Centrally controlled backup functionality

• US 20050289195A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lehtola, Ari, Partanen, Tiina, Rapakko, Jouni
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method and mobile device are presented for centrally controlling backup functionality, so that parties such as backup devices will efficiently be informed how data content should be backed up from or restored to the mobile device. The mobile device exposes to a party rules for backing up or restoring data content, and those rules are not just for the party, but also are for other parties including the mobile device itself. The rules are contained in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML). If the party is an external party, the mobile device provides an object exchange protocol (OBEX) capability object in response to the party fetching that object. The OBEX capability object describes capabilities of the mobile device, and is for use by the external party in order to access the list of rules via the mobile device exposing those rules to the external party.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile device to describe to a party how data content should be backed up from the mobile device or restored to the mobile device, comprising:

exposing to the party rules for backing up or restoring the data content, wherein the rules are for the party and for other parties including the mobile device itself, and wherein the rules are contained in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML); and

providing an object exchange protocol (OBEX) capability object from the mobile device to the party if the party is an external party that has fetched the OBEX capability object, wherein the OBEX capability object describes capabilities of the mobile device, and wherein the OBEX capability object is for use by the external party in order to access the list via the exposing step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exposing step is in response to a link from an extension of the OBEX capability object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the party is a backup device, and the other party is another backup device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list exposed to the party is substantially identical for a removable backup device that is removable from the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the OBEX capability object provided by the mobile device is substantially identical for at least one other party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the party is a medium removable from the mobile device, or is a personal computer, or is a synchronization server in a network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the OBEX capability object provided by the mobile device is substantially identical for every other party.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the medium is a multi media card (MMC).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein if the party is the personal computer, then the backup occurs via a local communication medium.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the list has a document type definition (DTD) structure that includes a plurality of categories of the data content, and that also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list provides backup rules to be followed in each of the categories respectively.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the local communication medium is a universal serial bus, bluetooth, wireless local area network, or infrared link.

13. A computer readable medium encoded with a software data structure for performing the method of claim 1.

14. A mobile device for describing to a party how data content should be backed up from the mobile device or restored to the mobile device, comprising:

means for exposing to the party rules for backing up or restoring the data content, wherein the rules are for the party and for other parties including the mobile device itself, and wherein the rules are contained in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML); and

means for providing an object exchange protocol (OBEX) capability object from the mobile device to the party if the party is an external party that has fetched the OBEX capability object, wherein the OBEX capability object describes capabilities of the mobile device, and wherein the OBEX capability object is for use by the external party in order to access the list from the exposing means.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the exposing means is responsive to a link from an extension of the OBEX capability object.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the party is a backup device, and the other party is another backup device.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the list exposed to the party is substantially identical for a removable backup device that is removable from the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the OBEX capability object provided by the mobile device is substantially identical for at least one other party.

19. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the party is a medium removable from the mobile device, or is a personal computer, or is a synchronization server in a network.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the OBEX capability object provided by the mobile device is substantially identical for every other party.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the medium is a multi media card (MMC).

22. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein if the party is the personal computer, then the backup occurs via a local communication medium.

23. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the list has a document type definition (DTD) structure that includes a plurality of categories of the data content, and that also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the list provides backup rules to be followed in each of the categories respectively.

25. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the local communication medium is a universal serial bus, bluetooth, wireless local area network, or infrared link.

26. A system for describing how data content should be backed up from a mobile device or restored to the mobile device, comprising:

the mobile device; and

an external device, for providing a fetch signal, and also for providing an expose request signal responsive to receipt of an OBEX capability object;

wherein the mobile device includes

means for providing to the external device an object exchange protocol (OBEX) capability object, responsive to the fetch signal; and

means for exposing to the external device rules for backing up or restoring the data content, responsive to the expose request signal;

wherein the OBEX capability object describes capabilities of the mobile device.