Patent Publication Number: US-11050693-B2

Title: System and apparatus for sending complete responses to truncated electronic mail messages on a mobile device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of, and claims the benefit of priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/452,275, filed Jun. 2, 2003, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,773,106, and entitled ‘System and Apparatus for Sending Complete Responses to Truncated Electronic Mail Messages On a Mobile Device’, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/425,374, filed Nov. 12, 2002, both of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Mobile devices include a broad range of computing and communication devices that are small enough to be conveniently carried by a user. Examples of such devices include mobile phones, personal digital assistants, tablet PCs, and lap-top PCs. 
     Generally, the mobile device includes a processor, random access memory (RAM), and an input device such as a keyboard, touchpad or input buttons and a display. The keyboard can be integrated with the display, such as when the keyboard is incorporated as a touch sensitive display. A communication interface is optionally provided and is commonly used to communicate with other computers. A replaceable or rechargeable battery powers the mobile device. Optionally, the mobile device can receive power from an external power source that overrides or recharges the built-in battery. 
     While a wide variety of computing tasks and applications can be performed by such mobile devices, personal information managers (PIMs) are particularly well suited to mobile devices. PIMs typically comprise applications which enable the user of the mobile device to better manage scheduling and communications, and other such tasks. Some commonly available PIMs include scheduling and calendar programs, task lists, address books, and electronic mail (e-mail) programs. Some commonly commercially available PIMs are sold under the trademarks “MICROSOFT SCHEDULE+” and “MICROSOFT OUTLOOK” and are commercially available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. In addition to PIMs, however, such mobile devices may also run different types of applications, such as word processors, spread sheets, etc. 
     To provide users with as much freedom as possible, it is desirable to allow the user to access and change their application and PIM information from any device they choose. Thus, the user should be able to access their e-mail from a network terminal, a PDA, and a tablet PC, for example. 
     However, allowing the user to access and change their information from any desired source means that the devices must be able to communicate with each other to indicate changes to the information. The process of two devices sharing changes in the application and/or PIM information is known as synchronization. 
     In general, synchronization is not a continuous process. In other words, a mobile device does not continually try to synchronize its data because that would waste limited wireless bandwidth and place an undue drain on the mobile device&#39;s battery. Instead, synchronization is performed periodically. In addition, since the mobile device is not always in use, it is wasteful to have a server or desktop computer periodically attempt to establish a connection with the mobile device to perform synchronization. Instead, the mobile device is responsible for establishing a connection to perform synchronization. 
     In the past, in order to accommodate limited transmission bandwidths, mobile devices often received truncated electronic mail messages. In other words, if a mail message had a long message body, it was often transmitted to the mobile device in truncated fashion, in which a pre-designated number of lines of text in the main message body were sent and the rest of the main message body was not. In such mobile devices, the user could then select the message for download and have the entire text of the message downloaded to the mobile device. The same generally applied to attachments. Initially, they would not be sent to the mobile device but could be selected for download. 
     Also, in the past, in order to reply to, or forward, electronic mail messages from a mobile device, the user simply executed the necessary instructions required by the particular electronic mail messaging PIM. The electronic mail message object created when the user indicated that the reply or forward should be sent was then transmitted, on a periodic basis, to a server which sent the electronic mail message object to the appropriate recipient. However, where the user was replying to, or forwarding, a truncated electronic mail message, then only the truncated message was sent on to the ultimate recipient identified in the forwarded or reply message. 
     SUMMARY 
     Implementations of systems and methods described herein allow mobile users to send replies to, or to forward, truncated electronic mail messages, and yet still send the entire body of the original electronic mail message, without having to download the entire body of the mail message locally to the mobile device and then re-transmit the entire message from the mobile device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example operating environment suitable for implementations of systems and methods described herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one implementation of a conventional desktop computer used in conjunction with a mobile device in accordance with an example implementation. 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified pictorial illustration of one implementation of a mobile device in accordance with an example implementation. 
         FIG. 4  is a simplified pictorial illustration of another implementation of a mobile device in accordance with an example implementation. 
         FIG. 5  is a simplified block diagram of one implementation of the mobile device shown in  FIG. 3 or 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an architectural block diagram illustrating one implementation of portions of the desktop computer shown in  FIG. 2  and the mobile device shown in  FIGS. 3-5  to illustrate synchronization of information stored in object stores on the desktop computer and the mobile device in accordance with one implementation. 
