Stateful push notifications

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for forming a push notification and pushing the push notification and client state information to a client device is provided. In addition, a method for processing the push notification and client state information is provided. In one embodiment, processing may include embedding metadata with the client state information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising, at a server system comprising a processor and a communication interface:
 forming a push message, the push message including:
 a push notification; and 
 data indicative of a number of related push notification items; and 
   pushing the push message to a wireless device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the forming the push message, the push message further includes application-specific data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a provisioned context on the wireless device: 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a specific application on the wireless device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing data relating to an initiator of the push message.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of a number of related push notification items is for use by the wireless device when processing the push notification. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of related push notification items is a sequence number. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising, at a wireless device:
 receiving a push message, the push message including:
 a push notification; and 
 data indicative of a number of related push notification items; and 
   processing the push message according to the number of related push notification items.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the push message further includes application-specific data; and   the processing the push message further comprises processing the push message according to the application-specific data.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a provisioned context on the wireless device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a specific application on the wireless device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the number of related push notification items is a sequence number. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising displaying the processed push message. 
     
     
         14 . A server system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a communication interface; and   a memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server system to:
 form a push message, the push message including:
 a push notification; and 
 data indicative of a number of related push notification items; and 
 
 push the push message to a wireless device using the communication interface. 
   
     
     
         15 . The server system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server system to the form the push message further including application-specific data. 
     
     
         16 . The server system of  claim 15 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a provisioned context on the wireless device: 
     
     
         17 . The server system of  claim 15 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a specific application on the wireless device. 
     
     
         18 . The server system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the server system to provide data relating to an initiator of the push message. 
     
     
         19 . The server system of  claim 14 , wherein the data indicative of a number of related push notification items is for use by the wireless device when processing the push notification. 
     
     
         20 . The server system of  claim 14 , wherein the number of related push notification items is a sequence number. 
     
     
         21 . A wireless device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a communication interface; and   a memory containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to:
 receive a push message via the communication interface, the push message including:
 a push notification; and 
 data indicative of a number of related push notification items; and 
 
 process the push message according to the number of related push notification items. 
   
     
     
         22 . The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the push message further includes application-specific data; and   the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to process the push message according to the application-specific data.   
     
     
         23 . The wireless device of  claim 22 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a provisioned context on the wireless device. 
     
     
         24 . The wireless device of  claim 22 , wherein the application-specific data includes data indicative of a specific application on the wireless device. 
     
     
         25 . The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the number of related push notification items is a sequence number. 
     
     
         26 . The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the wireless device to display the processed push message.