CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 09/087,623, entitled System and Method for Pushing Information from a Host System to a Mobile Data Communication Device, filed May 29, 1998, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention now U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,694.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed toward the field of replicating (or synchronizing) information from a host system where the information is normally stored to a mobile data communication device. More specifically, the system and method of the present invention provide an event-driven redirection computer program (redirector program) operating at the host system, which, upon sensing a particular user-defined event has occurred, redirects user-selected data items from the host system to the user's mobile data communication device. Upon receiving this redirected information at their mobile device, the user can then organize this data into hierarchies, commonly known as folders, and may also perform various other operations on the redirected data. These organizational and other operations are then synchronized back to the original host system for replication. The invention also provides for the synchronization of a storage representation model for storing the data in a hierarchy of folders at the host system and the mobile device.

Instead of warehousing (or storing) the user's data items at the host system and then synchronizing the mobile data communication device to data items stored at the host system when the mobile device requests that such items of information be communicated to it, the present invention employs a push paradigm that continuously packages and retransmits the user-selected items of information to the mobile data communication device in response to a triggering event detected at the host system. Wireless mobile data communications devices, especially those that can return a confirmation signal to the host that the pushed data has been received are especially well suited for this type of push paradigm.

Once the information is pushed to the device, the user can then read the information and file the information into its appropriate folder based on the contents of the information. Alternatively, the user can perform some other operation on the information. These operations, as well as the user's folder hierarchy for storing information at the mobile device, are then replicated back (synchronized) to the host system, which then automatically organizes the user's information into the same folder hierarchies (or replicates the other operations performed at the mobile device), thus saving the user from doing the action a second time at the host system. The synchronization of the message operations can be carried in real-time as the operations are being executed at the mobile device, or in a batch process when the mobile device is electrically coupled to the host system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Present systems and methods for replicating information from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device are typically synchronization systems in which the user's data items are warehoused (or stored) at the host system for an indefinite period of time and then transmitted in bulk only in response to a user request. In these types of systems and methods, when replication of the warehoused data items to the mobile device is desired, the user typically places the mobile device in an interface cradle that is electrically connected to the host system via some form of local, dedicated communication, such as a serial cable or an infrared or other type of wireless link. Alternatively, the user might have to perform a special connection action every so often that will synchronous all the pending items required by the user, provided they remember. Software executing on the mobile data communication device then transmits commands via the local communications link or a network link to the host system to cause the host to begin transmitting the user's data items for storage in a memory bank of the mobile device. In these synchronization schemes, the mobile unit pulls the warehoused information from the host system in a batch each time the user desires to replicate information between the two devices. Therefore, the two systems (host and mobile) only maintain the same data items after a user-initiated command sequence that causes the mobile device to download the data items from the host system.

Another major problem with the current pull-based systems is that the user must deal with the information all over again once the user returns to his office and accesses the information store at the host system. This situation occurs because the average user can get hundreds of pieces of electronic information a day. This is very common in e-mail systems where internal company mail, and external Internet mail, merge into one common mailbox creating a multitude of sources all merged into one location. As a result, once the user returns to their office, even though they may have seen and read the mail while traveling on their mobile device, they still have to re-read the messages and then organize the information into folders based upon the content. This results in user frustration, as the mobile device has not solved the problem of saving them time when the user returns to his office and accesses the information store at the host system.

A general problem with these known synchronization systems is that the only time that the user data items are replicated between the host system and the mobile data communication device is when the user commands the mobile device to download or pull the user data from the host system. Five minutes later a new message could be sent to the user, but the user would not receive that message until the next time the user fetches the user data items. Thus, a user may fail to respond to an emergency update or message because the user only periodically synchronizes the system, such as once per day.

