Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing service data between a data store and a device using the service data. These synchronization techniques may be used with a synchronization method and device that adaptively adjust synchronization parameters, such as the synchronization interval and quantity of synchronized data, on a per-end-user basis in response to actual end-user behavior. In particular, heavy users of service data are rewarded with improved synchronization parameters, such as a combination of shorter synchronization intervals and increased synchronization data quantities, which provides closer to “direct access” performance. Light users of service, on the other hand, are assigned lower cost synchronization parameters, such as longer synchronization intervals and/or decreased synchronization data quantities.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing service data between a data store and a device using the service data. These synchronization techniques may be used with a synchronization method and device that adaptively adjust synchronization parameters, such as the synchronization interval and quantity of synchronized data, on a per-end-user basis in response to actual end-user behavior. In particular, heavy users of service data are rewarded with improved synchronization parameters, such as a combination of shorter synchronization intervals and increased synchronization data quantities, which provides closer to “direct access” performance. Light users of service, on the other hand, are assigned lower cost synchronization parameters, such as longer synchronization intervals and/or decreased synchronization data quantities.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server. The gateway server then relays the requested information back to the user's remote communication device.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server.

Abstract: An automatic detection device and method for determining the access data necessary to access an existing electronic mail account. Further, the automatic detection device and method can determine whether an electronic mail account can be accessed according to a specific electronic mail protocol. With the detection device and method, the user provides the password and address for an existing electronic mail account. From this information, the automatic detection device and method determines the user name and the server name for the server hosting the electronic mail account. The device and method then employs the user name, server name and password to determine whether the electronic mail account can be accessed according to a particular electronic mail protocol, such as the post office protocol, and, if possible, to access the electronic mail account.

Abstract: A system and method that allows a user to update the contents of a portable electronic mail account to correspond with the contents of a user's regular electronic mail account, where only discrete portions of the regular electronic mail account are progressively cached in the portable electronic mail account according to a hierarchy with each update operation. By updating only a portion of the regular electronic mail account with each update operation, the service provider can minimize the amount of memory storage and communication expense necessary to maintain the portable electronic mail account, while still permitting the user to access the information important to the user.

Abstract: A system and method that allows a user to update the contents of a portable electronic mail account to correspond with the contents of a user's regular electronic mail account, where only discrete portions of the regular electronic mail account are progressively cached in the portable electronic mail account according to a hierarchy with each update operation. By updating only a portion of the regular electronic mail account with each update operation, the service provider can minimize the amount of memory storage and communication expense necessary to maintain the portable electronic mail account, while still permitting the user to access the information important to the user.

Abstract: A message viewing program displays a preview pane that is controlled to avoid previewing messages with disruptive message content. Before the body of a message is previewed in the preview pane, an identifier relating to the message is written to a nonvolatile storage location. After the message is previewed in the preview pane without causing a system disruption, the identifier is deleted. Before a message is previewed, the nonvolatile storage location is searched for the identifier relating to the message. If the identifier is found, the message is not previewed in the preview pane. Also, an icon is displayed indicating that the message may contain disruptive message content. Alternatively, the message viewing program writes an enable identifier to a nonvolatile storage location when it shuts down without encountering a system disruption. If the enable identifier is not present upon start up, messages are not previewed in the preview pane.

Abstract: A computer-implemented messaging application (e.g., e-mail, browser, paging) lists messages addressed to a user in a graphical message window of a graphical user interface. The message window lists both read and unread messages. The read messages are displayed visually differently than the unread messages to distinguish between the two types. A highlight bar identifies a particular message in the list. The message window has a preview pane in which the highlighted message can be previewed by a user without opening that message into a separate window. Heuristics are employed to determine whether the user is likely to be reading the message while it is displayed in the preview pane. For instance, scrolling the message in the preview pane is evidence that the user is likely to be reading the message. If any heuristic condition is met, the message is marked as read.