Synchronization and merge engines

• US 20050102328A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plaxo Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Shear, Joseph B., Masonis, John T., Ring, Cameron T., Carey, Richard J., King, Ryan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,080,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for synchronizing folders between one or more layers of folders. It includes selecting layers to link together, comparing folders in the selected layers using an immutable identifier, parsing the folders of each of the selected layers into fields, comparing the fields of parsed folders of the selected layers, and determining whether to synchronize the folders of the selected layers based on conflict rules triggered in response to the comparison of the fields of the parsed folders. Also disclosed is a system and method of merging two or more folders in a network into a single folder. It includes comparing entries between folders to identify duplicate entries, grouping the identified duplicate entries in each folder, generating a matrix from the duplicates grouping and assigning each matrix entry a value, and matching the matrix entries based on the assigned values to determine an extent to merge an identified duplicate entry.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing folders between one or more layers of folders, the method comprising:

selecting one or more layers to link together;

comparing folders in the selected one or more layers using an immutable identifier;

parsing the folders of each of the selected one or more layers into fields;

comparing the fields of parsed folders of the selected one or more layers; and

determining whether to synchronize the folders of the selected one or more layers based on one or more conflict rules triggered in response to the comparison of the fields of the parsed folders.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging the folders of the selected one or more layers in response to the conflict rules identifying a field in a parsed folder of one of the selected one more layers having an entry and a field in a parsed folder of a second of the selected one or more layers having no entry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of merging the folders further comprises generating a single logical folder for the selected one or more layers having the merged folder.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of merging the folders further comprises generating a duplicate folder for the selected one or more layers that are merging the folders.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a duplicate folder in response to the conflict rules identifying a field in a parsed folder of one of the selected one more layers having an entry disparate from a field in a parsed folder of a second of the selected one or more layers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a folder comprises plurality of entries corresponding to contacts from a personal information manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a folder comprises a plurality of instant messenger addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a folder comprises a sub-folder.

9. A method of merging a plurality of folders in a network into a single folder, the method comprising:

comparing entries in the first folder to entries in a second folder to identify duplicate entries between the first folder and the second folder, an entry determined to be a duplicate in response to match of an identifier in the entry in the first folder and an identifier in the entry in the second folder;

grouping the identified duplicate entries from the first folder;

grouping the identified duplicate entries from the second folder;

generating pairings of entries, the pairings including a value associated with merging an identified duplicate entry in one grouping with each identified duplicate entry in the other grouping; and

matching the entries based on the assigned values to determine an extent to merge an identified duplicate entry.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating a matrix comprised of a plurality of matrix entries, each matrix entry including a value associated with merging an identified duplicate entry in one grouping with each identified duplicate entry in the other grouping;

and

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of merging further comprises identifying a base entry from the matched matrix entries and merging into the base entry information from the duplicate entries.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of identifying further comprises merging into the base entry information present only in the identified duplicate entries of the second folder.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of comparing further comprises, as the identifier to determine a duplicate entry, matching one from a group consisting of an electronic mail address, a personal name, a company name, and a telephone number.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the matrix of values further comprises for each matrix entry:

identifying a factor associated with merging an identified duplicate entry from the grouping of the first folder with an identified duplicate entry from the grouping of the second folder; and

associating a numerical score with the factor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising weighting the numerical score with a multiplier.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a highest numerical score and a lowest numerical score among the matrix entries is eliminated.

17. A system for merging a plurality of folders in a network into a single folder, the system comprising:

a means for comparing entries in the first folder to entries in a second folder to identify duplicate entries between the first folder and the second folder, an entry determined to be a duplicate in response to match of an identifier in the entry in the first folder and an identifier in the entry in the second folder;

a means for grouping the identified duplicate entries from the first folder;

a means for grouping the identified duplicate entries from the second folder;

a means for generating a matrix comprised of a plurality of matrix entries, each matrix entry including a value associated with merging an identified duplicate entry in one grouping with each identified duplicate entry in the other grouping; and

a means for matching the matrix entries based on the assigned values to determine an extent to merge an identified duplicate entry.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for merging further comprises a means for identifying a base entry from the matched matrix entries and merging into the base entry information from the duplicate entries.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for identifying further comprises a means for merging into the base entry information present only in the identified duplicate entries of the second folder.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for generating the matrix of values further comprises for each matrix entry:

a means for identifying a factor associated with merging an identified duplicate entry from the grouping of the first folder with an identified duplicate entry from the grouping of the second folder; and

a means for associating a numerical score with the factor.