Other problems with these systems include: (1) the amount of data to be reconciled between the host and the mobile device can become large if the user does not synchronize on a daily or hourly basis, leading to bandwidth difficulties, particularly when the mobile device is communicating via a wireless packet-switched network; (2) reconciling large amounts of data, as can accrue in these batch-mode synchronization systems, can require a great deal of communication between the host and the mobile device, thus leading to a more complex, costly and energy-inefficient system; and (3) the need to deal with the information a second time once the user returns to the office and accesses the information store at the host system. A more automated, continuous, efficient and reliable system of ensuring that user data items are replicated (synchronized) at the user's mobile device is therefore needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system operation on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the host system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.

As used in this application, the term host system refers to the computer where the redirector software is operating. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the host system is a user's desktop PC, although, alternatively, the host system could be a network server connected to the user's PC via a local-area network (LAN), or could be any other system that is in communication with the user's desktop PC.

A redirector program operating at the host system enables the user to redirect or mirror certain user-selected data items (or parts of 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. Once the data items are redirected to the user's mobile data communication device, the user may then organize and sort the items into folder hierarchies that are replicated at the host system. Once the user acts upon the redirected data items, such as by reading, organizing, replying or forwarding the data item from the mobile data communication device, the host system is then informed of these actions and automatically reflects the changes on the corresponding data item stored at the host system.

Operating at the host system are various sub-systems that can be configured to create triggering events, such as a screen saver sub-system or a keyboard sub-system, as well as sub-systems for repackaging the user's data items for transparent delivery to the mobile data device, such as a TCP/IP sub-system or one or more E-Mail sub-systems. Other sub-systems for creating triggering events and repackaging the user's data items could also be present at the host system. The host system also includes a primary memory store where the user's data items are normally stored with related information as to which folder the message might have originally been placed into.

Using the redirector program, the user can select certain data items for redirection, such as E-mail messages, calendar events, meeting notifications, address entries, journal entries, personal reminders, etc. The user can also select which folders get redirected to the mobile device. For example, the user may select that only data items in the Inbox and those in the company X folder shall be sent to the device. Having selected the data items for redirection, the user can then configure one or more event triggers to be sensed by the redirector program to initiate redirection of the user data items. These user-defined trigger points (or event triggers) include external events, internal events and networked events.

Examples of external events include: receiving a message from the user's mobile data communication device to begin redirection; receiving a similar message from some external computer; sensing that the user is no longer in the vicinity of the host system; or any other event that is external to the host system. Internal events could be a calendar alarm, screen saver activation, keyboard timeout, programmable timer, or any other user-defined event that is internal to the host system. Networked events are user-defined messages that are transmitted to the host system from another computer coupled to the host system via a network to initiate redirection. These are just some of the examples of the types of user-defined events that can trigger the redirector program to push data items from the host to the mobile device.

In addition to the functionality noted above, the redirector program provides a set of software-implemented control functions for determining the type of mobile data communication device and its address, for programming a preferred list of message types or folder names that are to be redirected, and for determining whether the mobile device can receive and process certain types of message attachments, such as word processor or voice attachments. The determination of whether a particular mobile device can receive and process attachments is initially configured by the user of that mobile device at the host system. This configuration can then be altered on a global or per message basis by transmitting a command message from the mobile device to the host system. If the redirector is configured so that the mobile data device cannot receive and process word processor or voice attachments, then the redirector routes these attachments to an external machine that is compatible with the particular attachment, such as a networked printer or fax machine or telephone. Other types of attachments could be redirected to other types of external machines in a similar fashion, depending upon the capabilities of the mobile device. For example, if a user is traveling and receives a message with an attachment that the user's mobile device can process or display, the user may from a mobile communications device send a command message to the host system indicating that that attachment is to be sent to a fax machine at a hotel where the user will be spending the evening. This enables the user to receive important E-mail attachments as long as the host system is provided with sufficient information about the destination where the attachment is to be forwarded.