         FIG. 7  is a more detailed block diagram of portions of sync engines shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are flow diagrams illustrating a normal synchronization operation in accordance with one implementation. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of a forward and reply feature in accordance with one implementation. 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating one implementation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATIONS 
     Overview 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a typical system or environment  10  in which various described implementations may operate. Responding to electronic mail messages utilizing the synchronization protocol is discussed in detail with respect to  FIG. 9 , but the present overview is provided for clarity only. System includes mobile device  12  and a computing device  14 . Mobile device  12  includes first application program  16 , second application program  18 , corresponding first and second object stores  20  and  22 , synchronization engine  24  and communication link  26 . Computing device  14  includes first and second application programs  28  and  30 , corresponding first and second object stores  32  and  34 , synchronization engine  36  and communication link  38 . It will be appreciated that both mobile device  12  and computing device  14  include a number of other components (including, for example, components and timers used to schedule synchronization operations), which are discussed in greater detail below. However, for the purposes of the overview discussion presented with respect to  FIG. 1 , the items set out above are sufficient. 
     In one illustrative implementation, application programs  16  and  28  are personal information manager (PIM) programs, which support, for example, electronic mail messaging, scheduling, calendaring, etc. Hereinafter, programs  16  and  28  will simply be referred to as PIMs  16  and  28 . Of course, PIMs  16  and  28  can be configured to support a wide variety of other features, such as task lists and personalized address books, to name a few. 
     Object stores  20  and  32  are implemented in memory configured to store a plurality of individual records or objects, each comprising a plurality of fields or properties related to PIMs  16  and  28 . In one illustrative implementation, PIMs  16  and  28  are programs, such as that available under the commercial designation “MICROSOFT OUTLOOK”, and object stores  20  and  23  are configured to store objects, each of which having a plurality of attributes or properties associated with electronic mail messaging, such as a sender&#39;s name, the recipient&#39;s name, text messages, etc. Computing device  14  executes PIM  28  to maintain objects stored in store  32 , and mobile device  12  executes program  16  to maintain objects stored in object store  20 . In one illustrative implementation, each object in object store  20  comprises the same set of properties or attributes stored in object store  32 , or a subset of those properties or attributes. 
     Similarly, application programs  18  and  30  maintain objects on associated object stores  22  and  34 , respectively. In one illustrative implementation, application programs  18  and  30  are file system applications, such as those available under the commercial designation “MICROSOFT WORD”. It should also be noted that any suitable number of other application programs, and associated object stores, can be provided on mobile device  12  and computing device  14 . However, for the sake of simplicity, only programs  16 ,  18 ,  28  and  30 , and their associated object stores, are described herein. 
     In one illustrative implementation, the user desires to synchronize object stores  20  and  32  and object stores  22  and  34 . Thus, there are two instances of each object associated with the pair of object stores  20  and  32  (one instance in object store and one instance in object store  32 ) and two instances of each object associated with the pair of object stores  22  and  34  (one instance in object store  22  and one instance in object store  34 ). When a user changes one instance of the object stored in either object store  22  or  34 , the second instance of that object in the other of stores  22  and  34  is out of sync and is desirably updated the next time mobile device  12  has two-way communication with computing device  14 , so that both instances of the same object contain synchronized data. The same is true for instances of objects stored in object stores  20  and  32 . 
     In order to accomplish synchronization, synchronization components  24  and  36  run on mobile device  12  and computing device  14 , respectively. The synchronization components communicate with application programs  16 ,  18 ,  28  and  30  (or directly with the associated object stores) through any well defined interfaces to manage communication and synchronization. 
     Synchronization components  24  and  36  communicate with each other through communication links  26  and  38 . Communication links  26  and  38  are illustratively commercially available communication links using a suitable communications protocol. For instance, in one illustrative implementation, mobile device  12  is connected to computing device  14  with a physical cable which communicates using a serial communications protocol. Other communication mechanisms are also contemplated, such as infra-red (IR) communication, direct modem communication, remote dial-up-networking communication, communication through commercially available network cards (i.e., using TCP/IP), remote access services (RAS), wireless modem, wireless cellular digital packet data (CDPD), short message services or other suitable communication mechanisms. Although the communication links are shown as being internal to mobile device  12  and computing device  14 , those skilled in the art will recognize that portions of the communication links exist outside of the devices. For example, the communication links can include communication servers located between mobile device  12  and computing device  14 , other portions of the network forming the communication link (such as the cellular and PSTN networks) and adapters such as mobile device cradles. 
