Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing architecture
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-02
2004-04-13
El-Hady, Nabil (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing architecture
C709S202000, C709S203000, C709S217000, C709S218000, C709S219000, C709S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06721871
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains to how the respective data stores on different devices, holding data items of one or more applications such as desktop calendars and e-mail, are synchronized. More particularly, the present invention concerns how the data structure of such data stores is synchronized.
BACKGROUND ART
Today it is possible for a businessperson to use an e-mail application and a calendar application (for keeping track of appointments) on a mobile phone or a palm (handheld) computer (or some other mobile terminal) and have an assistant use the same applications on a desktop computer to keep track of e-mail sent and received by the assistant on behalf of the businessperson, and to keep track of appointments for the businessperson. In such an arrangement, it is often the case that the data items (also called here data units) for the e-mail application and data items for the calendar are kept in a data store on the mobile phone and in another data store on the desktop. Thus, when changes are made to either of the data stores, each including data items for both the e-mail and the calendar application, the data stores need to be synchronized. In synchronizing respective data stores (i.e. synchronizing both the data items and data structure of the two data stores) used by two applications running on different equipment the contents of the two data stores are set to correspond to each other based on a protocol in which changes since a last synchronization are communicated, conflicts between changes made on both pieces of equipment are resolved (according to some policy), and changes are made to either the data items or their organization or both in one or both of the data stores.
A facility is being developed for synchronizing such data stores based on what is called SyncML (synchronization markup language), being developed under the so-called SyncML Initiative. (See SyncML Internet Website for information about SyncML, including standards and specifications for SyncML, and the SyncML Initiative, especially including the SyncML Representation Protocol and the SyncML Sync Protocol.) SyncML is an open industry standard for a common language for universal synchronization of remote data (i.e. data items stored in different equipment and so in different data stores) and personal information across multiple networks, platforms and devices. With SyncML, data items, but not yet data structure, can be synchronized on different devices connected via one or more interconnecting networks, including, for example, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and the Internet, where the communication may be wireless in whole or in part or may be wireline. Thus, the devices may communicate via, for example, fixed networks (including wireless networks), infrared, cable, or Bluetooth.
Besides being used to synchronize data stores, SyncML (i.e. the language) can be used for device management, and more particularly for transferring management actions between a client and a management server for the client. See SyncML Internet Website to find the specification, SyncML Device Management Protocol. SyncML Device Management Protocol allows management commands to be executed on management objects and it uses a package format similar to the SyncML Synchronization Protocol and the SyncML Representation Protocol. A management object might reflect a set of configuration parameters for a device. Actions that can be taken against this object might include reading and setting parameter keys and values. Another management object might be the run-time environment for software applications on a device. Actions that can be taken against this type of object might include installing, upgrading, or uninstalling software elements. Actions are represented by SyncML Device Management Protocol Commands, which are described in SyncML Representation Protocol, Device Management Usage. The commands and message structure used correspond identically to that of the SyncML Synchronization Protocol. (Thus, the so-called document type definition for the Management Protocol is the document type definition from SyncML Synchronization Protocol.)
Until now, the progress of mobile data synchronization has mostly been determined by restrictions. Data store synchronization has been based on a set of different, proprietary protocols, each functioning only with a very limited number of devices, systems and data types. These non-interoperable technologies have complicated the tasks of users, manufacturers, service providers, and developers. Further, a proliferation of different, proprietary data store synchronization protocols has placed barriers to the extended use of mobile devices, has restricted data access and delivery and limited the mobility of the users.
As the popularity of mobile computing and communications devices grows, users want access to updated information and applications wherever they are, and using whatever device is available, prompting a need for an open standard such as the SyncML standard.
SyncML uses the syntax of the so-called Extensible Markup Language (XML) as set out in Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0, a product of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XML Activity
As used here, the terminology data item or data unit indicates a unit of data that is organized into what are here called folders that in turn make up what is here called a directory structure, also called here a data structure. Referring to
FIG. 4
, a directory structure is shown including various folders, each of which can include one or more data units.
The term directory structure or data structure and the term folder are to be understood broadly. First, a folder should be understood to be any container of data units. Thus, for example, what is called a folder in various operating systems (such as Windows, available from Microsoft Corporation) is to be understood by the term folder as used here, but so is a record in a table of a relational database, since a record in such a table includes fields, which are data units. Even such a field can be considered a folder, since a field contains characters, numbers, or other elements that can be considered data units, and thus each field is a folder.
The term directory structure or data structure indicates the arrangement of folders in the data store, such as for example a tree structure of folders in a directory maintained by an operating system, in which case the data units would be files. But the term directory structure or data structure should be understood to also encompass directory structures maintained internally by applications, i.e. not maintained by an operating system, but instead maintained by an application running under an operating system. An example is the directory structure maintained by most e-mail applications, which usually always include at least two folders: a received e-mail (in-box) folder and a transmitted e-mail (sent) folder. Moreover, the terminology directory structure or data structure should also be understood to encompass internal directory structures that are shared by different applications (so that the directory structure is not internal to only one application, but to several, usually well-interfaced applications, any of which can make changes to it). Further, the terminology directory structure or data structure should also be understood to encompass both system directory structures and internal directory structures. In the case of an internal directory maintained by an e-mail application, a data unit would be an e-mail, a kind of internal file. In a directory structure of either type, a folder can include, in general, data units that belong to different applications, and an application knows whether a data unit belongs to it or to another application based either on some attribute maintained in association with the data unit or based on the application keeping a private table of all data units that belong to it, wherever they may be located. Also, since as has already been explained, a folder can indicate f
Piispanen Jussi
Sahinoja Mikko
El-Hady Nabil
Nokia Corporation
Ware Fressola Van Der Sluys & Adolphson LLP
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