Systems and methods for supporting downloadable applications on a portable client device

Abstract

Systems and methods for downloading customized applications from a server are described. In some embodiments, a server receives a request from a client device to download an application. The server identifies a type of the client device and a user characteristic. In response to the request, the server obtains a customized environment file associated with the user characteristic for the application, where the customized environment file defines an interface appearance of the application. The server sends to the client device, the customized environment file and the application appropriate for the type of the client device, such that the customized environment file gives the application running on the client device an appearance associated with the user characteristics. Other embodiments are also described.

1 . A server for transmitting a threaded communication, comprising:
 one or more processors, a memory coupled to the one or more processors,   one or more programs, stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:
 receive a request, from a client device, to read a threaded conversation; 
 identify, in a respective message of the threaded conversation, repeated text in the respective message that is also contained in an earlier message of the threaded conversation, and new text comprising text of the respective message other than the repeated text, wherein the new text in the message is text from a most recently received message or an unread message in the threaded conversation; 
 form a modified conversation that includes the new text and identifying information associated with the earlier message, and excluding the repeated text of the respective message and a body portion of the earlier message; and 
 transmit the modified conversation to the client device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The server of  claim 1  wherein the modified conversation includes a unified header that includes identifying information for messages in the threaded conversation except the respective message. 
     
     
         3 . The server  claim 1  wherein
 the repeated text includes text from a plurality of earlier messages; and   the modified conversation includes identifying information for each of the plurality of earlier messages.   
     
     
         4 . The server of  claim 1  wherein the server further comprises instructions to:
 receive a second request, from the client device, to read a user identified message of the earlier messages, the user identified message having first text;   form, in the server, a second modified conversation, the second modified conversation including the first text and identifying information associated with the user identified message and excluding portions of the repeated text corresponding to the earlier messages other than the user identified message; and   transmit the second modified conversation to the client device.   
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 4  wherein the second request is triggered by a user command, at the client device, to expand the user identified message. 
     
     
         6 . A client device for receiving threaded communication, comprising:
 a display, an input device, one or more processors, a memory coupled to the one or more processors; and   one or more programs, stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:
 send a request to the server to read a threaded conversation, wherein the request is sent wirelessly to the server by the client device which is a mobile communication device; and 
 receive, in response to the request, a modified conversation, the modified conversation comprising new text from a respective message in the threaded conversation and excluding repeated text from one or more earlier messages, and further including a header that includes identifying information for the one or more earlier messages and excludes the repeated text from the one or more earlier messages in the threaded conversation; and 
 display the modified conversation. 
   
     
     
         7 . The client device of  claim 6  wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions to:
 receive a user command to expand the header in the modified conversation;   expand the header into a plurality of headers, each of the plurality of headers includes identifying information for each of the one or more earlier messages and excludes the repeated text from the one or more earlier messages in the threaded conversation; and   display the plurality of headers.   
     
     
         8 . The client device of  claim 7  further comprises instructions to:
 receive a user command to view a user selected message in the threaded conversation associated with one of the plurality of headers;   send a second request to the server in response to the user command;   receive, from the server, text associated with the user selected message and identifying information of the user selected message, the text associated with the user selected message excluding the repeated text from the one or more earlier messages in the threaded conversation; and   display the text associated with the user selected message in the threaded conversation.   
     
     
         9 . A system to customize applications, comprising:
 one or more processors, memory coupled to the one or more processors; and   one or more programs, stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:
 identify a user characteristic of a client device and a type of the client device requesting an application; 
 obtain a customized environment file for the application in response to identification of the user characteristic; and 
 send the customized environment file and the application to the client device, such that the customized environment file gives the application running on the client device an appearance associated with the user characteristic, wherein the customized environment file and the application are combined into one file before sending to the client device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the one or more programs further comprise one or more instructions to send a user interface file specific to the client device in accordance with the type of the client device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the one or more programs further comprise one or more instructions to identify type of a client device requesting the application. 
     
     
         12 . A client device, comprising:
 one or more processors, a memory coupled to the one or more processors, a display, an input device; and   one or more programs, stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:
 send a request for an application, the request including metadata identifying a type of the client device and a user characteristic, wherein the application is a client based application; 
 download and store in the memory an application file corresponding to the requested application, an environment customization file that gives the application, when running on the client device, an appearance associated with the user characteristic, and a user interface file specific to the type of client device; and 
 execute the application with a customized environment corresponding to the user characteristic and a user interface specific to the type of client device. 
   
     
     
         13 . The client device of  claim 12  wherein the user characteristic is defined by a domain associated with the user. 
     
     
         14 . The client device of  claim 12  wherein the application is an email application designed specifically for a wireless mobile communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The client device of  claim 12  wherein the application and the customized environment file are combined together and downloaded as one file. 
     
     
         16 . A system provide message services, comprising:
 one or more processors, a memory coupled to the one or more processors; and   one or more programs, stored in the memory, configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs configured to,
 store on the server an attachment associated with a communication, 
 send to a client device the communication, with a representation of the attachment type that includes an indication of the attachment's native file type, 
 receive a request from a client device to view the attachment in the client device, 
 retrieve the attachment in response to the request, 
 transcode the attachment from the attachment's native file type to a viewable file type configured to display in the client device, wherein the viewable file type is determined by the server based on metadata received from the client device, and 
 transmit at least a portion of the attachment in the viewable file type to the client device for display. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the attachment in the viewable file type is smaller in size than the attachment in the native file type. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the appropriate viewable file type selected for transcoding from the native file type is determined by a user of the client device. 
     
     
         19 . A client device to respond to a message in a threaded conversation, comprising:
 a display, an input device, one or more processors, a memory coupled to the one or more processors; and   one or more programs, stored in the memory, the one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:
 receive a message in a threaded conversation and corresponding metadata, the metadata including a phone number corresponding to a sender of the message, wherein the metadata is stored in a memory of the client device; 
 display the message or information associated with the message; 
 while the message or the information associated with the message is displayed, provide a plurality of options to respond to the message, including an option to call the sender of the message using the phone number in the metadata; and 
 while the message or the information associated with the message is displaying, respond to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the message using the phone number in the metadata.