     Prior to discussing the synchronization process and associated mechanisms in greater detail, the present discussion proceeds with respect to a more detailed description of the components of mobile device  12  and an example computing device  14  for the sake of clarity. 
     Computing Device  14   
     Computing device  14  is only one example of a suitable computing device and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of possible implementations. Neither should computing device  14  be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary computing device  14 . 
     Implementations of systems and methods described herein are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with various implementations include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, telephony systems, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like. 
     Implementations may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Implementations may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , an exemplary implementation is illustrated which includes a general-purpose computing device in the form of a computer  110 . Components of computer  110  may include, but are not limited to, a processing unit  120 , a system memory  130 , and a system bus  121  that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit  120 . The system bus  121  may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus. 
     Computer  110  typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer  110  and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computer  110 . 
     Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term ‘modulated data signal’ means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media. 
     The system memory  130  includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM)  131  and random access memory (RAM)  132 . A basic input/output system  133  (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer  110 , such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM  131 . RAM  132  typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit  120 . By way of example, and not limitation,  FIG. 2  illustrates operating system  134 , application programs  135 , other program modules  136 , and program data  137 . 
     The computer  110  may also include other removable/non-removable volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,  FIG. 2  illustrates a hard disk drive  141  that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive  151  that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk  152 , and an optical disk drive  155  that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk  156  such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive  141  is typically connected to the system bus  121  through a non-removable memory interface such as interface  140 , and magnetic disk drive  151  and optical disk drive  155  are typically connected to the system bus  121  by a removable memory interface, such as interface  150 . 
     The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in  FIG. 2 , provide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer  110 . In  FIG. 2 , for example, hard disk drive  141  is illustrated as storing operating system  144 , application programs  145 , other program modules  146 , and program data  147 . Note that these components can either be the same as or different from operating system  134 , application programs  135 , other program modules  136 , and program data  137 . Operating system  144 , application programs  145 , other program modules  146 , and program data  147  are given different numbers here to illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies. 
     A user may enter commands and information into the computer  110  through input devices such as a keyboard  162 , a microphone  163 , and a pointing device  161 , such as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include a joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit  120  through a user input interface  160  that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor  191  or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus  121  via an interface, such as a video interface  190 . In addition to the monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers  197  and printer  196 , which may be connected through an output peripheral interface  190 . 
     The computer  110  may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer  180 , which can include mobile device  12 . The remote computer  180  may be a personal computer, a hand-held device, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer  110 . The logical connections depicted in  FIG. 2  include a local area network (LAN)  171  and a wide area network (WAN)  173 , but may also include other networks. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet. In addition, the network connections between any of the nodes in the network may include direct cable connections or wireless connections and the connection between computer  110  and remote computer  180  may include any number of nodes and/or routers. 
     When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer  110  is connected to the LAN  171  through a network interface or adapter  170 . When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer  110  typically includes a modem  172  or other means for establishing communications over the WAN  173 , such as the Internet. The modem  172 , which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus  121  via the user input interface  160 , or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer  110 , or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,  FIG. 2  illustrates remote application programs  185  as residing on remote computer  180 . It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used. 
     Dynamically linked libraries (DLLs), comprising a plurality of executable functions are associated with PIM  28  and application  30  for execution by processor  62 . Interprocessor and intercomponent calls are facilitated preferably using the component object model (COM) as is common in programs written for Microsoft “WINDOWS” brand operating systems. Briefly, when using COM, a software component such as a DLL has a number of interfaces. Each interface exposes a plurality of methods, which can be called individually to utilize different services offered by the software component. In addition, interfaces are provided such that methods or functions can be called from other software components which optionally receive and return one or more parameter arguments. 
     In general, the DLLs associated with PIM  28  and program  30  are designed specifically to work in conjunction with PIM  28  and program  30  and to expose desktop synchronization interfaces that function according to a synchronization protocol. The DLLs, in turn, call interfaces exposed by PIM  28  and program  30  in order to access data representing individual properties of objects maintained in object stores  32  and  34 . Object stores  32  and  34 , of course, can reside in any one of the suitable memory components described with respect to  FIG. 2 . 