Once an event has triggered redirection of the user data items, the host system then repackages these items in a manner that is transparent to the mobile data communication device, so that information on the mobile device appears similar to information on the user's host system. In additional to repackaging the information itself, the repackaging may also include properties about the message. This might include the folder from which the message has been detected and pushed to the device. The preferred repackaging method includes wrapping the user data items in an E-mail envelope that corresponds to the address of the mobile data communication device, although, alternatively, other repackaging methods could be used with the present invention, such as special-purpose TCP/IP wrapping techniques, or other methods of wrapping the user selected data items. The repackaging preferably results in E-mail messages appearing to come from the host system even though they are initiated at the mobile device, thus enabling the user to appear to have a single E-mail address, such that the recipients of messages sent from the mobile communications device do not know where the user was physically located when the message was first sent. The repackaging also permits both messages to the mobile device and sent from the mobile device to be encrypted and decrypted as well as compressed and decompressed.

In an alternative system and method, the redirector program executes on a network server, and the server is programmed to detect numerous redirection event triggers over the network from multiple user desktop computers coupled to the server via a LAN. The server can receive internal event triggers from each of the user desktops via the network, and can also receive external event triggers, such as messages from the users' mobile data communication devices. In response to receiving one of these triggers, the server redirects the user's data items to the proper mobile data communication device. The user data items and addressing information for a particular mobile device can be stored at the server or at the user's PC. Using this alternative configuration, one redirector program can serve a plurality of users. This alternative configuration could also include an internet- or intranet-based redirector program that could be accessible through a secure webpage or other user interface. The redirector program could be located on an Internet Service Provider's system and accessible only through the Internet.

In another alternative configuration of the present invention, a redirector program operates at both the host system and at the user's mobile data communication device. In this configuration, the user's mobile device operates similarly to the host system described below, and is configured in a similar fashion to push certain user-selected data items from the mobile device to the user's host system (or some other computer) upon detecting an event trigger at the mobile device. This configuration provides two-way pushing of information from the host to the mobile device and from the mobile device to the host.

Wireless mobile data communications devices, especially those that can return a confirmation signal to the host that the pushed data has been received, are especially well suited for this type of push paradigm. It is also possible for the mobile data communications device to include additional information with the confirmation signal, including, any one or more of the following actions, the fact that the message: has been read (the information associated therewith is a read signal); has been filed in a specific folder (the information associated therewith is a filed signal); has been forwarded to another recipient (the information associated therewith is a forward signal); or, has been replied to (the information associated therewith is a reply signal). These actions can then be synchronized with the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to perform these actions a second time. The action signals may advantageously be used to indicate the state of the message at the mobile.

One aspect of the invention, therefore, provides a method of indicating at the host system the state of the message at the mobile communications device. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) altering the state of a first message at the mobile communications device thereby creating an altered state; (B) forwarding a status signal to the host system; and, (C) changing at the host system a first message status icon based on the altered state at the mobile communications device. Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, the message status icon change indicates an altered state of the message at the mobile communication device.

One aspect of the invention, therefore, provides a method of indicating at the host system the state of the message at the mobile communications device. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) redirecting a first message from the host system to the mobile communications device, wherein the first message at the host system has a first message status icon; (B) receiving the redirected first message from the host system at the mobile communications device; (C) altering the state of the first message at the mobile communications device thereby creating an altered state; (D) forwarding a status signal to the host system; and, (E) changing at the host system the first message status icon based on the action taken at the mobile communications device.

One aspect of the invention provides a method of indicating at a first device, via the host system, the state of the message at the mobile communications device. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) redirecting a first message from the host system to the mobile communications device, wherein the first message at the host system has a first message status icon; (B) receiving the redirected first message from the host system at the mobile communications device; (C) altering the state of the first message at the mobile communications device thereby creating an altered state; (D) forwarding a status signal to the host system; and, (E) changing at the host system the first message status icon based on the action taken at the mobile communications device; and (F) forwarding a read-receipt to a read-receipt requester's device.

One aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing messages between a first system and a second system. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) retrieving a first folder hierarchy from the first system; (B) retrieving a second folder hierarchy from the second system; (C) synchronizing the second folder hierarchy to the first folder hierarchy; (D) retrieving a first plurality of messages from the first system, the first plurality of messages being stored in folders within the first folder hierarchy; (E) retrieving a second plurality of messages from the second system, the second plurality of messages being stored in folders within the second folder hierarchy; (F) comparing the first plurality of messages to the second plurality of messages to identify common messages stored in both the first and second folder hierarchies; (G) determining whether any of the common messages are stored in different folders in the first and second folder hierarchies; and (H) if a common message is located in different folders of the first and second folder hierarchies, then synchronizing the messages by moving the common message to a new folder within the first folder hierarchy or by moving the common message to a new folder within the second folder hierarchy.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing messages stored in a folder hierarchy at a host system and a corresponding folder hierarchy at a mobile data communication device. This method preferably includes the following steps: (A)receiving a message at the host system; (B) storing the message in a first folder of the folder hierarchy at the host system; (C) transmitting the message to the mobile data communication device; (D) storing the message in a first folder of the folder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device; (E) moving the message from the first folder to a second folder at the mobile data communication device; (F) coupling the mobile data communication device to the host system; (G) detecting that the message has been moved to the second folder at the mobile data communication device; and (H) in response to the detection step, moving the message from the first folder at the host system to a second folder of the folder hierarchy at the host system that corresponds to the second folder of the folder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device.

Still another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing messages stored in a folder hierarchy at a host system and a corresponding folder hierarchy at a mobile data communication device, comprising the steps of: (A) receiving a message at the host system; (B) storing the message in a first folder of the folder hierarchy at the host system; (C) transmitting the message to the mobile data communication device; (D) storing the message in a first folder of the folder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device; (E) moving the message from the first folder to a second folder at the mobile data communication device; (F) transmitting a move message from the mobile data communication device to the host system indicating that the message has been moved to the second folder at the mobile data communication device; and (G) receiving the move message at the host system and moving the message stored in the first folder at the host system to a second folder at the host system that corresponds to the second folder at the mobile data communication device.

Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing a first device to a second device, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a first folder hierarchy at the first device; (B) providing a second folder hierarchy at the second device; (C) synchronizing the second folder hierarchy to the first folder hierarchy; (D) retrieving a first plurality of messages stored within the first folder hierarchy and retrieving a second plurality of messages stored within the second folder hierarchy, wherein at least one of the first plurality of messages and at least one of the second plurality of messages are common messages; (E) determining whether the common messages are stored in similar folders within the first and second folder hierarchies; and (F) if the common messages are not stored in similar folders, then synchronizing the common messages so that they are stored in similar folders within the first and second folder hierarchies.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing a first device to a second device, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a first folder hierarchy at the first device; (B) providing a second folder hierarchy at the second device; (C) retrieving a first plurality of messages stored within the first folder hierarchy and retrieving a second plurality of messages stored within the second folder hierarchy; (D) determining whether the first device executed an operation on a message stored in the first folder hierarchy, and if so, then executing the same operation on a corresponding message stored in the second folder hierarchy at the second device.

Still another aspect of the invention provides a system for synchronizing messages between a first device and a second device, comprising: a pair of matching folders, one of the pair of matching folders being located on the first device, the other of the pair of matching folders being located on the second device; a pair of matching messages, one of the pair of matching messages being located on the first device, the other of the pair of matching messages being located on the second device; and means for moving the pair of messages such that if one of the pair of matching messages is moved to one of the pair of matching folders, the other matching message is moved to the other matching folder.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method for triggering the continuous and real-time redirection of user-selected data items from a host system to a mobile data communication device. Other advantages of the present invention include: (1) flexibility in defining the types of user data to redirect, and in defining a preferred list of message types and folder names that are to be redirected or preferred senders whose messages are to be redirected; (2) flexibility in configuring the system to respond to numerous internal, external and networked triggering events; (3) transparent repackaging of the user data items in a variety of ways such that the mobile data communication device appears as though it were the host system; (4) integration with other host system components such as E-mail, TCP/IP, keyboard, screen saver, webpages and certain programs that can either create user data items or be configured to provide trigger points; (5) the ability to operate locally on a user's desktop system or at a distance via a network server; (6) the ability to store folder hierarchies on the mobile data communications device so that user can organize the information during those periods when information is being redirected to said device; and (7) eliminating the need to organize the information a second time once the user returns to the office to work from their host system.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a software structure and method for managing messages between the mobile data communication device and the host system. The software provides a logical structure for folders and messages that can detect movement of messages between folders on either the mobile data communication device or the host system. This allows the user the flexibility to organize messages into folders on the mobile data communication device without having to replicate the organizational work on the host system, or vice versa. The folder and message software structure further provides the redirector program trigger signals for forwarding messages.

