Wireless E-Mail System and Method for Using Same

1 . A wireless e-mail system comprising:

a wireless mobile device comprising an e-mail client;

an e-mail server;

a gateway;

a wireless network interconnecting said wireless mobile device and said gateway; and

a broadband network interconnecting said gateway and said e-mail server;

wherein when said client transmits a single self-contained request to said gateway via said wireless network to retrieve a set of e-mail related information from said e-mail server, said gateway retrieves at least said e-mail related information from said e-mail server via said broadband network using a plurality of transactions, compiles said retrieved information into a single self contained response and transmits said single response via said wireless network to said e-mail client.

2 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said self-contained request and said single response form a stateless request-response pair.

3 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said e-mail server is an IMAP server and said gateway further comprises an IMAP client application for communicating with said IMAP server.

4 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said e-mail server is a POP3 server and said gateway further comprises an POP3 client application for communicating with said POP3 server.

5 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said e-mail server is an SMTP compatible server and said gateway further comprises an SMTP client application for communicating with said SMTP compatible server.

6 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said gateway further comprises an application for monitoring e-mail traffic.

7 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , further comprising a mobile operator network, wherein said gateway is an extension of said mobile operator network.

8 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said single self-contained request and said single self contained response are transmitted using HTTP.

9 . The wireless e-mail system as in claim 1 , wherein said single self-contained request and said single self contained response are implemented using an XML structure.

10 . A gateway interconnecting a wireless mobile device and an e-mail server, the wireless mobile device comprising an e-mail client and adapted for data communication with a wireless network, the e-mail server adapted for data communication with a broadband network, the gateway comprising:

a first stateless interface interconnected with the wireless network;

a second interface interconnected with the broadband network; and

a channel management function;

wherein when the e-mail client transmits a single self-contained request to said first interface via said wireless network to retrieve a set of e-mail related information from the e-mail server, said channel management function retrieves at least said e-mail related information from the e-mail server via said second interface and the broadband network using a plurality of transactions, compiles said retrieved information into a single self contained response and transmits said single response via said first interface and the mobile network to the e-mail client.

11 . The gateway as in claim 10 , wherein the e-mail server is an IMAP server, and said second interface is an IMAP interface.

12 . The gateway as in claim 10 , wherein the e-mail server is a POP3 server, and said second interface is a POP3 interface.

13 . The gateway as in claim 10 , further comprising an e-mail traffic monitoring application.

14 . The gateway as in claim 10 , wherein said single self-contained request and response are transmitted using HTTP and said first interface is an HTTP interface.

15 . A method for retrieving e-mail related information from an e-mail server via a communications system comprising a wireless network and a broad band network, the method comprising the steps of:

in a client e-mail application on a wireless mobile device, forming a single request for the e-mail related information;

transmitting said single request to a gateway via the wireless network, said gateway retrieving at least the e-mail related information from the server via the broadband network using a plurality of transactions, wherein said gateway compiles said retrieved information into a single response;

transmitting said single response to said client application via said wireless network; and

in said client application, retrieving the e-mail related information from said response.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the e-mail related information is located in a mailbox on the server, wherein said request comprises a mailbox ID and further wherein said retrieving step comprises logging onto the server using the mailbox ID and downloading the requested e-mail related information.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the e-mail related information is located in a mailbox on the server, wherein said gateway periodically determines if new e-mail is available in said mailbox and further wherein if at least one new e-mail message is available in said mailbox, said gateway transmits a new e-mail message notification to said client application via said wireless network.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the e-mail server is an IMAP server, said mailbox has a mailbox name and said periodic determining step comprises transmitting a SELECT command including said mailbox name to the server.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the e-mail server is a POP3 server, said mailbox has a mailbox name and said periodic determining step comprises transmitting a UIDL command including said mailbox name to the server.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises appending said new e-mail message notification to a subsequent single response.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said wireless mobile device is an SMS compatible device and said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises transmitting said new e-mail message notification to said client e-mail application using SMS.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said wireless mobile device is a WAP compatible device and said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises transmitting said new e-mail message notification to said client e-mail application using WAP.

23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein for each said new e-mail message said gateway retrieves at least a message sender and a message subject and appends said message sender and a message subject to a new e-mail list and wherein said new e-mail message notification comprises said new e-mail list.

24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said gateway determines a quantity of new e-mail messages available in said mailbox and said new e-mail message notification comprises said quantity.

25 . A method for retrieving e-mail related information from an e-mail server via a communications system comprising a wireless' network and a broad band network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an e-mail gateway comprising a first stateless interface interconnected with the wireless network and a second interface interconnected with the broadband network;

in a client e-mail application on a wireless mobile device, transferring a single request for the e-mail related information to said first interface via the wireless network;

in said gateway:

receiving said request at said first interface;

retrieving at least the requested e-mail related information from the server via the broadband network using a plurality of transactions;

compiling said retrieved information into a single response; and

transmitting said single response to said client application via said first interface and said wireless network; and

in said client application, retrieving the e-mail related information from said response.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the e-mail related information is located in a mailbox on the server, wherein said request comprises a mailbox ID and further wherein said retrieving step comprises logging onto the server using the mailbox ID and downloading the requested e-mail related information.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the e-mail related information is located in a mailbox on the server, wherein said gateway periodically determines if new e-mail is available in said mailbox and further wherein if at least one new e-mail message is available in said mailbox, said gateway transmits a new e-mail message notification to said client application via said wireless network.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the e-mail server is an IMAP server, said mailbox has a mailbox name and said periodically determining step comprises transmitting a SELECT command including said mailbox name to the server.

29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the e-mail server is a POP3 server, said mailbox has a mailbox name and said periodically determining step comprises transmitting a UIDL command including said mailbox name to the server.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises appending said new e-mail message notification to a subsequent single response.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said wireless mobile device is an SMS compatible device and said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises transmitting said new e-mail message notification to said client e-mail application via SMS.

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said wireless mobile device is a WAP compatible device and said new e-mail message notification transmitting step comprises transmitting said new e-mail message notification to said client e-mail application using WAP.

33 . The method of claim 27 , wherein for each said new e-mail message said gateway retrieves at least a message sender and a message subject and appends said message sender and a message subject to a new e-mail list and wherein said new e-mail message notification comprises said new e-mail list.

34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said gateway determines a quantity of new e-mail messages available in said mailbox and said new e-mail message notification comprises said quantity.

35 . A method for logging e-mail data traffic between at least one wireless mobile device comprising a client e-mail application and an e-mail server interconnected by a wireless mobile operator network and a broadband network, the mobile network comprised of a wireless network and a ground network, the wireless network interconnecting the at least one wireless mobile device and the ground network and wherein the e-mail data traffic comprises at least one request for e-mail related information generated by the client e-mail application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an e-mail gateway between the ground network and the broadband network;

for each request generated by the client e-mail application, transferring the request to said gateway via the wireless network; and

in said gateway:

receiving each request;

logging each received request;

retrieving at least the requested e-mail related information from the e-mail server;

compiling said retrieved information into a single response;

logging said single response; and

transmitting said single response to said client application via said wireless network.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein said request logging step comprises storing the number of bytes of each request.

37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein said response logging step comprises storing the number of bytes of each response.