Method and levels of ping notification

• US 20040088390A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nalliah, Selvaraj, Hall, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method is provided for sending notifications to a mobile device to indicate that there is data on a computing device to be synchronized. Under one embodiment, the notification is sent as a short message service message. Multiple levels of notification are possible with the lowest level indicating only that there is data to be synchronized and the highest level identifying the object that changed and the content of the change.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether to establish a synchronization connection on a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining that there is data on a computing device to be synchronized with data on the mobile device;

broadcasting a notification indicating that there is data to be synchronized to the mobile device using a one-way communication channel;

receiving the notification at the mobile device; and

based in part on the notification, deciding whether to initiate a connection to a computing device for the purpose of synchronization.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting a notification comprises broadcasting a short message service message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein broadcasting a short message service message comprises sending a simple mail transfer protocol message to a carrier, converting the simple mail transfer protocol message into the short message service message, and transmitting the short message service message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein sending a simple mail transfer protocol message to a carrier comprises addressing a simple mail transfer protocol message using an identifier that identifies the mobile device, determining that the simple mail transfer protocol message is a synchronization notification, and generating a second simple mail transfer protocol message with a different address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that there is data on a computing device to be synchronized comprises receiving a mail message in a mail folder.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that there is data on a computing device comprises instantiating an exchange event service based on a change to a data object.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the exchange event service is bound to a container object and executes when an object in the container object changes.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the exchange event service is located on a same computing device as the container object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a phone.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting a notification comprises broadcasting a notification that indicates the identity of an object that has changed.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein broadcasting a notification further comprises broadcasting a notification that indicates how the object has changed.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification comprises a globally unique identifier.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein deciding whether to initiate a connection comprises waiting until a minimum number of notifications have been received at the mobile device, wherein the minimum number is greater than one.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that there is data to be synchronized comprises determining that at least two objects have been changed on the computing device.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a notification message along a one-way channel on a mobile device indicating that there has been a synchronization event on a computing device;

establishing a connection along a two-way channel between the mobile device and the computing device based on the notification message; and

synchronizing data between the mobile device and the computing device through the two-way channel.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein receiving a message comprises receiving a short message service message.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the notification message comprises a globally unique identifier.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the notification message comprises an identifier of a container object that has had a change in its contents.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the notification message further comprises an identifier of an object that has changed and that is part of the contents of the container object.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the notification message is broadcast by a carrier based upon a message received by the carrier.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the message received by the carrier is in a different format than the notification message.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the message received by the carrier is in a simple mail transfer protocol format and the notification message is in a short messaging service format.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the message received by the carrier is formed by forming a first message addressed to the mobile device, determining that the first message is a synchronization notification, and generating a second message that is sent to the carrier such that the second message has a different address than the first message.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising determining whether more than a minimum number of notification messages have been received before establishing a connection, wherein the minimum number is greater than one.