These are just a few of the many advantages of the present invention, as described in more detail below. As will be appreciated, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the redirection of user data items from a user's desktop PC (host system) to the user's mobile data communication device, where the redirector software is operating at the user's desktop PC.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the redirection of user data items from a network server (host system) to the user's mobile data communication device, where the redirector software is operating at the server.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the interaction of the redirector software with other components of the host system in FIG. 1 (the user's desktop PC) to enable the pushing of information from the host system to the user's mobile data communication device.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the steps carried out by the redirector software operating at the host system.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the steps carried out by the mobile data communication device to interface with the redirector software operating at the host system.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the logical structure of a folder and a message.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps of synchronizing folders and messages between the host system and the mobile data communication device.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the steps of assigning IDs to folders.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the steps of retrieving messages from the store.

FIGS. 10 A and B is a flow chart more specifically showing the steps of synchronizing messages between the host system and the mobile data communication device.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the steps of attaching a folder ID to a message.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the steps of moving a message locally on a device.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the steps of sending a move message to the host system after a message has been moved on the mobile device.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the steps of sending a move message from the host system to the mobile device after a message has been moved on the host system.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the steps of acting upon the move message command of FIG. 13 at the device.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the steps of acting upon the message move command of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the steps of deleting a message.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the steps of purging a message.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing the steps of generating a folder list for redirecting messages received at a store.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing the steps of redirecting a message received and filed in the folder list of FIG. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an example system diagram showing the redirection of user data items (such as message A or C) from a user's office PC (host system) 10 to the user's mobile data communication device 24, where the redirector software 12 is operating at the user's PC. Message A in FIG. 1 represents an internal message sent from desktop 26 to the user's host system 10 via LAN 14. Message C in FIG. 1 represents an external message from a sender that is not directly connected to LAN 14, such as the user's mobile data communication device 24, some other user's mobile device (not shown), or any user connected to the Internet 18. Message C also represents a command message from the user's mobile data communication device 24 to the host system 10. As described in more detail in FIG. 3, the host system 10 preferably includes, along with the typical hardware and software associated with a workstation or desktop computer, the redirector program 12, a TCP/IP subsystem 42, a primary message store 40, an E-mail subsystem 44, a screen saver subsystem 48, and a keyboard subsystem 46.

In FIG. 1, the host system 10 is the user's desktop system, typically located in the user's office. The host system 10 is connected to a LAN 14, which also connects to other computers 26, 28 that may be in the user's office or elsewhere. The LAN 14, in turn, is connected to a wide area network (WAN) 18, preferably the Internet, which is defined by the use of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to exchange information, but which, alternatively could be any other type of WAN. The connection of the LAN 14 to the WAN 18 is via high bandwidth link 16, typically a T1 or T3 connection. The WAN 18, in turn, is connected to a variety of gateways 20, via connections 32. A gateway forms a connection or bridge between the WAN 18 and some other type of network, such as an RF wireless network, cellular network, satellite network, or other synchronous or asynchronous land-line connection.

