Content-Based Notification and User-Transparent Pull Operation for Simulated Push Transmission of Wireless Email

Abstract

Exemplary system, method, software and apparatus embodiments provide for creating a content-based notification for a mobile device, as a simulated push operation, for devices which do not have push capability. The system comprises a database, a server, and may also include a second web server for user account configuration. The database is adapted to store user account configuration and preference information. The server is adapted to receive a first message having a first protocol, such as SMTP, and to determine whether the content-based notification for the first message should be provided. When the content-based notification is to be provided, the server is adapted to extract a subset of information from the first message, and using the subset of information, to create a second message having a second, different protocol, such as SMS. The second message is transferred to a wireless network for transmission to the mobile device, with the second message providing the content-based notification of the first message. The information extracted from the first message enables a user to determine whether they want to download the complete message, as a user-transparent pull operation, and typically includes the from, to, size, date, subject fields, and a portion of the body of the first message, up to the remaining capacity of the second message.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of creating a notification for a mobile device, the notification having information content, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message of a plurality of messages, the plurality of messages transmitted using a Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP), each message of the plurality of messages having a plurality of fields;   selecting a “TO” field of the plurality of fields from the first message to extract a subset of information;   using the extracted subset of information, performing a lookup or query to obtain data used to transform the extracted subset of information into a second message comprising data to be used for the information content of the notification of the first message, the information content for subsequent transmission to the mobile device using an extension of Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP);   encapsulating the second message as a data payload in a third message using an Internet Protocol (IP);   providing an address header for the third message for the mobile device; and   transmitting the third message to a server for the extraction of the data payload and the subsequent transmission of the information content over a wireless network to the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting one or more fields of the plurality of fields from the first message to extract the subset of information, the one or more selected fields having been predetermined, the one or more selected fields comprising at least one field selected from the group consisting of: a “FROM” field; a “TO” field; a “DATE” field; a “SIZE” field; a “SUBJECT” field; a “CC” field; a “BODY” field; an attachment type; an attachment name; a number of attachments; an attachment size; an inserted tag; an inserted message; an inserted banner; an inserted spam score; an email group designation; a user-defined field; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second message is formatted as a single message or a single script object having the information content for subsequent transmission using SMS or XMPP. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more selected fields are predetermined by one or more user settings of the mobile device or predetermined by an email service provider. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content should be provided further comprises configuring one or more user settings of the mobile device for selective display of the notification having information content. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided further comprises at least one process selected from the group consisting of: modifying the first message, rejecting the first message, deleting the first message, redirecting the first message, archiving the first message, logging the first message, quarantining the first message, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided further comprises:
 filtering the first message using at least one filter of a plurality of filters, the at least filter selected from the group consisting of: a spam filter; a blacklist; an allowable message list; a prohibited message list; a user-defined security processes; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of receiving the first message, selecting one or more fields of the plurality of fields, creating the second message, encapsulating the second message as a data payload in the third message, providing the address header for the third message for the mobile device, and transmitting the third message are performed by an email application server. 
     
     
         10 . A method of creating a notification for a mobile device, the notification having information content, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message of a plurality of messages, the plurality of messages transmitted using a Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP), each message of the plurality of messages having a plurality of fields;   selecting a “TO” field of the plurality of fields from the first message to extract a subset of information;   using the extracted subset of information, performing a lookup or query to obtain data used to transform the extracted subset of information into a second message comprising data to be used for the information content of the notification of the first message, the information content for subsequent transmission to the mobile device using an Internet Protocol (IP);   encapsulating the second message as a data payload in a third message using either a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP);   providing an address header for the third message for the mobile device; and   transmitting the third message to a server for the extraction of the data payload and the subsequent transmission of the information content over a wireless network to the mobile device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting one or more fields of the plurality of fields from the first message to extract the subset of information, the one or more selected fields having been predetermined, the one or more selected fields comprising at least one field selected from the group consisting of: a “FROM” field; a “TO” field; a “DATE” field; a “SIZE” field; a “SUBJECT” field; a “CC” field; a “BODY” field; an attachment type; an attachment name; a number of attachments; an attachment size; an inserted tag; an inserted message; an inserted banner; an inserted spam score; an email group designation; a user-defined field; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second message is formatted as a single message or a single script object having the information content for subsequent transmission using SMS or XMPP. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more selected fields are predetermined by one or more user settings of the mobile device or predetermined by an email service provider. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content should be provided further comprises configuring one or more user settings of the mobile device for selective display of the notification having information content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided further comprises at least one process selected from the group consisting of: modifying the first message, rejecting the first message, deleting the first message, redirecting the first message, archiving the first message, logging the first message, quarantining the first message, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of determining whether the notification having information content for the first message should be provided further comprises:
 filtering the first message using at least one filter of a plurality of filters, the at least filter selected from the group consisting of: a spam filter; a blacklist; an allowable message list; a prohibited message list; a user-defined security processes; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of receiving the first message, selecting one or more fields of the plurality of fields, creating the second message, encapsulating the second message as a data payload in the third message, providing the address header for the third message for the mobile device, and transmitting the third message are performed by an email application server. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information content of the notification further comprises a user response indication or link. 
     
     
         20 . A method of creating a notification for a mobile device, the notification having information content, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message of a plurality of messages, the plurality of messages transmitted using a Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) or an extension of SMTP, each message of the plurality of messages having a plurality of fields;   selecting one or more fields of the plurality of fields from the first message to extract a subset of information, the one or more selected fields having been predetermined, the one or more selected fields comprising at least one field selected from the group consisting of: a “FROM” field; a “TO” field; a “DATE” field; a “SIZE” field; a “SUBJECT” field; a “CC” field; a “BODY” field; and combinations thereof;   using the extracted subset of information, performing a lookup or query to obtain data used to transform the extracted subset of information into a second message comprising data to be used for the information content of the notification of the first message, the information content for subsequent transmission to the mobile device using an extension of Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), an Internet Protocol (IP), or both;   encapsulating the second message as a data payload in a third message having at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of: a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), an Internet Protocol (IP), Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) or an extension of XMPP, and combinations thereof;   providing an address header for the third message for the mobile device; and   transmitting the third message to a server for the extraction of the data payload and the subsequent transmission of the information content over a wireless network to the mobile device.