Selecting data for synchronization and for software configuration

• US 20030233383A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koskimies, Oskari
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the invention metadata between user data items and software data items is maintained. The utility of at least one user data item is determined on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata. The user data item and one or more software data items related thereto are selected to the data set for synchronization in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a data set to be synchronized from data collections of a data system, wherein the data system comprises user data items and software data items, the method comprising:

maintaining in the data system metadata between user data items and software data items,

determining the utility of at least one user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

selecting the user data item and one or more software data items related thereto to the data set for synchronization in response to the utility of the user data item meeting at least one predetermined criterion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the size of the one or more software data items related to the user data item is calculated, and

the utility of the user data item is determined on the basis of the size of the related software data items.

3. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

maintaining further metadata comprising at least one virtual software data item to which at least the user data item refers and which represents alternative software data items,

selecting one of the alternative software data items on the basis of the comparison of the alternative software data items, and wherein the utility of the user data item is determined on the basis of the properties of the selected software data item and its related software data items.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least the relevances of alternative software data items under the virtual software data item are calculated, and

one of the alternative software data items is selected on the basis of the comparison of the relevances of the alternative software data items.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the utilities of the alternative software data items under the virtual software data item are calculated and considered in said selection step, and

one of the alternative software data items is selected on the basis of the comparison of the utilities of the alternative software data items.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the user data item is associated with a compatibility requirement and the alternative software data items are associated with compatibility information,

the compatibility requirement is compared with the compatibility information associated with the alternative software data items, and

only those software data items that are compatible with the user data item are considered when selecting the software data items.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the criterion is dynamically determined based on the highest utility among the utilities of other user data items that are candidates for the selection data set, and

the utility of the user data item meets the predetermined criterion if it exceeds the highest utility among the utilities of other user data items.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the expected gained utility value is determined for the user data item on the basis of the utility and the relevance of the user data item,

the expected gained utility value of the user data item is compared with the expected gained utility values of other user data items, and

the user data items having the highest expected gained utility values are selected to the data set to be synchronized.

9. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

adding the user data item to a list of potential selections if it is not selected to the data set for synchronization,

determining a combined utility or combined expected utility for the user data item and for another user data item, which are both related to the same one or more software data items when the other user data item is under consideration to be synchronized, and

selecting the user data item, the other user data item and the one or more software data items to the selection data set if the combined utility or combined expected utility meets the predetermined criterion.

10. A method for selecting software configuration of a data terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

selecting at least one user data item,

determining the utility of the user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

selecting the software data items related to the user data item for the data terminal in response to the utility of the user data item meeting at least one predetermined criterion.

11. A method according to claim 10, the method further comprising:

sending the selected data items to the data terminal in response to a request from the data terminal.

12. A method according to claim 10, the method further comprising:

sending a request from the data terminal to a server to transfer the selected software data items to the data terminal.

13. A method according to claim 10, the method further comprising:

selecting also the user data item for the data terminal in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion, and

arranging the user data item to be transferred to the data terminal.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the related software data items are associated with compatibility information,

the compatibility information is compared with the properties of the data terminal to which the software data items are to be transferred, and

incompatible software data units are excluded from the selection.

15. A method according to claim 10, the method further comprising:

removing at least one software data item from the terminal if the utility of one or more user data items to which the software data item relates to does not meet the predetermined criterion.

16. A synchronization system comprising means for synchronizing the data of at least two data collections, wherein the data system comprises user data items and software data items,

the synchronization system is configured to maintain metadata between the user data items and the software data items,

the synchronization system is configured to determine the utility of at least one user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

the synchronization system is configured to select the user data item and one or more software data items related thereto to a data set for synchronization in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion.

17. A synchronization device comprising:

means for maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

means for determining the utility of at least one user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

means for selecting the user data item and one or more software data items related thereto to a data set for synchronization in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion.

18. A server device comprising:

means for maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

means for selecting at least one user data item,

means for determining the utility of the user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

means for selecting the software data items related to the user data item for a software configuration of a data terminal in response to the utility of the user data item meeting at least one predetermined criterion.

19. A data terminal comprising:

means for maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

means for selecting at least one user data item,

means for determining the utility of the at least one user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

means for selecting the software data items related to the user data item for the software configuration of the data terminal in response to the utility of the user data item meeting at least one predetermined criterion.

20. A computer software product for controlling a synchronization device, wherein the computer software product comprises

a program code portion for maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

a program code portion for determining the utility of at least one user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

a program code portion for selecting the user data item and one or more software data items related thereto to the data set for synchronization in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion.

21. A computer software product for controlling a data processing apparatus, wherein the computer software product comprises:

a program code portion for maintaining metadata between user data items and software data items,

a program code portion for selecting at least one user data item,

a program code portion for determining the utility of the user data item on the basis of the properties of one or more software data items related to the user data item in the metadata, and

a program code portion for selecting the software data items related to the user data item in response to the utility of the user data item meeting a predetermined criterion.