In the example of FIG. 1, a wireless gateway 20 is connected to the Internet for communicating via wireless link 22 to a plurality of wireless mobile data communication devices 24. Also shown in FIG. 1 is machine 30, which could be a FAX machine, a printer, a system for displaying images (such as video) or a machine capable of processing and playing audio files, such as a voice mail system. The present invention includes the ability to redirect certain message attachments to such an external machine 30 if the redirector program configuration data reflects that the mobile device 24 cannot receive and process the attachments, or if the user has specified that certain attachments are not to be forwarded to mobile device 24, even if such device can process those attachments. By way of example, consider an E-mail sent to a user that includes three attachmentsa word processing document, a video clip and an audio clip. The redirection program could be configured to send the text of the E-mail to the remote device, to send the word processing document to a networked printer located near the user, to send the video clip to a store accessible through a secure connection through the Internet, and to send the audio clip to the user's voice mail system. This example is not intended to limit the breadth and scope of the invention, but rather to illustrate the variety of possibilities embodied in the redirection concept.

The preferred mobile data communication device 24 is a hand-held two-way wireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, a mobile telephone with data messaging capabilities, or a wirelessly enabled laptop computer, but could, alternatively be other types of mobile data communication devices capable of sending and receiving messages via a network connection 22. Although it is preferable for the system to operate in a two-way communications mode, certain aspects of the invention could be beneficially used in a one and one-half or acknowledgment paging environment, or even with a one-way paging system. The mobile data communication device 24 includes software program instructions that work in conjunction with the redirector program 12 to enable the seamless, transparent redirection of user-selected data items. FIG. 4 describes the basic method steps of the redirector program 12, and FIG. 5 describes the steps of the corresponding program operating at the mobile device 24.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, not explicitly shown in the drawings, the mobile device 24 also includes a redirector program. In this embodiment, user selected data items can be replicated from the host to the mobile device and vice versa. The configuration and operation of the mobile device 24 having a redirector program is similar to that described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4.

A user of the present invention can configure the redirector program 12 to push certain user-selected data items to the user's mobile data communication device 24 when the redirector 12 detects that a particular user-defined event trigger (or trigger point) has taken place. User-selected data items preferably include E-mail messages, calendar events, meeting notifications, address entries, journal entries, personal alerts, alarms, warnings, stock quotes, news bulletins, etc., but could, alternatively, include any other type of message that is transmitted to the host system 10, or that the host system 10 acquires through the use of intelligent agents, such as data that is received after the host system 10 initiates a search of a database or a website or a bulletin board. In some instances, only a portion of the data item is transmitted to the mobile device 24 in order to minimize the amount of data transmitted via the wireless network 22. In these instances, the mobile device 24 can optionally send a command message to the host system to receive more or all of the data item if the user desires to receive it.

The user-defined event triggers that can be detected by the redirector program 12 preferably include external events, internal events and networked events. External events preferably include: (1) receiving a command message (such as message C) from the user's mobile data communication device to begin redirection, or to execute some other command at the host, such as a command to enable the preferred list mode, or to add or subtract a particular sender from the preferred list; (2) receiving a similar message from some external computer; and (3) sensing that the user is no longer in the vicinity of the host system; although, alternatively, an external event can be any other detectable occurrence that is external to the host system. Internal events could be a calendar alarm, screen saver activation, keyboard timeout, programmable timer, or any other user-defined event that is internal to the host system. Networked events are user-defined messages that are transmitted to the host system from another computer coupled to the host system via a network to initiate redirection. These are just some of the events that could be used with the present invention to initiate replication of the user-selected data items from the host system 10 to the mobile device 24.

FIG. 1 shows an E-mail message A being communicated over LAN 14 from computer 26 to the user's desktop system 10 (also shown in FIG. 1 is an external message C, which could be an E-mail message from an Internet user, or could be a command message from the user's mobile device 24). Once the message A (or C) reaches the primary message store of the host system 10, it can be detected and acted upon by the redirection software 12. The redirection software 12 can use many methods of detecting new messages. The preferred method of detecting new messages is using Microsoft's Messaging API (MAPI), in which programs, such as the redirector program 12, register for notifications or advise syncs when changes to a mailbox take place. Other methods of detecting new messages could also be used with the present invention.

