Arranging synchronization session

• US 20040117507A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: LLC Corporation
• Inventors: Torma, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

The invention relates to arranging a synchronization device between a first synchronization device and a second synchronization device. A first synchronization session is set up between the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device. Role information is defined and stored for the first synchronization device to indicate whether the first synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session. The role information is checked when a need arises to initiate a second synchronization session between the first and the second synchronization devices. The second synchronization session is initiated from the first synchronization device in accordance with the role information.

Claims

1. A method for arranging a synchronization session between a first synchronization device and a second synchronization device, wherein a first synchronization session is set up between the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device, the method comprising:

defining automatically and storing role information on the first synchronization device, which indicates whether the first synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session,

checking said role information for the first synchronization device in response to a need for initiating a second synchronization session between the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device, and

initiating the second synchronization session from the first synchronization device in accordance with said role information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a client initialization message for initiating the first synchronization session is transmitted from the first synchronization device to the second synchronization device,

an error message is received from the second synchronization device,

a server initialization message is transmitted from the first synchronization device to the second synchronization device in response to the error message, and

synchronization server is stored during the role information storing step as the role information for the first synchronization device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a client initialization message for initiating the first synchronization session is transmitted from the first synchronization device to the second synchronization device,

an acknowledgement is received from the second synchronization device,

in response to receiving the acknowledgement, synchronization client is stored during the role information storing step as the role information for the first synchronization device.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the role information is associated with the second synchronization device on the basis of the identifier of the second synchronization device, and

the role information associated with the identifier of the second synchronization device is searched from the stored role information in the first synchronization device in response to a need to initiate a second synchronization session with the second synchronization device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said role information is application-specific so that separate role information is stored in the device for each application and/or application profile in the device.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the default value of said role information is synchronization client, and the role information is not stored if synchronization client is stored as the role of the device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said role information is stored in a third device that is other than said first or second device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing mapping information describing the sameness of data items only on the device, the role of which is synchronization server.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data being synchronized is one of the following:

user data, device data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device support the SyncML standard.

11. A synchronization system comprising at least a first synchronization device and a second synchronization device, wherein the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device are configured to set up a first synchronization session,

at least one synchronization device is configured to automatically define and store role information that indicates whether the first synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session,

at least one synchronization device is configured to check said role information in response to a need for initiating a second synchronization session between the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device, and

the first synchronization device is configured to initiate the second synchronization session in accordance with said role information.

12. A synchronization system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said role information is stored in a third device that is other than said first or second device.

13. A synchronization device that is configured to set up a first synchronization session with a second synchronization device, wherein the synchronization device is configured to automatically define and store role information that indicates whether the synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session,

the synchronization device is configured to check said role information in response to a need for initiating a second synchronization session with the second synchronization device, and

the synchronization device is configured to initiate the second synchronization session in accordance with said role information.

14. A synchronization device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the synchronization device is configured to transmit to the second synchronization device a client initialization message for initiating the first synchronization session,

the synchronization device is configured to receive an error message from the second synchronization device,

the synchronization device is configured to transmit to the second synchronization device a server initialization message in response to the error message, and

the synchronization device is configured to store during the role information storing step synchronization server as the role information for the synchronization device.

15. A synchronization device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the synchronization device is configured to store mapping information describing the sameness of data items only if synchronization server is defined as its role.

16. A computer program product comprising a program code portion for controlling a synchronization device to set up a first synchronization session with a second synchronization device,

a program code portion for controlling the synchronization device to automatically define and store role information that indicates whether the synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session,

a program code portion for controlling the synchronization device to check said role information in response to a need for initiating a second synchronization session with the second synchronization device, and

a program code portion for controlling the synchronization device to initiate the second synchronization session in accordance with said role information.