     Mobile Device  12   
       FIG. 3  is a simplified pictorial illustration of one preferred implementation of a mobile device  12  which can be used in accordance with an implementation. In one implementation, mobile device  12  includes a miniaturized keyboard  300 , display  302  and stylus  304 . In the implementation shown in  FIG. 3 , display  302  is a liquid crystal display (LCD) which uses a contact sensitive display screen in conjunction with stylus  304 . Stylus  304  is used to press or contact the display  302  at designated coordinates to accomplish certain user input functions. Miniaturized keyboard  300  is illustratively implemented as a miniaturized alpha-numeric keyboard, with any suitable and desired function keys which are also provided for accomplishing certain user input functions. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of a different implementation of mobile device  12 . Mobile device  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , includes a touch sensitive screen  402  which can be used, in conjunction with stylus  404 , to accomplish certain user input functions. 
     It should be noted that the displays  302  and  402  for the mobile devices shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  can be the same size as one another, or different sizes from one another, but would typically be much smaller than a conventional display used with a desktop computer. For example, displays  302  and  402  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  may be defined by a matrix of only 240×320 coordinates, or 160×160 coordinates, or any other suitable size. When mobile device  12  is a pager, the display may be even smaller. 
     The mobile device  12  shown in  FIG. 4  also includes a number of user input keys or buttons (such as button  420 ) which allow the user to scroll through menu options or other display options which are displayed on display  402 , or which allow the user to change applications or select user input functions, without contacting display  402 . 
     Note that other forms of the mobile device are possible. Examples include mobile phones that are capable of performing computing tasks, tablet PCs and wireless-enabled lap-top computers, to name a few. 
       FIG. 5  is a more detailed block diagram of mobile device  12 . Mobile device  12  illustratively includes microprocessor  506 , memory  508 , input/output (I/O) components  510 , and communication links  26 . These components of mobile device  12  can be coupled for communication with one another over a suitable bus  516 . 
     Memory  508  is illustratively implemented as non-volatile electronic memory such as random access memory (RAM) with a battery back-up module (not shown) such that information stored in memory  508  is not lost when the general power to mobile device  12  is shut down. A portion of memory  508  is illustratively allocated as addressable memory for program execution, while another portion of memory  508  is optionally used for storage, such as to simulate storage on a disc drive. 
     Memory  508  can include operating system  518 , one or more application programs (such as PIM  16  and file application  18 , etc.), as well as object stores  20  and  22  and sync engine  24 . During operation, operating system  518  is illustratively executed by processor  506  from memory  48 . The operating system  518  implements features which can be utilized by PIM  16  and file application  18  through a set of exposed application programming interfaces and methods. The objects in object stores  20  and  22  are illustratively maintained by PIM  16 , file application  18  and operating system  518 , at least partially in response to calls to the exposed application programming interfaces and methods. 
     I/O components  510 , in one implementation, are provided to facilitate input and output operations from a user of mobile device  12 . I/O components  510  for various implementations of mobile device  12  can include input components such as buttons and touch sensors and output components such as a display, a speaker, and/or a printer port, etc. 
     Communication link  26  is any suitable communication interface. Interface  26  is illustratively used to communicate with computing device  14  as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Memory  508  includes a set of communication drivers  520  that interact with communication link  26  and that translate data to and from the appropriate communication protocol necessary to allow for communication across link  26 . 
       FIG. 6  provides a block diagram showing communication link  26  and communication drivers  520  in more detail. In particular,  FIG. 6  shows communication link  26  as containing a number of communication ports  602 ,  604 ,  606 ,  608  and  610  that communicate with devices outside of the mobile device. Each port has an associated driver  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 , and  620 , respectively, in communications drivers  520 . IR port  602  and IR driver  612  provide communication across an infrared communication channel between the mobile device and another computing device. Serial/USB port  604  and Serial/USB driver  612  provide communication over a serial or USB channel. Cable network port  606  and cable network driver  616  provide communication over a network cable such as an Ethernet cable. 
     Wireless network port  608  and wireless network driver  618  provide communication to a network over a radio channel. Wireless network port  608  and driver  618  can use any number of wireless network protocols including General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 1Xrtt, which are wireless services used to provide cellular access to a network, as well as 802.11 and 802.11b (Wi-Fi) protocols, and Bluetooth™ protocol, which provide local wireless connections to networks. Of course, others can be used as well. 
     SMS port  610  and SMS driver  620  support one-way communication using the Short Message Service protocol. Thus, SMS port  610  is able to receive SMS messages that are broadcast using the radio spectrum. 
     Overview of Synchronization 
       FIG. 7  is a more detailed block diagram of sync engine  24  on mobile device  12  and sync engine  36  on desktop  14 . Sync engine  24  on mobile device  12  includes synchronization manager  740 , which is coupled to a set of application programs, such as PIM sync provider  744  and file sync provider  746 . PIM sync provider  744  is coupled to PIM object store  20 , and file sync provider  746  is coupled to file object store  22 . 
