User interface for accessing messages

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for providing a message UI engine for accessing messages on a message system. The message system may comprise a message storage system (that store messages of varying types and formats, such as fax, text, voice/audio, video, and picture messages) and a message access system. The message UI engine is configured by a Flash media UI file for accessing messages and associated message information by interacting with the message access system. The Flash media UI file does not comprise any markup language and comprises only Flash® instructions. The Flash media UI file also comprises a plurality of embedded applications for presenting the plurality of different message types, each embedded application comprising only Flash instructions. The associated message information may be stored and transmitted in a non-markup language format, such as comma-delimited format. The messages and message information may be transmitted using a non-HTTP protocol.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a message storage system configured for receiving a plurality of messages through a network connection system and storing the plurality of messages and message information associated with the plurality of messages;   a program server configured for serving at least one message user interface (UI) file to at least one client device coupled to the program server by the network connection system, the message UI file comprising executable computer instructions, the message UI file for installing on the client device for providing a message UI engine configured for managing and presenting messages on the client device; and   a message server configured for:
 receiving, from the message UI engine executing on the client device, a request for messages of a specified user; 
 retrieving the messages for the specified user from the message storage system, the messages for the specified user comprising a plurality of messages; and 
 sending the plurality of messages to the client device for downloading and storing to the client device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the message UI engine is further configured for automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user to the message server upon execution of the message UI engine on the client device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user comprises sending the request for the messages of the specified user without human initiation, interaction, or intervention. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein sending the plurality of messages to the client device does not comprise streaming the plurality of messages to the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the message server is further configured for sending the plurality of messages to the client device without receiving a selection of a particular message among the plurality of messages from the client device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one message UI file comprises only Flash® programming instructions. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon when executed by a processor, manages messages, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for:
 at a message storage system, receiving a plurality of messages through a network connection system and storing the plurality of messages and message information associated with the plurality of messages;   at a program server, serving at least one message user interface (UI) file to at least one client device coupled to the program server by the network connection system, the message UI file comprising executable computer instructions, the message UI file for installing on the client device for providing a message UI engine configured for managing and presenting messages on the client device; and   at a message server:
 receiving, from the message UI engine executing on the client device, a request for messages of a specified user; 
 retrieving the messages for the specified user from the message storage system, the messages for the specified user comprising a plurality of messages; and 
 sending the plurality of messages to the client device for downloading and storing to the client device. 
   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the message UI engine is further configured for automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user to the message server upon execution of the message UI engine on the client device. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user comprises sending the request for the messages of the specified user without human initiation, interaction, or intervention. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein sending the plurality of messages to the client device does not comprise streaming the plurality of messages to the client device. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the message server sends the plurality of messages to the client device without receiving a selection of a particular message among the plurality of messages from the client device. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one message UI file comprises only Flash® programming instructions. 
     
     
         13 . A system for accessing messages of a message storage system configured for receiving, through a network connection system, a plurality of messages and storing the plurality of messages and message information associated with the plurality of messages, the system comprising:
 a client device comprising a local storage device, the client device configured for:
 receiving, through the network connection system, a message user interface (UI) file from a program server, the message UI file comprising executable computer instructions; and 
 installing the message UI file for configuring a message UI engine on the client device for managing and presenting messages on the client device; and 
   the message UI engine configured for:
 sending, through the network connection system, a request for messages of a specified user to a message server; 
 receiving, from the message server, a plurality of messages for the specified user; and 
 storing the plurality of messages to the local storage device of the client device. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the message UI engine is further configured for:
 receiving a user selection for presenting a selected message; and   in response to the user selection, presenting the selected message from the local storage device.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the response to the user selection is performed without sending a request for the selected message to the message server. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the response to the user selection is performed without receiving the selected message from the message server. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the message UI engine is further configured for automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user to the message server upon execution of the message UI engine on the client device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user comprises sending the request for the messages of the specified user without human initiation, interaction, or intervention. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the message UI engine is further configured for sending the request for messages of the specified user to the message server without receiving a user selection for presenting any message of the specified user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the message UI engine is compatible with a Flash® Player. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon when executed by a processor, accesses messages of a message storage system configured for receiving, through a network connection system, a plurality of messages and storing the plurality of messages and message information associated with the plurality of messages, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for:
 at a client device comprising a local storage device:
 receiving, through the network connection system, a message user interface (UI) file from a program server, the message UI file comprising executable computer instructions; and 
 installing the message UI file for configuring a message UI engine on the client device for managing and presenting messages on the client device; and 
   at the message UI engine:
 sending, through the network connection system, a request for messages of a specified user to a message server; 
 receiving, from the message server, a plurality of messages for the specified user; and 
 storing the plurality of messages to the local storage device of the client device. 
   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 at the message UI engine:
 receiving a user selection for presenting a selected message; and 
 in response to the user selection, presenting the selected message from the local storage device. 
   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein the response to the user selection is performed without sending a request for the selected message to the message server. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the response to the user selection is performed without receiving the selected message from the message server. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 at the message UI engine:
 automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user to the message server upon execution of the message UI engine on the client device. 
   
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein automatically sending the request for the messages of the specified user comprises sending the request for the messages of the specified user without human initiation, interaction, or intervention. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 at the message UI engine:
 sending the request for messages of the specified user to the message server without receiving a user selection for presenting any message of the specified user. 
   
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the message UI engine is compatible with a Flash® Player.