Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2001-05-29
Breene, John (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240426
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems, and particularly to systems that synchronize information between devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, mobile computing devices, such as portable digital assistants (PDAs), have become increasingly popular. These mobile devices are convenient to carry and allow the user to enter information at any desirable location, such as during a meeting, on an airplane, or in a hotel. The entered information is then often sent to a host computer that acts as a data collection device so that others may access it. Both the host computer and the mobile device run corresponding application programs to update each other's information.
This process of updating the information between the mobile device and the host computer is called “synchronization.” In general, during synchronization, the remote device and the data collection device use a synchronization protocol to establish a communication path between them. After the communication path is established, a list of programs, sometimes referred to as conduits, are individually executed to update or “synchronize” the information in corresponding programs. Typically, the information to be synchronized resides in a database.
Currently, the synchronization may occur by connecting the mobile device to the data collection device through a modem, a local area network (LAN), or by placing the mobile device in a cradle which is connected directly to the data collection device. For example,
FIG. 1
shows a system for synchronizing information that includes a mobile device
10
, a cradle
14
, and a data collection device
20
. The mobile device
10
includes a serial computing port
12
that engages a serial connector port
16
on the cradle
14
. The cradle
14
connects to the data collection device
20
by a serial cable
22
. Activation of a sync button
18
on the cradle
14
initiates the synchronization process using a vendor-specific protocol that is layered on top of the well-known RS-232 protocol. One disadvantage of this system is that the mobile device
10
must be returned to the cradle
14
before synchronization can occur. Therefore, a user cannot synchronize their data from remote locations in a timely manner. Another disadvantage of this system is that the mobile device
10
expects a dedicated communication path to the data collection device
20
. Therefore, synchronization data cannot be routed to a specific data collection device when there are multiple data collection devices available.
Another prior art system for synchronizing a mobile device with a data collection device is shown in FIG.
2
. In this system, a modem attachment
24
is connected to the mobile unit
10
by coupling the serial computing port
12
to a serial connector port
16
′ located on the modem attachment
24
. The modem is then connected to a telephone jack. Once connected, data may be transferred over an analog phone line
28
to a modem
26
that is coupled to the data collection device
20
. One disadvantage of this system is that the modem attachment
24
typically cannot transmit data through a digital telephone exchange (PBX) that are often used to connect a number of telephones to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Because these PBXs are becoming more and more widespread in offices and hotels around the world, the locations at which a user can transmit data from their mobile device
10
to the data collection device
20
have been correspondingly limited.
FIG. 3
shows yet another prior art system for synchronizing a mobile device with a data collection device. The system includes an Ethernet-based local area network (LAN) to which one or more data collection devices may be connected. A LAN attachment
30
having a serial connector port
16
″ is coupled with the serial computing port
12
on the mobile device
10
to allow data to be transferred between the mobile device
10
and one of a number of available data collection devices
20
,
20
′,
20
″ over the LAN. Some disadvantages of this system include the additional cost of purchasing and installing cables for LAN ports and the additional space that these LAN ports occupy at each location where a user may wish to connect their mobile device in order to synchronize data.
Given the shortcomings in the prior art, there is a need for a system that allows a user to synchronize data between a mobile device at virtually any location through a commonly available digital telephone and PBX.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a synchronization system for synchronizing a mobile computing device to a data collection device using an existing telephone switching network that may include a digital private branch exchange (PBX). The synchronization system includes a mobile computing device coupled to a synchronization device that receives synchronization data. The synchronization device includes an I/O controller, a buffer, a CPU, and memory. A data collection identifier accessible by the CPU determines the location of a data collection device which is coupled to the synchronization device through the digital telephone switching network. The synchronization device receives the synchronization data from the mobile computing device, buffers the synchronization data, accesses the data collection identifier, inserts the data collection identifier before the buffered data, and outputs the data collection identifier and buffered data to the digital telephone switching network. A PBX then receives the data collection identifier, locates the requested data collection device, and establishes a communication to the data collection device on which the synchronization process occurs.
The synchronization device may include a synchronization detection process that detects whether data at the serial computing port is synchronization data or non-synchronization data. The synchronization device may also include a time-out watcher process that sends stay alive data to the mobile computing device on a predetermined time interval while waiting for the communication path to be established to the data collection device.
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“Unix and Pilots,” by Kevin L. Flynn, Handheld Systems, Jan./Feb. 1997.
“Unix and Pilots: The Protocol Stack, Part I,” by Kevin L. Flynn, Handheld Systems, Mar./Apr. 1997
“Unix and Pilots Part III: The Minimal HotSync,” by Kevin L. Flynn, Handheld Systems, May/Jun. 1997.
Beyda William Joseph
Shaffer Shmuel
Breene John
Pham Linh
Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.
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