Method and System for Communicating a Message Attachment

1 . A method of operating a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

maintaining a first wireless data path to an application server via a first wireless packet data service network, the first wireless data path being a secure end-to-end continuous communication link;

receiving an electronic message and an attachment notification via the first wireless data path; and

in an automatic mode, establishing a second wireless data path for transmission of the attachment to the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device is within a coverage area for a given radio access technology with which the device is configured to establish the second wireless data path.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second wireless data path is terminated upon completing transmission of the attachment.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second wireless data path is a secure wireless data path.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data path passes through a message relay and the second data path circumvents the message relay.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second wireless data path is a virtual private network.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second wireless data path is a secondary PDP context of higher quality of service than the first wireless data path.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising communicating with the application server via the first wireless data path in order to establish the second wireless data path.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, when the given radio access technology is not found at the time the attachment notification is received, automatically establishing the second wireless data path for transmission of the attachment to the mobile communication device responsive to determining that the mobile communication device has moved into a coverage area for the given radio access technology.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, in a manual mode, establishing the second wireless data pathway responsive to receiving a request from the user to retrieve the attachment.

10 . A mobile communication device comprising:

a communications subsystem containing a transmitter and a receiver;

a module operable to maintain a first wireless data path to an application server via a first wireless packet data service network, the first wireless packet data service network being a secure, end-to-end continuous communications link;

a module operable to receive an electronic message and an attachment notification via the first wireless data path; and

a module operable, in an automatic mode, to establish a second wireless data path for transmission of the attachment responsive to determining that the mobile communication device is within a coverage area for a given radio access technology with which the device is configured to establish the second wireless data path.

11 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the module operable in an automatic mode is operable to terminate the second wireless data path upon completing transmission of the attachment.

12 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the modules are operable to set up the second wireless data path as a secure wireless data path.

13 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first data path passes through a message relay and the second data path circumvents the message relay.

14 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second wireless data path is a virtual private network.

15 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second wireless data path is a secondary PDP context of higher quality of service than the first wireless data path.

16 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a module operable to communicate with the application server via the first wireless data path in order to establish the second wireless data path.

17 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 10 , wherein when the module operable to establish the second wireless data path is unable to find the given radio access technology, establishing the second wireless data pathway for transmission of the attachment to the mobile communication device responsive to determining that the mobile communication device has moved into a coverage area for the given radio access technology.

18 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 31 , wherein the module operable to establish the second wireless data is further operable, in a manual mode, to establish the second wireless data pathway responsive to receiving a request from the user to retrieve the attachment.

19 . A tangible computer-readable medium containing instructions for execution by a processor of a mobile communication device, comprising:

instructions for maintaining a first wireless data path to an application server via a first wireless packet data service network, the first wireless packet data path being a secure, end-to-end continuous communications link;

instructions for receiving an electronic message and an attachment notification via the first wireless data path; and

instructions for establishing, in an automatic mode, a second wireless data path for transmission of the attachment responsive to determining that the mobile communication device is within a coverage area for a given radio access technology with which the device is configured to establish the second wireless data path.

20 . The mobile communication device as recited in claim 19 , wherein when the module operable to establish the second wireless data path is unable to find the given radio access technology, establishing the second wireless data pathway for transmission of the attachment to the mobile communication device responsive to determining that the mobile communication device has moved into a coverage area for the given radio access technology.