Assuming that the redirector program 12 is activated, and has been configured by the user (either through the sensing of an internal, network or external event) to replicate certain user data items (including messages of type A or C) to the mobile device 24, when the message A is received at the host system 10, the redirector program 12 detects its presence and prepares the message for redirection to the mobile device 24. In preparing the message A for redirection, the redirector program 12 could compress the original message A, could compress the message header, or could encrypt the entire message A to create a secure link to the mobile device 24.

Also programmed into the redirector 12 is the address of the user's mobile data communication device 24, the type of device, and whether the device 24 can accept certain types of attachments, such as word processing or voice attachments. If the user's type of mobile device cannot accept these types of attachments, then the redirector 12 can be programmed to route the attachments to a fax or voice number where the user is located using an attached fax or voice machine 30.

The redirector may also be programmed with a preferred list mode that is configured by the user either at the host system 10, or remotely from the user's mobile data communication device by transmitting a command message C. The preferred list contains a list of senders (other users) whose messages are to be redirected or a list of message characteristics that determine whether a message is to be redirected. If activated, the preferred list mode causes the redirector program 12 to operate like a filter, only redirecting certain user data items based on whether the particular data item was sent from a sender on the preferred list or has certain message characteristics that if present will trigger or suppress redirection of the message.

In the example of FIG. 1, if desktop system 26 was operated by a user on the preferred list of host system 10, and the preferred list option was activated, then message A would be redirected. If, however, desktop 26 was operated by a user not on the host system's preferred list, then message A would not be redirected, even if the user of the host system had configured the redirector to push messages of type A. The user of the host system 10 can configure the preferred list directly from the desktop system, or, alternatively, the user can send a command message (such as C) from the mobile device 24 to the desktop system 10 to activate the preferred list mode, or to add or delete certain senders or message characteristics from the preferred list that was previously configured. It should be appreciated that a redirection program could combine message characteristics and preferred sender lists to result in a more finely-tuned filter. Messages marked as low priority or that are simple return receipts or message read receipts, for example, could always be suppressed from redirection while messages from a particular sender would always be redirected.

After the redirector has determined that a particular message should be redirected, and it has prepared the message for redirection, the software 12 then sends the message A to a secondary memory store located in the mobile device 24, using whatever means are necessary. In the preferred embodiment this method is to send the message A back over the LAN 14, WAN 18, and through the wireless gateway 20 to the mobile data communication device 24. In doing so, the redirector preferably repackages message A as an E-mail with an outer envelope B that contains the addressing information of the mobile device 24, although alternative repackaging techniques and protocols could be used, such as a TCP/IP repackaging and delivery method (most commonly used in the alternative server configuration shown in FIG. 2). The wireless gateway 20 requires this outer envelope information B in order to know where to send the redirected message A. Once the message (A in B) is received by the mobile device 24, the outer envelope B is removed and the original message A is placed in the secondary memory store within the mobile device 24. By repackaging and removing the outer envelope in this manner, the present invention causes the mobile computer 24 to appear to be at the same physical location as the host system 10, thus creating a transparent system.

In the case where message C is representative of an external message from a computer on the Internet 18 to the host system 10, and the host 10 has been configured to redirect messages of type C, then in a similar manner to message A, message C would be repackaged with an outer envelope B and transmitted to the user's mobile device 24. In the case where message C is representative of a command message from the user's mobile device 24 to the host system 10, then the command message C is not redirected, but is acted upon by the host system 10.

