US 2003O23.1207A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2003/0231207 A1 Huang (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 18, 2003
(54) PERSONAL E-MAIL SYSTEM AND METHOD Publication Classification (76) Inventor: Baohua Huang, Fremont, CA (US) (51) Int. Cl...... G09G 5/00 Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl...... 345/752 RICHARD B. MAIN PATENT ATTORNEY 422 CAROLINALANE (57) ABSTRACT PALO ALTO, CA 94.306 (US) A personal e-mail System comprises an ad-hoc computer (21) Appl. No.: 10/147,881 host platform loaded with a personal e-mail application (22) Filed: May 20, 2002 program. The host has Internet acceSS and a user has previously established e-mail accounts at a variety of pro Related U.S. Application Data vider Sites. The user is periodically delivered e-mail mes Sages that are collected from Such provider Sites, and Such (60) Provisional application No. 60/374,276, filed on Apr. are displayed according to any display limitations that exist 22, 2002. Provisional application No. 60/370,615, with the particular host platform. The personal e-mail appli filed on Apr. 9, 2002. Provisional application No. 60/370,616, filed on Apr. 9, 2002. Provisional appli cation program automatically and dynamically adjusts the cation No. 60/371.248, filed on Apr. 10, 2002. Pro protocols it uses to Suit the particular provider Site it is visional application No. 60/370,618, filed on Apr. 9, accessing, and uses user-provided user names and pass 2002. Provisional application No. 60/370,617, filed words to access the provider Site to appear as if the user on Apr. 9, 2002. Provisional application No. 60/367, themselves has properly logged in. The personal e-mail 249, filed on Mar. 26, 2002. Provisional application application program then can Send responses or issue new No. 60/371,247, filed on Apr. 10, 2002. Provisional messages that are accepted by the provider Site and issued by application No. 60/366,942, filed on Mar. 25, 2002. it as if originated from there.
business email john doeGcompany.com MAP
home MSN email Pocket PCPDA PDA/cellphone john doeGmsn.com WAP-cellphone personal email service MSN Web Mail personal computer desktop computer Internet appliances
spam and virus detection personal HOTMAIL john doe?hotmail.com HOTMAIL 134 ( 00 deleted items 136
personal AOL email john doeGaol.com AOL
other ISP email john doeGmyisp.com POP3
Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 2 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003. Sheet 3 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 4 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
408
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400 7-40 410
Sa WAP engine device OS
browser detection 412 402 / attachment engine host platform 414 dynamic page graphics building engine
Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003. Sheet 5 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
OOGG-61-I Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 6 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
Fig.6 600 1.
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O O Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003. Sheet 7 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
original outgoing Fig. 7 7OO e-mail data 1. gauranteed e-mail pre-processing
gauranteed processed e-mail
outgoing e-mail data database
time Control
e-mail abstraction
attempt SUCCeSS delivery delivery recording
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all delivery attempts failed
recipient i reads it d a-3 O elivery after a successful recipient's recording delivery computer Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003. Sheet 8 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
Fig. 8 8OO 1. e-mail USeae and password/
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e-mail transactions Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 9 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
e-mail USaale and password Fig. 9 900
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1OOO original Outgoing encryption / e-mail data password
e-mail encryption Fig. 10
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Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 11 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
HOTMAL Sas and password
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HOTMAIL log-in redirector redirect HOTMA authentication SerWer
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Microsoft Passport SerWer
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HOTMAL e-mail Sever Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 12 of 14 US 2003/023.1207 A1
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MSN Webmail e-mail SeVer Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 13 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1 Fig. 13 1300
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log onto AOL IMAP server and retrieve e-mail Patent Application Publication Dec. 18, 2003 Sheet 14 of 14 US 2003/0231207 A1
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1416 1446 eOr error authenticated processing authenticated processing
regular regular Fig. 14A1450 e-mail e-mail S-1 transactions transactions US 2003/023.1207 A1 Dec. 18, 2003
