected messages at the radio device;    generating reply messages at the radio device;    transmitting the reply messages from the radio device to the host system;    receiving the reply messages at the host system and correlating the reply messages using the first email address for the user of the radio device as the address originating the reply messages, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the radio device share the first email address; and    transmitting the correlated reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         24 . A method for redirecting messages between a host system and a radio device during a virtual session between the same, comprising the steps of: 
 initiating communication between the host system and the radio device;    registering the radio device at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving incoming messages directed to a first address at the host system from a plurality of message senders, wherein the first address is associated with messages generated at the host system by a user of the radio device;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the incoming messages from the host system to the radio device;    receiving outgoing messages generated at the radio device at the host system;    correlating address information of the outgoing messages so that the first address is used as an originating address of the outgoing messages, wherein messages generated at either the radio device or the host system share the first address; and    transmitting the outgoing messages from the host system to the message recipients,    redirecting the received message to the message recipient.    
     
     
         25 . A method for redirecting messages generated at a radio device by a message sender destined for a message recipient, comprising the steps of: 
 initiating communication between the host system and the radio device;    registering the radio device at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    continuously redirecting messages received at the host system to the radio device;    receiving a message, generated at the radio device by the message sender destined for the message recipient, at a message portion handling routine associated with a host system, wherein messages generated at the host system by the message sender use a first address;    correlating address information of the received message such that the received message uses the message sender's first address as the address originating the message, wherein messages generated at either the radio device or the host system share the message sender's first address; and    redirecting the configured received message to the message recipient.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the communication is initiated between the host system and the radio device in response to an external event or a networked event.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 configuring one or more message filters at the host system;    and filtering received messages at the host system using the one or more message filters prior to redirecting messages to the radio device.    
     
     
         28 . A method of redirecting messages between a host system and a radio device, comprising the steps of: 
 configuring one or more redirection events at the host system;    detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages directed to a first address at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the messages from the host system to the radio device;    receiving the messages at the radio device;    generating reply messages at the radio device to be sent to the plurality of message senders and transmitting the reply messages to the host system;    receiving the reply messages at the host system and correlating address information of the reply messages such that the reply messages use the first address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the radio device share the first address; and    transmitting the reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of: 
 storing information regarding the configuration of the radio device at the host system.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the configuration information stored at the host system includes: 
 (A) the network address of the radio device; and    (B) protocol information regarding the format or coding of the messages.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the configuration information stored at the host system further includes: 
 (C) an indication of an identification of a radio device.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the steps of: 
 for each message to be redirected, the host system determining whether the message includes an attachment;    if so, then maintaining the attachment at the host system.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the type of attachment is a readable file.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , 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 radio device;    if the receiver address is associated with the radio device, then determining a network address of the radio device and readdressing the messages using the receiver address and the network address of the radio device; and    after receiving the redirecting messages at the radio device, displaying the messages at the radio device using the sender address and the receiver address, so that the radio device is able to act in the same manner as a terminal at the host system.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the redirection events include external events or networked events.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the external event is a message from the radio device to start redirection.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the radio device is a pager.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the radio device is equipped to send and receive messages.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the host system includes a set of rules for limiting the redirection of only those messages that are transmitted to the host system from a sender identified by the set of rules.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a user can modify the set of rules.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the user can modify the set of rules by configuring the host system.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the user can modify the set of rules by transmitting a message from the radio device to the host system.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the set of rules is activated and deactivated at the host system.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the set of rules is activated and deactivated by a message transmitted from the radio device to the host system.  
     
     
         45 . A message redirection method operating at a host system, comprising the steps of: 
 associating a first address with the host system;    configuring one or more redirection events at the host system;    detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the received messages from the host system to a radio device associated with the host system;    receiving reply messages from the radio device at the host system, translating the reply messages, and correlating the address information of the reply message in order to use the first address associated with the host system as the originating address, wherein messages generated at either the radio device or the host system share the first address; and    transmitting the translated reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         46 . A message redirection method comprising the steps of: 
 configuring one or more redirection events at a host system;    detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving messages at the host system from a plurality of message senders;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the received messages from the host system to a radio device associated with the host system, wherein a first email address for the user of the radio device is associated with the host system;    receiving the redirected messages at the radio device;    generating reply messages at the radio device;    transmitting the reply messages from the radio device to the host system;    receiving the reply messages at the host system, translating the reply messages, and correlating the address information of the reply message in order to use the first email address for the user of the radio device as the address originating the reply messages, wherein messages generated at either the host system or the radio device share the first email address; and    transmitting the translated reply messages from the host system to the plurality of message senders.    
     
     
         47 . A method for redirecting messages generated at a radio device by a message sender destined for a message recipient, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a message, generated at the radio device by the message sender destined for the message recipient, at a message portion handling routine with a host system, wherein messages generated at the host system by the message sender use a first address;    correlating address information of the received message such that the received message uses the message sender's first address as the address originating the message, wherein messages generated at either the radio device or host system share the message sender's first address; and    redirecting the received message to the message recipient;    configuring one or more redirection events at the host system;    detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the host system and generating a redirection trigger; and    continuously redirecting messages received at the host system to the radio device.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising the steps of: 
 configuring one or more message filters at the host system;    and filtering received messages at the host system using the one or more message filters prior to redirecting messages to the radio device.    
     
     
         49 . The method for redirecting messages between a host system and a radio device, comprising the steps of: 
 configuring one or more redirection events at the host system;    detecting that a redirection event has occurred at the host system and generating a redirection trigger;    receiving incoming messages directed to a first address at the host system from a plurality of message senders, wherein the first address is associated with messages generated at the host system by a user of the radio device;    in response to the redirection trigger, continuously redirecting the incoming messages from the host system to the radio device;    receiving outgoing messages generated at the radio device at the host system;    correlating address information of the outgoing messages so that the first address is used as an originating address of the outgoing messages, wherein messages generated at either the radio device or the host system share the first address; and    transmitting the outgoing messages from the host system to message recipients.