     Sync engine  36  on computing device  14  also includes a synchronization manager  748  coupled to an associated reference store  750  and also coupled to application programs, including PIM sync provider  752  and file sync provider  754 . PIM sync provider  752  is coupled to PIM object store  32 , and file sync provider  754  is coupled to file object store  34 . While providers  744 ,  746 ,  752  and  754  are shown coupled directly to associated object stores, those providers could also be coupled to the object stores through the application programs  16 ,  18 ,  28  and  30  instead. However, for the sake of simplicity, the present discussion proceeds only with respect to the arrangement shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Sync providers  752  and  754  expose application programming interfaces (APIs)  756  which can be called by sync manager  748  to read and store objects and object properties on object stores  32  and  34 . The interfaces  756  generally allow the creation of data bases for different types of objects, and allow application programs to read and write property names and values to and from respective objects within each data base. A number of exemplary interfaces are now described for purposes of example and completeness only. 
     The interfaces are well documented as the IReplStore, and IReplObjHandler interfaces. Each of these interfaces exposes a number of well documented methods. For example, the IReplStore interface exposes methods which can be generally classified as methods which are used to access and modify the data store, methods used for object enumeration, methods used to obtain object information, methods used to manipulate handles to objects, methods used for user interface functions, and a number of miscellaneous methods. The IReplObjHandler interface exposes methods which are used to serialize objects by turning an object into a series of bytes, and to deserialize objects by turning the series of bytes back into an object. The methods included in the interface are also used to delete an object from the corresponding object store. 
     Sync manager  748 , in turn, exposes a well documented interface known as the IReplNotify interface to providers  752  and  754 . This interface exposes four well documented methods which are used to notify sync manager  748  of any change or deletion made to an object in a corresponding object store, to set text to be displayed in a status bar where synchronization status can be observed by the user, to obtain a window handle which is used as a parent window of any modal dialogue or message box, and to obtain information about a mobile device which has been selected, or which is connected to the computing device. 
     Each of the providers  752  and  754  are implemented to specifically work in conjunction with a particular application program  28  or  34 , respectively. In general, because the application program interface (API)  756  is standardized, it allows synchronization manager  748  to access and synchronize any number of different application programs, as long as the required interface methods are implemented for each application by corresponding providers. 
     On mobile device  12 , providers  744  and  746  also provide the well documented IReplObjHandler interface such that objects in the associated object stores  20  and  22  can be serialized and deserialized. Providers  744  and  746  also illustratively implement three additional functions which can be used to initialize and terminate the provider, to handle object identification and change detection, and to retrieve device information about a particular object type. These functions and interfaces are also well documented. 
     Synchronization manager  748  manipulates reference store  750  to maintain a mapping between instances of objects stored in object stores  32  and  34  on computing device  14  and instances of the same objects stored in object stores  20  and  22  on mobile device  12 . Objects are identified by handles which are created by providers  752  and  754 . The handles are opaque to synchronization manager  748 , in that synchronization manager  748  need not be concerned with the actual composition of the handles although the handles are manipulated and stored by synchronization manager  748 . 
     Generally, in order to maintain the mapping, synchronization manager  748  maintains reference store  750  so that it contains handles corresponding respectively to a plurality of objects in the object stores  32  and  34  on computing device  14  which are to be synchronized with instances of the same objects in object stores  20  and  22  on mobile device  12 . The handles in reference store  750  will typically correspond to objects that have been previously synchronized between the various object stores. The handles are updated after their corresponding objects have been synchronized. 
     The list of handles maintained in reference store  750  is also used to determine which items need to be synchronized to mobile device  12  the next time mobile device  12  is connected to computing device  14 . In making this determination, synchronization manager  748  also determines whether objects have been added to or deleted from the object stores so that appropriate additions and deletions can be made. 
     The handles stored in reference store  750  may be formatted in accordance with the following criteria so that the synchronization providers  752  and  754  can perform the specified functions: 
     (a) Each handle may contain data that uniquely identifies an object—such as an object identifier, an ID number, a full pathname for a file system object, etc. This data may be persistent (in that it does not change for a particular object) and should not be reused for subsequently created objects. This data can be compared to determine whether two handles actually correspond to the same object. As is discussed below, this can be problematic for file system information, because the object identifier is typically the pathname, and can be changed simply by renaming the file. 
     (b) It may be possible to derive some object order based on the handle. 