PERSONAL E-MAIL SYSTEM AND METHOD .net, Netscape.net Free Web Mail (netscape.net), Netscap e.net Premium POP (netscape.net), Netzero (netzero.net), BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pacific Bell Internet (pacbell.net), Palm.net (palm.net), pcc.net, Pipeline (pipeline.com), Prodigy (prodigy.net), 0001) 1. Field of the Invention Smallville Communication (toto.net), SouthWestern Bell 0002 The present invention relates to Internet e-mail, (Swbell.net), Sprint Canada (Sprint.ca), Sprynet (Sprynet and more particularly to methods and devices for Single .com), Surf Best.Net (Surfbest.net), Sympatico (sk. Sympati point accessing the e-mail accounts of a Single individual co.ca), The Grid (the grid.net), Usa.net (netaddress.com), hosted at a variety of diverse and proprietary mail Servers on Usa.net (netaddress.usa.net), US Internet (usit.net), Web the Internet. Com (webcom.com), WebCombo (webcombo.net), WebTV (webtv.net), Yahoo (yahoo.com), etc. 0003 2. Description of Related Art 0009. As a result, a large number of e-mail users will 0004 At the beginning of electronic-mail (e-mail) use in have e-mail accounts at Several, incompatible places. Col the United States, each user had one personal computer (PC) lecting and Sending mail from these diverse accounts and they used it to access their one and only e-mail Server. requires logging into each and providing proper protocol, Collecting one’s e-mail was Simple. Later, users Signed up user names, and passwords. The chore can be onerous, and with more than one e-mail Server. But it was still pretty easy if the user is on the road away from home or office, it can be to access each e-mail Server Sequentially from the user-PC impossible because the available user-computer platforms and answer messages. Application programs like OUT may not be compatible or not logged-on through the LOOK EXPRESS and EUDORA facilitated Such access. required IP-addresses. Users also got more than one PC, and this too allowed the 0010 Personal digital assistants (PDA's) and cellphones Second PC to log on to each e-mail Server one at a time. But are also now Starting to provide e-mail access. In the case of if one of the PC's removed the messages from the server, it cellphones, Some have Internet browser capability, but their was no longer visible to the second PC. tiny displayS prevent effective Internet Surfing. So Special 0005 E-mail has become an indispensable part of the ized and proprietary e-mail graphical user interfaces (GUIs) way many people conduct their business and personal lives. have appeared to Support Such PDA and cellphone e-mail Businesses recognize this and provide corporate e-mail users. Such devices are very compelling because they are So accounts for their employees. Such businesses routinely mobile and ubiquitous. But trying to use them to access restrict the employee's use of the business e-mail accounts e-mail accounts on enterprise, AOL, MSN, HOTMAIL, and to business use, and even go far as to police the use by other ISP, and combinations of these has proved difficult. monitoring messages. So individuals get their own personal 0011 So, companies like ONEBOX.COM provide a e-mail accounts away from the office. mail-grabber product that allows users to get e-mail, Voice 0006 A wide variety of Internet Service Providers e-mail, fax, and Voicemail, all in one place. Such “unified (ISPs) now provide monthly subscription access for indi messaging combines a user's voice, fax, e-mail, conferenc viduals and Small businesses to the Internet. These accounts ing, and mobile communications into one Seamless platform. always come with their own e-mail addresses and e-mail Onebox consolidates Voicemail, email and faxes into one Servers. Many Such instances use Standard mail protocols, mailbox, accessible by computer or phone. A Single graphi such as post office protocol three (POP3), and can be readily cal user interface (GUI) is presented for all messages. The accessed by Outlook Express, Eudora, and other e-mail ONEBOX product accesses each e-mail server a user has an application programs. But many ISPs have proprietary account with, and collects them all at an inbox at the e-mail Servers that require the user to be logged into their ONEBOX website. Answers to messages issue from the Internal URL-page on a browser, e.g., HOTMAIL, MSN, ONEBOX server. Therefore, a user must always check both WEBMAIL, etc. Still others require that the user be logged the original e-mail server and the ONEBOX server to see if into the particular ISP's dial-in or DSL modem before any any further responses were received. access or any e-mails can be sent, e.g., America On-Line 0012 Openwave Systems, Inc. (Redwood City, Calif. (AOL). Such requirements are enforced via proprietary, openwave.com) markets IP-based communications infra secret mail protocols and restricted Internet Protocol (IP) Structure Software and applications, e.g., Openwave Unified Source addresses. Messaging. Subscribers can acceSS Voice, fax and email 0007 Popular ISP's in use in the United States include: messages from a single mailbox using a wireline phone, wireless phone, Internet-enabled mobile phone, or PC. 0008 21stcentury.net, America Online (aol.com), ATT