Patents by Inventor Tabitha K. Ferguson

Tabitha K. Ferguson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8347390
    Abstract: A messaging server forwards emails to mobile communication devices of users to whom the emails were respectively addressed. An antivirus server determines whether an email addressed to a user of a mobile communication device, to be forwarded by the messaging server to the mobile communication device, is infected with a virus. In response to determining the email is infected with a virus, a bulletin generator transmits, to the mobile communication devices besides the mobile communication device of the addressee of the email determined to be infected, an all points bulletin message disclosing the existence of the virus. The bulletin message is transmitted directly to, instead of via email to, the wireless mobile communication devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: William D. Castell, Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Bill Yuan, Ian M. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7860972
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and eliminating duplicate wireless mobile communications device Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) stored in user administration records associated with a server system is disclosed. The PIN of a wireless mobile communications device stored in a user administration record is checked against other existing user administration records, and if a duplicate of the PIN is detected, the PIN in one of the user administration records is reset. Duplicate PIN detection and elimination operations are preferably performed each time a new user administration record is created but may possibly be performed in response to selection of a particular user account, PIN or user administration record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Tabitha K. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 7818033
    Abstract: A message status synchronization scheme. In one embodiment, a method may comprise: automatically detecting arrival of a message at a messaging server for a user having a mail address thereat, the message being displayable on a computer for the user with a status indicator icon associated therewith; processing at least a portion of an instance of the message for transmission to the user's mobile data communication device over a wireless network; receiving a status signal from the mobile data communication device indicating that the message has been deleted on the mobile data communication device; and altering the status indicator icon associated with the message on the computer responsive to the status signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Tabitha K. Ferguson, Barry Linkert, Raymond P. Vander Veen, William D. Castell, Mihal Lazaridis, Gary P. Mousseau
  • Publication number: 20100223670
    Abstract: A messaging server forwards emails to mobile communication devices of users to whom the emails were respectively addressed. An antivirus server determines whether an email addressed to a user of a mobile communication device, to be forwarded by the messaging server to the mobile communication device, is infected with a virus. In response to determining the email is infected with a virus, a bulletin generator transmits, to the mobile communication devices besides the mobile communication device of the addressee of the email determined to be infected, an all points bulletin message disclosing the existence of the virus. The bulletin message is transmitted directly to, instead of via email to, the wireless mobile communication devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: William D. Castell, Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Bill Yuan, Ian M. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7747691
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing congestion in wireless communication systems is provided. An unsolicited message reduction system includes a message detector and an all points bulletin (APB) generator. The message detector applies predefined filtering rules to identify and act upon unsolicited email messages to reduce the total number of transmissions in the wireless communication system. The filtering rules include global and user rules, with the global rules normally having precedence over user rules. The APB generator allows messages to be sent wireless mobile communication devices through direct wireless messages instead of through email messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion
    Inventors: William D. Castell, Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Bill Yuan, Ian M. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7689721
    Abstract: A scheme for message folder synchronization. In one embodiment, a method may comprise: automatically detecting arrival of a message at a messaging server for a user; storing the message in a first folder of a first folder system associated with the user at the messaging server; processing at least a portion of an instance of the message for transmission to the user's mobile data communication device over a wireless network; receiving a status signal from the mobile data communication device indicating that the message has been moved from a first folder at the mobile data communication device to a second folder of a second folder system associated with the user at the mobile data communication device; and responsive to the status signal, moving the message from the first folder of the first folder system at the messaging server to a second folder thereat corresponding to the second folder of the second folder system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Gary P. Mousseau, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Barry Linkert, Raymond P. Vander Veen, William D. Castell, Mihal Lazaridis
  • Patent number: 7590722
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for managing data used by mobile devices. Data can be retrieved from a second computing device (e.g. a server) where it is stored on a storage medium (e.g. a disk). A subset of the data of a data record stored in the storage medium, or one or more pointers to the data of a data record stored on the storage medium is stored in a memory of the mobile device so that it is not necessary to store a given data record in its entirety in the memory of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Tabitha K. Ferguson, Wen Gao, Pascal Gaudette, James A. Godfrey
  • Patent number: 7386588
    Abstract: A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system operation on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the host system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Gary P. Mousseau, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Barry Linkert, Raymond P. Vander Veen, William D. Castell, Mihal Lazaridis
  • Patent number: 7321930
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for managing data used by mobile devices. Data can be retrieved from a second computing device (e.g. a server) where it is stored on a storage medium (e.g. a disk). A subset of the data of a data record stored in the storage medium, or one or more pointers to the data of a data record stored on the storage medium is stored in a memory of the mobile device so that it is not necessary to store a given data record in its entirety in the memory of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Tabitha K. Ferguson, Wen Gao, Pascal Gaudette, James A. Godfrey
  • Patent number: 7136920
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing congestion in wireless communication systems is provided. An unsolicited message reduction system includes a message detector and an all points bulletin (APB) generator. The message detector applies predefined filtering rules to identify and act upon unsolicited email messages to reduce the total number of transmissions in the wireless communication system. The filtering rules include global and user rules, with the global rules normally having precedence over user rules. The APB generator allows messages to be sent wireless mobile communication devices through direct wireless messages instead of through email messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: William D. Castell, Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Bill Yuan, Ian M. Patterson
  • Publication number: 20040024824
    Abstract: A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system (10) to a user's mobile data communication device (24) upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system operation on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the hot system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Tabitha K Ferguson, Barry Linkert, Raymond P Vander Veen, William D Castell, Gary P Mousseau, Mihal Lazaridis
  • Publication number: 20030187938
    Abstract: A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the host system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and nay actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Gary P. Mousseau, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Barry Linkert, Raymond P. Vander Veen, William D. Castell, Mihal Lazaridis
  • Publication number: 20020132607
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing congestion in wireless communication systems is provided. An unsolicited message reduction system includes a message detector and an all points bulletin (APB) generator. The message detector applies predefined filtering rules to identify and act upon unsolicited email messages to reduce the total number of transmissions in the wireless communication system. The filtering rules include global and user rules, with the global rules normally having precedence over user rules. The APB generator allows messages to be sent wireless mobile communication devices through direct wireless messages instead of through email messages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: William D. Castell, Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, Bill Yuan, Ian M. Patterson
  • Publication number: 20020132609
    Abstract: A scalable messaging system for wireless networks is disclosed. Multiple email servers connect to a mailbox server through respective client interfaces. The client interfaces are implemented so that if an email server ceases to communicate with a client, the mailbox server continues to function. Multiple mailbox servers are connected to a single wireless router. The router is preferably located between an internal firewall and an external firewall. The wireless router acts as a server for the mailbox servers and multiplexes messages received from the mailbox servers into a single stream. The single stream is transmitted through a single port in the external firewall, thus providing only one connection through the external firewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Allan D. Lewis, Tabitha K. Ferguson, James A. Godfrey, Carl L. Cherry, Bill Yuan
  • Publication number: 20020120860
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and eliminating duplicate wireless mobile communications device Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) stored in user administration records associated with a server system is disclosed. The PIN of a wireless mobile communications device stored in a user administration record is checked against other existing user administration records, and if a duplicate of the PIN is detected, the PIN in one of the user administration records is reset. Duplicate PIN detection and elimination operations are preferably performed each time a new user administration record is created but may possibly be performed in response to selection of a particular user account, PIN or user administration record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventor: Tabitha K. Ferguson