If the redirected user data item is an E-mail message, as described above, the user at the mobile device 24 sees the original subject, sender's address, destination address, carbon copy and blind carbon copy. When the user replies to this message, or when the user authors a new message, the software operating at the mobile device 24 adds a similar outer envelope to the reply message (or the new message) to cause the message to be routed first to the user's host system 10, which then removes the outer envelope and redirects the message to the final destination, such as back to computer 26. In the preferred embodiment, this results in the outgoing redirected message from the user's host system 10 being sent using the E-mail address of the host mailbox, rather than the address of the mobile device, so that it appears to the recipient of the message that the message originated from the user's desktop system 10 rather than the mobile data communication device. Any replies to the redirected message will then be sent to the desktop system 10, which if it is still in redirector mode, will repackage the reply and resend it to the user's mobile data device, as described above.

FIG. 2 is an alternative system diagram showing the redirection of user data items from a network server 11 to the user's mobile data communication device 24, where the redirector software 12 is operating at the server 11. This configuration is particularly advantageous for use with message servers such as Microsoft's Exchange Server, which is normally operated so that all user messages are kept in one central location or mailbox store on the server instead of in a store within each user's desktop PC. This configuration has the additional advantage of allowing a single system administrator to configure and keep track of all users having messages redirected. If the system includes encryption keys, these too can be kept at one place for management and update purposes.

In this alternative configuration, server 11 preferably maintains a user profile for each user's desktop system 10, 26, 28, including information such as whether a particular user can have data items redirected, which types of message and information to redirect, what events will trigger redirection, the address of the users' mobile data communication device 24, the type of mobile device, and the user's preferred list, if any. The event triggers are preferably detected at the user's desktop system 10, 26, 28 and can be any of the external, internal or network events listed above. The desktop systems 10, 26, 28 preferably detect these events and then transmit a message to the server computer 11 via LAN 14 to initiate redirection. Although the user data items are preferably stored at the server computer 11 in this embodiment, they could, alternatively, be stored at each user's desktop system 10, 26, 28, which would then transmit them to the server computer 11 after an event has triggered redirection.

As shown in FIG. 2, desktop system 26 generates a message A that is transmitted to and stored at the host system 11, which is the network server operating the redirector program 12. The message A is for desktop system 10, but in this embodiment, user messages are stored at the network server 11. When an event occurs at desktop system 10, an event trigger is generated and transmitted to the network server 11, which then determines who the trigger is from, whether that desktop has redirection capabilities, and if so, the server (operating the redirector program) uses the stored configuration information to redirect message A to the mobile computer 24 associated with the user of desktop system 10.

As described above with reference to FIG. 1, message C could be either a command message from a user's mobile data communication device 24, or it could be a message from an external computer, such as a computer connected to the Internet 18. If the message C is from an Internet computer to the user's desktop system 10, and the user has redirection capabilities, then the server 11 detects the message C, repackages it using electronic envelope B, and redirects the repackaged message (C in B) to the user's mobile device 24. If the message C is a command message from the user's mobile device 24, then the server 11 simply acts upon the command message.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a block diagram showing the interaction of the redirector software 12 with additional components of the host system 10 of FIG. 1 (the desktop PC) to enable more fully the pushing of information from the host system 10 to the user's mobile data communication device 24 is set forth. These additional components are illustrative of the type of event-generating systems that can be configured and used with the redirector software 12, and of the type of repackaging systems that can be used to interface with the mobile communication device 24 to make it appear transparent to the user.

The desktop system 10 is connected to LAN 14, and can send and receive data, messages, signals, event triggers, etc., to and from other systems connected to the LAN 14 and to external networks 18, 22, such as the Internet or a wireless data network, which are also coupled to the LAN 14. In addition to the standard hardware, operating system, and application programs associated with a typical microcomputer or workstation, the desktop system 10 includes the redirector program 12, a TCP/IP sub-system 42, an E-mail sub-system 44, a primary data storage device 40, a screen saver sub-system 48, and a keyboard sub-system 46. The TCP/IP and E-mail subsystems 42, 44 are examples of repackaging systems that can be used to achieve the transparency of the present invention, and the screen saver and keyboard sub-systems 46, 48 are examples of event generating systems that can be configured to generate event messages or signals that trigger redirection of the user selected data items.