Openwave's Solution offerS Subscribers an easy to use Broadband (attbi.com), ATT WorldNet (worldnet.att.net or application with a consistent user interface and fully inte att.net), BellSouth (bellsouth.net), Comcast (comcast.net), grated PIM. Openwave Unified Messaging enables “Voice CompuServe 2000 (cs.com), CompuServe Classic (com mail Anywhere', allowing users to forward Voice messages puServe.com), concentric.net, chicagonet.net, core.com, to anyone with an email address. In addition, users can corecomm.net, Delta Net (deltanet.com), Earthlink (earth "Reply-by-Voice” to any message, and can personalize the link.net), FreeServe (freeserve.net), Gateway (gateway.net), Service So that they are notified of urgent emails or voice (Ghome (home.com), Hotmail (hotmail.com), IHug (ihug messages via PC, telephone, or pager. .com.au), interaccess.com, Internet America (airmail.net), ion ET (ionet.net), itol.com, MauiNet (maui.net), MediaOne 0013 For remote delivery, the transport software used (mediaone.net), MindSpring (mindspring.com), MSN POP depends on the nature of the link. Mail delivered over a Mail (msn.com), MSN Web Mail (msn.com), NetCom (net network using TCP/IP commonly uses Simple Mail Transfer com.com.com), Netcom Canada (netcom.ca), netexpress Protocol (SMTP), which is described in RFC-821. The US 2003/023.1207 A1 Dec. 18, 2003
SIMPLE MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL was published in mail data it responds with an OK reply. The dialog is a Request for Comments (RFC) by Jonathan B. Postel, purposely lock-step, one-at-a-time. The SMTP provides August 1982, at the Information Sciences Institute, Univer mechanisms for the transmission of mail. Directly from the sity of Southern California. It is now Superceded by RFC Sending user's host to the receiving user's host when the two 2821. SMTP was designed to deliver mail directly to a host are connected to the same transport Service. Or via one recipient's machine, negotiating the message transfer with or more relay SMTP-servers when the source and destina the remote side's SMTP daemon. Today it is common tion hosts are not connected to the same transport Service. To practice for organizations to establish Special hosts that be able to provide the relay capability the SMTP-server must accept all mail for recipients in the organization and for that be Supplied with the name of the ultimate destination host as host to manage appropriate delivery to the intended recipi well as the destination mailbox name. The argument to the ent. MAIL command is a reverse-path, which specifies who the mail is from. The argument to the RCPT command is a 0.014 SMTP is independent of the particular transmission forward-path, which specifies who the mail is to. The Subsystem and requires only a reliable ordered data Stream forward-path is a Source route, while the reverse-path is a channel. While this document specifically discusses trans port over TCP, other transports are possible. Appendices to return route. Such may be used to return a message to the RFC 821 describe Some of them. Sender when an error occurs with a relayed message. 0018 When the same message is sent to multiple recipi 0015. An important feature of SMTP is its capability to ents, SMTP encourages the transmission of only one copy of transport mail acroSS networks, usually referred to as the data for all the recipients at the same destination host. “SMTP mail relaying” (RFC-2821 section 3.8). A network The mail commands and replies have a rigid Syntax. Replies consists of the mutually-TCP-accessible hosts on the public also have a numeric code. A command or reply word may be Internet, the mutually-TCP-accessible hosts on a firewall upper case, lower case, or any mixture of upper and lower isolated TCP/IP Intranet, or hosts in Some other LAN or case. Such is not true of mailbox user names. For Some hosts WAN environment utilizing a non-TCP transport-level pro the user name is case sensitive, and SMTP implementations tocol. Using SMTP, a process can transfer mail to another must preserve the case of user names as they appear in proceSS on the same network or to Some other network via mailbox arguments. Host names are not case Sensitive. a relay or gateway process accessible to both networks. In this way, a mail message may pass through a number of 0019. There are three steps to SMTP mail transactions. intermediate relay or gateway hosts on its path from Sender The transaction is started with a MAIL command which to ultimate recipient. The Mail eXchanger mechanisms of the gives the sender identification. A series of one or more RCPT domain name System are used to identify the appropriate commands follows giving the receiver information. Then a next-hop destination for a message being transported. DATA command gives the mail data. And finally, the end of mail data indicator confirms the transaction. The first Step in 0016 E-mail addresses are made up of at least two parts. the procedure is the MAIL command. The
