System and method for handling message receipt notification

1. A method for operation upon a wireless mobile device to handle a message notification for a message, comprising:

receiving, at the wireless mobile device, a portion of the message sent by a sender over a wireless communications network; and

providing to the sender a signed receipt notification although the entire message has not been received by the wireless mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signed receipt provides an indication to the sender that the message has been verified by an intended recipient of the message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generation of the signed receipt includes verifying the message; and

wherein after the message is verified, the signed receipt is provided to the sender.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a substantial portion or the entire message is needed before the message can be verified.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signed receipt is digitally signed by a recipient through use of a private key of the recipient.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is an email message.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the received message portion so that at least the portion of the sender's message is displayed to a user of the wireless mobile device before a signed receipt is provided to the sender.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user is prompted to send the signed receipt when the user exits the displayed message irrespective of whether the entire message of the sender has been sent to the device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user is prompted for the user's password for use in generating a digitally signed receipt.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein interface indicators are provided to indicate the status with respect to a signed receipt.

11. Computer-readable medium capable of causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 1 .

12. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a portion of a message sent by a sender over a wireless communications network; and

a processor configured to cause the receiver to provide to the sender a signed receipt notification although the entire message has not been received by the wireless mobile device.

13. The wireless mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the signed receipt provides an indication to the sender that the message has been verified by an intended recipient of the message.

14. The wireless mobile device of claim 12 , wherein generation of the signed receipt includes verifying the message; and

wherein after the message is verified, the signed receipt is provided to the sender.

15. The wireless mobile device of claim 14 , wherein a substantial portion or the entire message is needed before the message can be verified.

16. The wireless mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the signed receipt is digitally signed by a recipient through use of a private key of the recipient.

17. The wireless mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the message is an email message.

18. The wireless mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display;

wherein the processor is further configured to process the received message portion so that at least the portion of the sender's message is displayed on the display before a signed receipt is provided to the sender.

19. The wireless mobile device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to;

prompt a user of the wireless mobile device to send the signed receipt when the user exits the displayed message irrespective of whether the entire message of the sender has been sent to the device; and

prompt the user for the user's password for use in generating a digitally signed receipt.

20. The wireless mobile device of claim 12 , wherein interface indicators are provided to indicate the status with respect to a signed receipt.