     (c) The handle may have some sort of time stamp information, or version number. This information can be compared to determine whether an object has changed since the last handle was recorded in reference store  750 . 
     These handles are provided from providers  752  and  754  to synchronization manager  748 , for storage in reference store  750 , during an enumeration process which is described below. This enumeration process is used to detect items which need to by synchronized when mobile device  12  is next coupled to computing device  14 . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  are flow diagrams illustrating the enumeration process which is periodically performed by sync engine  36  in obtaining and updating the list of handles stored in reference store  750  for the purpose of determining which items need to synchronized upon next connection. After an initialization step indicated by block  860 , synchronization manager  748  constructs two lists of handles. The first list is obtained at step  862  by accessing the handles previously stored in reference store  750  that correspond to objects that were previously synchronized. The second list of handles is obtained at step  864  by querying each of the synchronization providers  752 - 754  using interface methods denoted by IReplObjHandler::FindFirstItem and FindNextItem. When successfully called, these interfaces enumerate an ordered list of handles corresponding respectively to a second group of objects, those objects currently in the object stores  32  and  34  corresponding to the providers  752  and  754  which have enumerated the objects. 
     By comparing the list of handles returned by the current enumeration with the saved list of handles loaded from reference store  750 , synchronization manager  748  automatically detects changes and deletions. For example, each time a new object is returned during enumeration, synchronization manager  748  attempts to find an object in its previously saved list of objects which represents the same object. If no matching handle is found, synchronization manager  748  determines that a new object has been created and saved on the object store which enumerated the object under consideration. In order to determine whether matching handles are found, as is indicated by block  866 , synchronization manager  748  calls the interface method IReplStore::CompareItem. 
     Based on a comparison of the handles, synchronization manager  748  creates any necessary handle-to-object mappings in reference store  750  such that objects in the object stores on computing device can be mapped to corresponding instances of the same object on device  12 . This is indicated by block  868 . 
     Synchronization manager  748  also determines whether any objects have been added, deleted, or modified in the particular object store from which they were enumerated. This is indicated by blocks  870 . For example, if the list of objects which were previously synchronized contains a handle that is not found in the newly created list based upon a current enumeration of synchronization providers  752 - 754 , that indicates that the object has been deleted from the corresponding data store  32 ,  34 . Thus, synchronization manager  748  determines that the object must also be deleted from the mobile device  12  during the next synchronization operation. 
     Similarly, if the enumeration of objects produces an object handle which does not occur in the list of objects previously synchronized, then synchronization manager  748  determines that an object corresponding to that particular handle has been added to the object store which enumerated the object. Thus, during the next synchronization operation, the object must be added to mobile device  12 . 
     Synchronization manager  748  also calls the interface method IReplStore::IsItemChanged with matching handles from the first and second lists. Calling this interface causes the appropriate provider  752  or  754  (whichever enumerated the matching handle) to determine whether the object has changed since its handle was last written to reference store  750 . In one illustrative implementation, the provider examines the time stamp information or version number information associated with the object handle. If that information is not identical, that indicates that there has been a change to the object. Thus, during the next synchronization process, synchronization manager  748  must update the corresponding object on mobile device  12  (assuming there is no conflict as discussed below). 
     Synchronization manager  740  on mobile device  12  also interacts with synchronization providers  744  and  746  to determine whether any objects on object stores  20  and  22  have been added, deleted, or changed since the last synchronization process. On mobile device  14 , the operating system posts a message to synchronization manager  740  every time an object on mobile device  12 , which is to be synchronized, changes, is added, or is deleted. Synchronization manager  740  enumerates each object and calls methods in the IreplNotify interface of each provider  744  and  746 . Based on this call, the provider determines whether the particular object enumerated is to be synchronized and indicates to synchronization manager  740  how many objects are to be synchronized (for example, a file system object, such as a directory, actually contains more than one object which is to be synchronized). 
     Based on the notifications posted from the operating system, synchronization manager  740  maintains a list, or array, of objects which have changed, been deleted, or added since the last synchronization process. Upon connection to computing device  14 , this list is provided to synchronization manager  748 . Thus, synchronization manager  748  contains the lists which have been constructed for both desktop  14  and mobile device  12  which indicate objects which need to be synchronized. This is indicated by block  872  in  FIG. 8B . 