be resumed. SMTP indicates the end of the mail data by 0032 FIG.3 represents a virtual “one box” e-mail solu Sending a line containing only a period. A transparency tion, and represents one way to implement the System of procedure is used to prevent this from interfering with the FIG. 2; user's text. The mail data includes the memo header items such as Date, Subject, To, Cc, From. The end of mail data 0033 FIG. 4 is a diagram of a single interface technology indicator also confirms the mail transaction and tells the that provides one Standardized user interface for the same receiver-SMTP to now process the stored recipients and mail user experience on any mobile or desktop device and data. If accepted, the receiver-SMTP returns a 250 OK reply. computer, The DATA command should fail only if the mail transaction 0034 FIG. 5 is a diagram of a smart spam filter which was incomplete, e.g., no recipients, or if resources are not processes incoming raw and decoded e-mail data, and is one available. way to implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0035 FIG. 6 illustrates a smart spam mechanism method 0023. An object of embodiments of the present invention embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to is to provide a System and method for automatically acceSS implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; ing all the e-mail accounts of a particular user no matter 0036 FIG. 7 illustrates a guaranteed e-mail mechanism where hosted. method embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; 0024. Another object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a System and method for responding 0037 FIG. 8 illustrates an e-mail abstraction layer to e-mail messages from the e-mail Server that handled the embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to original incoming message. implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; 0.025 A further object of embodiments of the present 0038 FIG. 9 represents a typical email session using the invention is to provide a System and method for accessing abstraction layer, and is one way to implement a part of the and responding to e-mail messages on a wide diversity of system of FIG. 2; Standard and proprietary e-mail Servers from whatever hard 0039 FIG. 10 represents an encrypted e-mail processor ware/Software platform the user presently has at their dis embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to posal. implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; 0.026 Briefly, a personal e-mail embodiment of the present invention comprises an ad-hoc computer host plat 0040 FIG. 11 represents a HOTMAIL system access form loaded with a personal e-mail application program. The method embodiment of the present invention, and is one way host has Internet acceSS and a user has previously estab to implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; lished e-mail accounts at a variety of provider Sites. The user 0041 FIG. 12 represents an MSN Webmail system is periodically delivered e-mail messages that are collected acceSS method embodiment of the present invention, and is from Such provider Sites, and Such are displayed according one way to implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; to any display limitations that exist with the particular host platform. The personal e-mail application program auto 0042 FIG. 13 represents an AOL system access method matically and dynamically adjusts the protocols it uses to embodiment of the present invention, and is one way to Suit the particular provider Site it is accessing, and uses implement a part of the system of FIG. 2; and user-provided user names and passwords to access the 0043 FIGS. 14A and 14B represent an MSN POP sys provider Site to appear as if the user themselves has properly tem acceSS method embodiment of the present invention, logged in. The personal e-mail application program then can and Suggest one way to implement that part of the System of Send responses or issue new messages that are accepted by FG, 2. the provider Site and issued by it as if originally from there. 0027. An advantage of the present invention is a method DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE and device are provided for improved e-mail access. INVENTION 0028. Another advantage of the present invention is that 0044 FIG. 1 represents a personal e-mail system a method and device are provided that Simplify the chore embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to experienced by a user in collecting e-mail messages from a herein by the general reference numeral 100. The system variety of Service providers. 100 provides e-mail account access to remote Internet sites from an ad-hoc computer platform 102. For example, Such 0029 Such and still further objects, features, and advan ad-hoc computer platform 102 can be a Palm-type personal tages of the present invention will become apparent upon digital assistant (PDA), Pocket personal computer (PC) consideration of the following detailed description of Spe PDA, PDA/cellphone, WAP-cellphone, PC or Macintosh, cific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in con desktop computer, Internet appliance, etc. Whatever the user junction with the accompanying drawings. has handy and available. A personal e-mail Service program BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 104 is hosted on the ad-hoc computer platform 102 and provides centralized and automatic e-mail account acceSS 0030 FIG. 1 is a dataflow diagram of a personal e-mail from corporate, Internet Service Provider (ISP), and web System embodiment of the present invention; based e-mail servers. A spam and virus filter 106 protects the 0.031 FIG. 2 is a function block diagram of a personal personal e-mail Service program 104 from unwanted mes e-mail System embodiment of the present invention, and Sages and computer infections. Access is generally over an represents one way to implement the system of FIG. 1; Internet connection 107, which can be digital subscriber link US 2003/023.1207 A1 Dec. 18, 2003
