Shared registry with multiple keys for storing preferences and other applications on a local area network

• US 20020085579A1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bowling, Kent M., Sullivan, Gary E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system for storing and automatic retrieval of data is provided. A “registry” is one way a computer system manages personal preference data such as configuration preferences and other data that users may want specific devices, applications and/or users to access. The present invention enables computer users to use a number of computer devices under essentially any circumstance and allows users and/or applications to provide individualized preference data for each situation. The registry is n-dimensional and data is stored using, for example, an identifier having three or more keys. Other features of the invention, such as wild cards and times tamps, result in a flexible robust registry system.

Claims

1. A system for storing and retrieving data, comprising:

an identifier including three or more variables for identifying each data stored in said system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said three or more variables is a device identification variable.

3. The system of claim 2, further includes a timestamp for prioritizing said data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein one of said variables may be filled by a wildcard.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said system includes a registry for storing said data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said registry is provided in a database structure.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said three or more variables includes a device identification variable, an application identification variable and a user identification variable.

8. The system of claim 7, further including a timestamp for prioritizing data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one of said variables may be filled by a wildcard.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said system includes a registry and said registry includes a database structure for storing said data.

11. A registry for storing and retrieving preference data, comprising:

an identifier including at least three variables for identifying a data stored in said registry.

12. The registry of claim 11, further comprising a means for providing a floating value to said at least three variables.

13. The registry means of claim 12, further comprising a means for associating a time stamp to said data.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of storing data in a registry.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein one of said three or more variables is a device identification variable.

17. A method according to claim 16, farther including the step of time stamping said data for prioritizing said data.

18. A method according to claim 17, further including the step of filling one of said variables with a wildcard.

19. A method according to claim 18, further including the step of deleting one or more data items that has been superseded by a subsequent data having same identifier but a higher time stamp value.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said registry is provided in a database structure.

14. A method for storing and retrieving data in a system, comprising the step of:

identifying each stored data in said system by an identifier including three or more variables.