     Synchronization manager  748  then determines, as indicated at block  874 , whether an object has changed only on mobile device  12 , only on computing device  14 , or on both mobile device  12  and computing device  14 . If the object has changed only on one of the desktop object stores, then synchronization manager  748  carries out the necessary activity to update the corresponding object store on the mobile device. This is indicated by block  876 . If the object has changed only on one of the mobile device stores, then synchronization manager  748  carries out the necessary activities to update the corresponding object store on the computing device  14 . This is indicated by block  880 . 
     However, if the same object has changed on both mobile device  12  and computing device  14 , then a conflict situation arises. In one illustrative implementation, synchronization manager  748  makes a call to the registry in the operating system of computing device  14  to obtain conflict information which instructs synchronization manager  748  how to proceed in the face of a conflict. This is indicated by block  878 . For example, the user may have set preferences which indicate that, in the case of a conflict either the desktop computer version, or the mobile device version should take precedence every time. Similarly, the user may have set a preference which indicates that the user is to be notified in the case of a conflict so that the user can actively decide which version will take precedence. In that case, synchronization manager  748  generates a user interface allowing the user to resolve the conflict. Synchronization manager  748  then takes the necessary steps to resolve the conflict and update the appropriate object store. This continues until all objects in the lists of objects to be synchronized have been dealt with. This is indicated by block  882 . 
     In order to exchange objects with mobile device  12 , synchronization manager  748  continually calls the method IReplObjHandler:GetPacket to have an appropriate provider  752  or  754  obtain a packet of information to be transmitted to mobile device  12 . To handle a packet received from mobile device  12 , synchronization manager  748  calls IReplObjHandler::SetPacket. This acts to provide a packet of information received from mobile device  12  to a synchronization provider  754  for storage on its associated object store. Similar interfaces are called by synchronization manager  740  on mobile device  12 . 
     Responding to Truncated Electronic Mail Messages 
     In order to process electronic mail messaging, the system shown in  FIG. 1  (and described in greater detail with respect to  FIGS. 6-8B ) can perform a number of features in order to accommodate the relatively limited and expensive bandwidth associated with wireless transmissions. For example, in one implementation, computing device  14  sends electronic mail messages of only a predetermined length to the mobile device  12 . In such an implementation, a user can optionally select a predetermined number of lines of text in the main message body which the user wishes to receive. This is indicated to computing device  14 . Thereafter, when computing device  14  receives an electronic mail message which is to be transmitted (through the synchronization protocol or otherwise) to mobile device  12 , computing device  14  truncates the message body to the predetermined number of lines and sends the truncated electronic mail message to mobile device  12 . When the user reviews the truncated electronic mail message, the user can select that message for a complete download, in which case computing device  14  downloads the entire message body to mobile device  12  so that the user can review the entire message. 
     In the past, in order to forward, or reply to, a truncated electronic mail message, the user could simply enter the forward or reply comments, as is conventional, and send the message. In that case, the truncated message was transmitted to computing device (again through the synchronization protocol or otherwise) and was forwarded to the recipients indicated by the user in the reply or forwarded message. If the user wished to forward the entire message, then the user was first required to mark the entire message for a complete download and have the entire text body downloaded to the mobile device from device  14 . The user could then reply to, or forward, the entire mail message, along with the reply or forwarding comments. The reply or forward would then be transmitted back to computing device  14  and on to the eventual recipients. 
     The same general framework also existed for attachments. In other words, the user could designate whether attachments were to be sent to the mobile device  12  in the first instance. If not, then in order to forward the message along with attachments, or reply to the message including the attachments in the reply, the user was first required to mark the attachments for download to the mobile device, then respond to the fully downloaded electronic mail message (including attachments). 
     As can be seen, this technique uses an undesirable amount of bandwidth. There are many instances in which the user may wish to forward the full original electronic mail message, including attachments, to a recipient, or the user may wish to reply to the message, including the full original electronic mail message (the entire textual body and attachments). However, in such instances, the user may well not need to review the full original electronic mail message prior to replying to it or forwarding it. Therefore, by requiring the user to download the entire electronic mail message (text body and/or attachments) to the mobile device  12  when they are unneeded, and then requiring the mobile device  12  to re-transmit the entire electronic mail message back to computing device  14  (before it is sent to the correct recipients) utilizes an undesirably large amount of wireless bandwidth, and also requires unnecessary steps on the part of the user. 
     In accordance with one implementation, the user of mobile device  12  can send replies to truncated electronic mail messages and yet still send the entire body of the original message, without having to download it locally to the mobile device  12  and then re-transmit it in its entirety back to device  14 . The same technique may be used, in accordance with another implementation, with attachments which were attached to the original electronic mail message. 
       FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating one implementation.  FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing mobile device  12  connected (such as by a wireless connection—e.g., a cellular connection) to a synchronization server  901  which can include the components shown in computing device  14 , for instance. Synchronization server  901  is shown connected to an electronic mail server  903  which includes components required to send and receive electronic mail messages. 
     It will first be assumed that the user has received a truncated electronic mail message on mobile device  12 . By truncated electronic mail message, it is meant that the original electronic mail message is received on mobile device  12  either with a truncated message body, or with attachments that have been truncated, or without attachments, or a combination of these. 
     In order to forward or reply to the original truncated electronic mail message, but where the reply or forwarded message includes some or all of the original message in non-truncated form (such as with attachments or with the full message body or both), the user first selects a smart response mode. This is indicated by block  900  in  FIG. 9 . This can be accomplished in any of a wide variety of ways. For example, when replying to, or forwarding, a truncated electronic mail message on the mobile device  12 , the user interface generated on the mobile device  12  can include a simple checkbox which the user can check in order to operate in the smart response mode. Any of a wide variety of other known ways can be used to implement the smart response features as well. Also, the smart response mode can occur automatically with no user input required. 
     When the user has selected to operate in the smart response mode, the user selects the truncated message for forwarding or for replying. This is indicated by block  902 . Next, the user forwards or replies to the original truncated message as indicated by block  904 . This is illustratively accomplished in a known manner, such as by simply entering the reply message or forwarding comments, and then selecting a send option on the user interface to send the forwarded electronic mail message or reply. 
     As the mobile device  12  sends the message to synchronization server  901  (through synchronization or otherwise), it includes in its header an identity of the original electronic mail message stored on electronic mail server  903  (or which is stored on PIM object store  32  on computing device  14  in the implementation shown in  FIG. 1 ). It also includes in the header information an indication that the user has selected to operate in the smart response mode. This is indicated by block  906  in  FIG. 9 . 
     Having received these indications, the server  901  fetches the original electronic mail message identified by the message ID in the header information from a data store on electronic mail server  903  (or computing device  14  accesses the PIM object store  32  to retrieve the original electronic mail message). The synchronization server  901  then generates a complete message based on the message received from mobile device  12  and the entire original electronic mail message (with or without attachments as selected by the user) and sends the complete message to the electronic mail server  903  to the appropriate recipient. This is indicated by block  908  in  FIG. 9 . 
     Generating the complete message can be done in a number of ways. For example, in one illustrative implementation, server  901  takes the reply electronic mail message, or the forwarded electronic mail message, from mobile device  12  and attaches to that message the original electronic mail message, and attachments, which have been retrieved from electronic mail server  903  (or PIM object store  32 ). Therefore, the eventual recipient of the reply or forwarded message can view the entire original message as well. 
     In another implementation, server  901  creates a new electronic mail object based on the reply or forwarded message received from mobile device  12 , and also based on the retrieved original electronic mail message which was retrieved from server  903  (or PIM object store  32 ). The new electronic mail object contains not only the comments or reply entered by the user of mobile device  12 , but also the entire original mail message. 
     In yet another implementation, server  901  can simply modify the electronic mail message object it received from mobile device  12  by replacing the truncated text message with the entire text message found in the original electronic mail message retrieved from PIM object store  32 . Of course, computing device  14  can also attach the original attachments before sending the electronic mail message object on to the eventual recipient. 
     Of course, other implementations can be used as well. For example, server  901  can simply attach the textual body of the original message retrieved from server  903  as an attachment to the message received from mobile device  12 . 
     It should also be noted that implementations can be used in the context of either replies to truncated messages, forwarding of truncated messages, or both, as desired. This can be selectable through a suitable user interface, or it can be automatically set when the device is manufactured. 
     It should also be noted that it may sometimes be acceptable to lose part of a message body in simple round-trip replies between electronic mail recipients. However, it can be important to maintain the entire electronic mail message body in reply threads to which new recipients are added, from time to time, to ongoing electronic mail conversations. Implementations allow the user to send comments along with the text version of the original mail without requiring the user to download the entire message to the mobile device  12  and then re-transmit it back to the computing device  14 . 
     Other operational features can be used as well. For example, if the user edits any portion of the truncated message, then the server may optionally simply send the reply or forwarded message that includes the edited truncated portion, without attaching the original message. This is, of course, optional. 
     Although one or more implementations have been described, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims recited hereinbelow.