(DSL), dial-up modem, wireless, local area network (LAN), process and Strips out the important parts of e-mail messages etc. The personal e-mail Service program 104 is provided to trafficking through the system 100. Such is supported by a the user as a one-time-purchase, monthly Subscription, per guaranteed e-mail Service 222 and encrypted e-mail Service use fee, shareware, or freeware, according a busineSS agree 224. Specific e-mail accounts on the Internet are accessed an ment. Such personal e-mail Service program 104 can be IMAP engine 226, an e-mail sender 228, a HOTMAIL preloaded in the ad-hoc computer platform 102, downloaded engine 230, an MSN Webmail engine 232, an AOL engine from the Internet, or installed from disk. The user then 234, etc. Details on Several of these processors, engines, and provides account identification (user-ID) and password to Services are described in more detail in connection with use with a variety of mail Server Sites, e.g., a company FIGS. 3-13. Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) 108, MSN Web 0049 FIG.3 represents a virtual “one box” e-mail solu mail 110, HOTMAIL 112, America On-Line (AOL) 114, and tion 300 that begins with whatever user computer platform other ISP accounts (POP3) 116. 302 is available. A personal e-mail application 304 is hosted 0.045. In the example of FIG. 1, the personal e-mail on the platform 302 to access all e-mail accounts that a Service program 104 accesses inbox, draft, Sent-item, bulk particular user, e.g., John Doe, may have at various mail e-mail, and deleted item folders, on behalf of the user. servers. For example, an ordinary POP3 account 306 could Access to the company IMAP 108 will allow communica be hosted at an ISP named myisp.com. An INBOX 307 is tion with inbox folder 118, draft folder 119, sent-item folder accessible there. A business e-mail account 308 is hosted at 120, bulk e-mail folder 121, and deleted item folder 122. a company mail Server with IMAP mail protocol rules, e.g., Similarly, access to the MSN Webmail 110 will allow john doe(Gcompany.com. Such account has an INBOX communication with inbox folder 124, draft folder 125, folder 309, a drafts folder 310, a sent-items folder 311, an sent-item folder 126, bulk e-mail folder 127, and deleted archives folder 312, and a trash folder 313. An MSN item folder 128. Access to the HOTMAIL 112 will allow Webmail account 314 is accessed with e-mail address, communication with inbox folder 130, draft folder 131, john doe(a.msn.com. Such account has an INBOX 315, a sent-item folder 132, bulk e-mail folder 133, and deleted drafts folder 316, a sent-items folder 316, a bulk e-mail item folder 134. The AOL account 114 has an inbox 136, a folder 318, and a deleted items folder 318. A HOTMAIL sent items 137, and trash 138. Other POP3 accounts 116, account 320 is accessed with e-mail address, e.g., john doe(amyisp.com, will have at least an inbox 139. john doe(ahotmail.com. Such account has an INBOX321, A typical user, John Doe, can therefore access the Servers in a drafts folder 322, a sent-items folder 323, a bulk e-mail which e-mail was delivered to any and all of folder 324, and a deleted items folder 325. A personal AOL john doe(Gcompany.com, john doeGmSn.com, account 326 is accessed at e-mail address, john doeGhotmail.com, john doeGaol.com, and john doe(a.aol.com. Such account has an INBOX 327, a john doeGmyisp.com. Their responses will all actually or sent-items folder 328, and a trash folder 329. appear to come from those respective e-mail Servers. Detailed information on the use and operation of Such 0050. The purpose of personal e-mail application 304 is embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the to gather all the remote folders to local resources within, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application of the present inventor, then to send items back out to the original accounts 306,308, Baohua HUANG, serial No. 60/374,276, filed Apr. 22, 2002, 314,320, and 326. It does this by authenticating against each titled PERSONAL E-MAIL SYSTEM. Such is incorporated original account into accepting the personal e-mail applica tion 304 as a live, authorized user who has properly logged herein by reference. in. The personal e-mail application 304 has an INBOX 330, 0.046 FIG. 2 represents a personal e-mail system its own IMAP account 332, a my-company folder 334, a embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to my-MSN folder 336, a drafts folder 338, a sent items folder herein by the general reference numeral 200. The system 340, a spam folder 342, a trash folder 344, a my-HOTMAIL 200 provides e-mail account access to remote e-mail Servers. folder 346, and