Pre-connection telephony data synchronization

• US 20040120481A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Victor S., Walters, Glen R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,925,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method of transmitting updates to a data requester can include receiving a telephony connectivity request for establishing a telephony voice channel between a data requester and a data source. The data source can be detected based upon the telephony connectivity request. A data synchronizer can ascertain an update time that the data requester last received a data update and can determine a synchronization time that the data source was last synchronized. The data synchronizer can compare the update time and the synchronization time. If the synchronization time occurs after the update time, then the data synchronizer can synchronize the data requester with the data source.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting updates to a data requester comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephony connectivity request for establishing a telephony voice channel between a data requester and a data source;

detecting said data source based upon said telephony connectivity request;

ascertaining an update time that said data requester last received a data update;

determining a synchronization time that said data source was last synchronized;

comparing said update time and said synchronization time; and

,

if said synchronization time occurs after said update time, then synchronizing said data requester with said data source.

2. The method of claim 1, said synchronizing step further comprising:

establishing said telephony voice channel through which digital information can be exchanged.

3. The method of claim 1, said synchronizing step further comprising:

prior to said voice channel being established, conveying a digital signal via a ringback channel to said data requester specifying update information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if said update time occurs after said synchronization time, then prior to said voice channel being established, conveying a signal via a ringback channel to said data requester indicating that said data requester should terminate said connectivity request before a telephony connection is established.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if said update time occurs after said synchronization time, then refusing said telephony connectivity request.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

determining predefined synchronization options based upon the identity of said data source; and

,

modifying at least a portion of said synchronizing step responsive to at least one of said predefined synchronization options.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

selecting particular ones of said predefined synchronization options based upon the identity of said data requester.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prior to the establishment of said telephony voice channel, receiving a digitally encoded signal via a CNG channel specifying a synchronization request.

10. A system for synchronizing data between a first data store and a second data store comprising:

a synchronization repository configured to accept data concerning at least one synchronization event and at least one update event, wherein said synchronization event comprises a time at which an attempt to synchronize a first data store to a second data store occurred, wherein said update event comprises a time at which a data update to said second data store occurred; and

,

a data synchronizer communicatively linked to a telephony network and to said synchronization repository, configured to send and receive pre-connection telephony signals specifying synchronization information,

wherein said first data store is associated with a first telephone number and said second data store is associated with a second telephone number.

9. The method of claim 10, wherein said CNG channel is within the frequency range of 900-1,300 Hz.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said data synchronizer is a network element within a telephony network.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said data synchronizer is a switch independent application.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said data synchronizer further comprises:

a connection log configured to track synchronization attempts made by said first data store to receive information from said second data store;

an update recorder configured to track updates made to said second data store; and

,

a synchronization manager configured to perform at least one synchronization function.

14. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a telephony connectivity request for establishing a telephony voice channel between a data requester and a data source;

detecting said data source based upon said telephony connectivity request;

ascertaining an update time that said data requester last received a data update;

determining a synchronization time that said data source was last synchronized;

comparing said update time and said synchronization time; and

,

if said synchronization time occurs after said update time, then synchronizing said data requester with said data source.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 14, said synchronizing step further comprising:

establishing said telephony voice channel through which digital information can be exchanged.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 14, said synchronizing step further comprising:

prior to said voice channel being established, conveying a digital signal via a ringback channel to said data requester specifying update information.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

if said update time occurs after said synchronization time, then prior to said voice channel being established, conveying a signal via a ringback channel to said data requester indicating that said data requester should terminate said connectivity request before a telephony connection is established.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

if said update time occurs after said synchronization time, then refusing said telephony connectivity request.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining predefined synchronization options based upon the identity of said data source; and

,

modifying at least a portion of said synchronizing step responsive to at least one of said predefined synchronization options.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

selecting particular ones of said predefined synchronization options based upon the identity of said data requester.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

prior to the establishment of said telephony voice channel, receiving a digitally encoded signal via a CNG channel specifying a synchronization request.

22. The machine readable storage of claim 21, wherein said CNG channel is within the frequency range of 900-1,300 Hz.