Systems and methods for continuous PIM synchronization between a host computer and a client handheld device

• US 20060218224A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Ruan, Zhigang, Agrawal, Anish
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A wireless handheld device operable to continuously synchronize PIM information with a host desktop computer. The device comprises means for updating a handheld PIM database to reflect a change to PIM information, means for updating a handheld mirror database to reflect the change to PIM information, means for generating a PIM message relating to the change to the PIM information, means for translating the PIM message from a handheld data format into a network data format and means for sending the PIM message from the client wireless handheld device to the host desktop computer via a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for implementing continuous synchronization of personal information management (PIM) applications from a host desktop computer having a desktop PIM database to a client wireless handheld device having a handheld PIM database, the method comprising:

generating a PIM message at the host desktop computer whenever there is a change in the desktop PIM database;

sending the PIM message from the host desktop computer to the client wireless handheld device via a wireless network;

determining the type of the PIM message; and

storing the PIM message in a handheld PIM database and in a handheld mirror database if the PIM message is a non-email message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

extracting appointment data from the PIM message if the PIM message is an email message;

determining if the appointment data is valid;

storing the email message into an email database if the appointment data is valid;

updating the handheld PIM database with the appointment data, and

updating the handheld mirror database with the appointment data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM message is one of:

creation of a calendar record, an update to a calendar record and deletion to a calendar record.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the calendar record is an appointment record.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the calendar record is a meeting request record.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the calendar record is a meeting response record.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM message is one of:

creation of a contacts record, an update to a contacts record and deletion of a contacts record.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM message is one of a creation of a tasks record, an update to a tasks record and a deletion to a tasks record.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM message is one of a creation of a memos record, an update to a memos record and a deletion to a memos record.

10. A wireless handheld device operable to continuously synchronize PIM information with a host desktop computer, the device comprising:

means for updating a handheld PIM database to reflect a change to PIM information;

means for updating a handheld mirror database to reflect the change to PIM information;

means for generating an email message;

means for attaching to the new email the change to the PIM information;

means for translating the change to the PIM information from a handheld data format into a network data format; and

means for sending the email message from the client wireless handheld device to the host desktop computer via a wireless network.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the change is one of:

creation of a calendar record, an update to a calendar record and deletion of a calendar record.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the calendar record is an appointment record.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the calendar record is a meeting request record.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the calendar record is a meeting response record.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the change to PIM information is one of:

creation of a contacts record, an update to a contacts record and deletion of a contacts record.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the change to PIM information is one of:

creation of a tasks record, an update to a tasks record and deletion of a tasks record.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the change to PIM information is one of:

creation of a memos record, an update to a memos record and deletion of a memos record.

18. A system for implementing continuous synchronization of personal information management (PIM) between a host desktop computer and a client wireless handheld device via a wireless network, the system comprising:

a host desktop computer having a desktop PIM database and operable to send a first PIM message via the wireless network to the client wireless handheld device, to receive a second PIM message from the client wireless handheld device via the wireless network and to update the desktop PIM database if the second PIM message is a non-email message;

a client wireless handheld device having a handheld PIM database and a mirror database, operable to receive the first PIM message via the wireless network, to update the PIM database and mirror database according to the content of the first PIM message and to send the second PIM message via the wireless network.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a synchronizer operable to create a new email message if the second PIM message is an email message, and to attach appointment data to the new email message.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first PIM message relates to one of:

creation of a calendar record, an update to a calendar record and deletion of a calendar record.