a my-AOL folder 348. These let the user A host platform 202 is provided with a single interface 204 direct which folders and accounts 306-329 are accessed and that allows users to display and manipulate their e-mails in how messages are to be responded to. a Standardized way. A core logic 206 provides an interface and Some data manipulation. An e-mail messaging rules 0051 FIG. 4 details a single interface technology 400 processor 208 provides a standardized SMTP electronic mail that provides one Standardized user interface for the same RFC-821-type of e-mail interface from the many incompat user experience on any mobile or desktop device and ible e-mail types being transferred at lower levels, e.g., computer. The user only should learn the user interface once and the knowledge can be used with any device and com IMAP, POP, MSN Webmail, HOTMAIL, AOL, etc. puter. Starting with a particular user host platform 402, the 0047 Most digital cell phones have the ability to receive single interface technology 400 comprises a device/browser/ Short text messages. Such is Sometimes called short message capability detection module 404 and a content-building service (SMS) or text paging. So an SMS notification module 406. Clients need to be divided according to their module 210 is connected to relay messages to and from an respective browsers and Screen sizes. The Single interface SMS-cellphone 212. technology 400 further includes an HTML engine 408, a WAP engine 410, an attachment engine 412, and a graphics 0.048 Spam and virus protection is so necessary and engine 414. critical today, that a Spam and antivirus processor 214 is needed. Such is Supported by a Smart spam-filter 216 and an 0052 Detailed information on the single-interface tech external virus-Scanning engine 218. A commercial product nology useful in embodiments of the present invention is and Service like MCAFEE and NORTON can be used for the disclosed in the U.S. Provisional Patent Application of the Virus Scanning engine. An e-mail abstraction layer 220 present inventor, Baohua HUANG, serial No. 60/370,615, US 2003/023.1207 A1 Dec. 18, 2003
filed Apr. 9, 2002, and titled SINGLE INTERFACE TECH cookies, however, this is turned off to accommodate the NOLOGY. Such is incorporated herein by reference. majority of the cell phones. A small number of WAP cell phones Supports SSL, however, this is turned off to accom 0053. The main hurdle in sending universal content to modate the majority of the cellphones. JavaScript Support is different devices is their variation in Screen sizes. The Screen turned off to save bandwidth usage. SSL support is derived resolution can vary from 100x60 for a cellphone, to 1280x from browser. For example, with Avantgo browser, SSL is 10' for a desktop computer. These different screens, brows turned off because Avantgo uses its own encryption. Lan erS and Screens are divided into six categories, as listed in guage Served for these different categories are defined by Table I. both the category and the known capability of the browserS. TABLE I 0056 Cookie support of browsers is preferably detected in real-time by placing a cookie on the client device, then by Category Screen Size Explanation trying to retrieve it. Such detection only uses the Scripting 1. Desktop 640 x 480 to All desktop computers with Internet language on the Server, and no client-side Script is required. Computer 1600 x 1200 Explorer, Netscape, Opera or any or higher other browser 2. PocketPC 160 x 160 to All Windows CE and Pocket PC and Internet 800 x 600 devices, Internet Appliances, Set For example, Client requests page 1, page1.html comprises two lines, Appliances top boxes, Webpads, NTT DoCoMo set cookie(“supportcookies,"yes, time() +300,"f," .0); // set a devices, Psion devices, Palm OS cookie named supportcookie to yes for 5 minutes devices using a Browser header(“Location: "page2.html); If then redirect to page2.html 3. Palm OS 160 x 160 to All Palm OS devices using Web Then client gets the redirect and requests page 2, in the header of Devices using 240 x 240 Clipping page2.html embodiments can detect the "supportcookies' cookie and Web Clipping see if it exists, 4. WAP cell 100 x 60 to All WAP-enabled cell phones if (getcookie ("supportcookies') == "yes') Phones 320 x 80 5. Offline All All offline browsers, including If Yes cookie is enabled Browsers Avantgo, Offline browser, Whatck Force, etc. else 6. Text All All text-only browsers, Lynx, etc. Browsers If No cookie is disabled
0054) If a particular browser or operating system (OS) cannot be detected, the default is preferably to category-1, 0057 JavaScript support of browsers is preferably regular HTML. For the best content presentations, four detected in real-time by using a piece of client-side JavaS additional parameters are included in each category, as listed cript on the page and refreshes the page with an extra field, in Table II. then check the field's property and See if it matches. Such detection uses both JavaScript on the client-side and the TABLE II Scripting language on the Server-side.
Additional Parameters Language For example, Category Cookie Javascript SSL Served Client requests page1, page1.html, comprises this javascript in the page, Desktop Y Y Y HTML 4.0/3.0