PDASync - a synching method between a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) client or clients and a host computer supporting one-to-many and many-to-one database synchronization

• US 20030229654A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Barcode Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Barcode Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Shivat, Zion, Bibas, Charles
• Application Number:
  US10/250,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229654A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

PDASync is a module that allows a handheld computing device to communicate with a database running on a host computer. When the PDA is returned to its docking cradle, or is in wireless range, the Sync application, running on a PC, allows the user to select a database which will then have its data updated with data stored on the PDA, and vice-versa.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing data between one or more primary databases and one or more secondary databases comprising:

a primary database, stored on a host computer;

a secondary database, stored locally on a handheld computing device, or PDA;

a program interface, stored on and run from the host computer, which allows the user to select which primary database is to be synchronized with the secondary database, then performs the operation automatically at timed intervals and/or at the command of the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the secondary database is in a different format from the primary database.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprised of a docking station for the handheld device. The handheld must either be docked, or be within wireless range, for the synchronization process to take place.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein data from the secondary database is written into a special table in the primary database.

5. The table of claim 4 wherein the data in said table is translated as a series of instructions which will re-create the data to be stored in the primary database.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein only records created in the secondary database subsequent to the previous synch procedure will be used in the current synch procedure.

7. The sequence of instructions in claim 5 are standard database operations which are compiled into the Sync program in claim 1.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein data from the primary database is written to the secondary database, bringing it up to date.

9. The system of claim 8 is regulated by a version number, where if the version numbers in the primary and secondary databases are the same, no operation is performed, but if the numbers differ, the data record is copied from the primary to the secondary.

10. The system of claim 8 is further governed by rules which are set by the administrator and stored in the primary database. Whether or not these rules are activated is determined by the version number in claim 9.