Patent ID: 6701353
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A message polling system for responding to a client that is polling a message server system to retrieve messages for a user, said message polling system comprising:means for maintaining a cache memory that stores user information for each of a plurality of users, said user information comprising a last transmitted response, when that user does not have new mail, generated by said message server system in response to a message retrieval poll received from said client in a previous message retrieval session for a user; means for receiving a second message retrieval poll from said client for said user; means, responsive to a determination that said message server system fails to have an unretrieved message addressed to said user stored therein, for retrieving said user information, stored for said user, from said cache memory; means for using said retrieved user information from said cache memory to generate a response to said second message retrieval poll; and means for transmitting said generated response to said client.