Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2003-10-21
Alam, Hosain T. (Department: 2172)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636873
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer-implemented methods, systems and network architectures for synchronizing mobile computing devices with a remote database.
2. Description of the Related Art
Corporations and other large entities often deploy a large number of salespersons over a large geographical territory to sell their products and/or services. Traditionally, such salespersons have relied upon a number of paper-based calendaring, scheduling and address management systems. With the advent of low power portable electronic devices, many sales agents have come to rely upon a variety of mobile computing devices to implement the functionality of such paper-based systems, as well as to track leads, opportunities, sales and commissions. One example of such mobile computing devices is the laptop computer. As shown in
FIG. 1
, such laptop computers (shown in
FIG. 1
as personal computers (PCs)
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
) may be loosely coupled to the corporate sales database
120
via a network
118
(including Local Area Network (LAN) and/or the Internet, for example) via a TCP/IP connection
122
(for example), as is well known in the art. Such an architecture may be implemented to allow the plurality of computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
to asynchronously access the enterprise database
120
. The plurality of computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
may access the remote database
120
to download read-only information therefrom, such as price lists, for example. In addition, the computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
may exchange information with the enterprise database
120
, both to download information from the database
120
and upload information thereto. Specifically, the computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
may each store a subset of the database
120
and may synchronize their databases with the enterprise database
120
. In so doing, the computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
may add, delete and/or modify information stored within the enterprise database
120
when performing the synchronization procedure. However, such an architecture wherein a potentially large number computers access the database
120
at the same time may undesirably degrade the performance (responsiveness) of the enterprise database
120
. Moreover, the need to physically connect the computers
110
,
112
,
114
,
116
to the network
118
through the LAN or a Wide Area Network (WAN)
122
limits the salespersons' mobility and ability to dynamically respond to changing conditions while on sales calls, while in the field.
Despite shrinking footprints and decreasing weight and increasing performance, however, laptop computers remain burdensome, slow and necessitate a substantial period of time from power-on to boot up to a fully functional state. The advent of so-called personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other communication and information processing devices has greatly changed this landscape. For example, the Palm Pilot®, manufactured by Palm, Inc. (of which both wired and wireless versions exist) is a portable digital assistant that may be used to manage personal and business information. Typically, such devices have limited memory and data processing capabilities, at least relative to desktop and laptop computers. The trend in such devices is toward greater connectivity, to enable the data stored thereon to be synchronized with that stored on another computer and to enable the user to wirelessly access networks, such as the Internet. As such, the Palm Pilot® and other so-called thin clients (such as devices running the Palm OS™ operating system form Palm, Inc. or the WinCE operating System from Microsoft Corporation, for example) are transitioning from their original and somewhat limited role as organizers to their new and emerging role as integral extensions of the corporate environment.
To make effective use of such mobile devices in a sales or service environment, the data stored thereon must seamlessly integrate with the data stored on the corporate database. As shown in
FIG. 2
, mobile devices such as shown at
124
traditionally rely upon a docking station or “cradle”
126
connected to the host computer
110
via a (serial, for example) cable
128
. The data stored in the mobile device
124
and the data stored in the laptop
110
may then be synchronized through the cable
128
, as is known. For example, synchronization may be carried out by invoking a “HotSync” process, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,000 to Hawkins et al., entitled “Extendible method and apparatus for synchronizing multiple files on two different computer systems”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIG. 3
shows the steps typically necessary to synchronize a mobile device
124
with a remote database
120
. The first step S
1
calls for the user to connect the mobile device
124
to the computer
110
, either directly or with a cradle, as shown at
126
in FIG.
2
. The data residing on the mobile device
124
may then be synchronized with the data residing on the laptop
110
through the cable
128
, as shown at S
2
. A connection between the laptop
110
and the remote enterprise database
120
via the network
118
must then be established (if not already established), as shown at S
3
. Step S
4
calls for the laptop
110
and the enterprise database
120
to bi-directionally synchronize, in order for each to update the other with any information that may have changed since the last synchronization session. Any new information from the enterprise database
120
may then be sent to the mobile device
124
, as shown by the bi-directional arrow joining steps S
2
and S
1
.
Such a procedure is cumbersome and necessitates a four-step process each time the user wishes to synchronize with the remote enterprise database
120
. Moreover, the disadvantages inherent in the architecture shown in
FIG. 1
are still present in the architecture of
FIG. 2
; namely, the need to employ a slow-starting and cumbersome laptop computer
110
to update the data on lightweight, always-on mobile device such as the Palm Pilot® or WinCE® devices. Moreover, the user must connect the mobile device
124
to the host computer
110
before synchronizing. In addition, there must be a one-to-one correspondence between the mobile devices
124
and the host computer
110
. Indeed, each mobile device
124
must be connected to a separate host computer
110
each time synchronization is carried out. Lastly, allowing a great many mobile devices
124
to directly access the enterprise database
120
may degrade its performance and responsiveness.
There has been a long felt need, therefore, for simplified methods, systems and network architectures allowing a large number of potentially geographically disseminated and disconnected users to synchronize the data stored on their mobile devices with data stored within a remote database. Such methods, systems and network architectures should allow a variety of such mobile devices to asynchronously synchronize with a remote database to send information thereto and receive updated information therefrom in a format native to each mobile device. Such methods, systems and network architectures should allow a fine grained control over the data that is downloaded to each mobile device. Preferably, such methods, systems and network architectures should allow real time synchronization between remote databases and mobile devices and should be freely scalable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the above-described objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, a computer system for synchronizing a mobile device with a remote enterprise database includes a replication database. The replication database is mapped to and maintained as a subset image of the remote enterprise database through a bi-directional replication process over a computer network. A mobile device gateway server is coupled to the replication database. The mobile device gateway includes a concentrator, which is configured to
Carini Robert L.
Cassinera Adalberto
Merchant Meenaz
Alam Hosain T.
Liang Gwen
Oracle International Corporation
Young Law Firm P.C.
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