Enhanced HTTP messaging for devices

1. A method for communications between a client and a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the client, the indication including message retrieval information;

sending a third message from the client to the server including the message retrieval information; and

receiving a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of: a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

10. A device for communications with a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

a stateless messaging protocol client configured to:

transmit from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receive from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the device, the indication including message retrieval information;

a mailbox module configured to:

parse the indication of the presence of a second message, and instruct the stateless messaging protocol client to send a third message to the server including the message retrieval information; and

wherein the stateless messaging protocol client is further configured to send the third message responsive to instructions from the mailbox module and to receive a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of: a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

19. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations of:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using a stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including an indication of the presence of a second message at the server intended for the client, the indication including message retrieval information;

sending a third message from the client to the server including the message retrieval information; and

receiving a fourth message from the server, the fourth message including the contents of the second message.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the message retrieval information comprises one of: a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first message is a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first message is not a message requesting the indication of the availability of the second message.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first message is a message from higher level application layers of the client to higher level application layers of the server.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the response message includes a status code indicating that the first message was received by the server.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

27. A method for communications between a client and a server using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

transmitting from a client to a server a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

receiving from the server a response message, the response message including the contents of a second message intended for the client and from a higher layer application on the server, wherein the second message is not a response to the first message.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

31. A device for communications with a client using a stateless messaging protocol comprising:

a stateless messaging protocol client configured to:

receive from a client to the server, a first message using the stateless messaging protocol;

send a response message to the client in response to receiving the first message;

a mailbox module configured to:

receive a second message intended for the client from an upper layer application;

store the message in a mailbox specific to the client; and

wherein the stateless messaging protocol client is further configured to:

send an indication of the presence of the second message and message retrieval information in the reply message;

receive a third message including the message retrieval information; and

responsive to determining that the message retrieval information identifies the second message, responding with the second message.

32. The device of claim 31 , wherein the first message includes a delete header indicating that the client wishes to delete a plurality of messages stored at the server and intended for the client, wherein the mailbox module deletes the plurality of messages.

33. The device of claim 32 , wherein the delete header includes message retrieval information, the message retrieval information identifying the plurality of messages to delete.

34. The device of claim 31 , wherein the stateless messaging protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP).