Synchronization methods and systems

• US 20080168184A1
• Filed: 01/07/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Farkas, Jacob, Freedman, Gordon J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,971 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

Connection architectures, methods, systems and computer readable media are described. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises a first software component which is configured to interface, through first software based messages, with synchronization software components during a structured data synchronization process between a host and a device and which is configured to interface, through second software based messages, with a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces. Systems, methods, architectures and other computer readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium comprising:

a first software component configured to interface, through first software based messages, with synchronization software components during a structured data synchronization process between a host and a device, and configured to interface, though second software based messages, with a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the first software component is configured to interface, through software based messages, with at least one of a backup software application or a configuration software application, and wherein the structured data synchronization process synchronizes structured data in a first store on the device and in a second store on the host.

3. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the synchronization software components synchronize structured data comprising at least one of:

(a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items, and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface.

4. The medium as in claim 3 wherein the first software component comprises software to provide encrypted two-way authentication during the structured data synchronization process, and wherein the encrypted two-way authentication uses a self-signed certificate authority certificate.

5. The medium as in claim 4 wherein the encrypted two-way authentication is encrypted with a private/public key encryption.

6. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the first software component, when interfacing with any one of the plurality of stream handlers, maintains an authenticated connection link during the structured data synchronization process and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface, either of which is capable of serially connecting the host to the device with a stream of packets.

7. The medium of claim 6 wherein the synchronization software components comprise a plurality of components, each configured to cause retrieval and storage of structured data in one data class, and wherein for each data class there is a separate application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

exchanging, through a first software interface, first software based messages between a first software component and synchronization software during a synchronization process between a first data processing system and a second data processing system, the first software component being designed to maintain a data connection between the first data processing system and the second data processing system during the synchronization process;

exchanging, through a second software interface, second software based messages between the first software component and one of a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces.

9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising:

exchanging, through the first software interface, software based messages between the first software component and at least one of a backup software application and a configuration software application and wherein the synchronization process is a structured data synchronization process which synchronizes structured data in a first store on the first data processing system and in a second store on the second data processing system.

10. The method as in claim 8 wherein the synchronization software synchronizes structured data comprising at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items, and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the first software component comprises software to provide encrypted two-way authentication during the synchronization process.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the encrypted two-way authentication is encrypted with a private/public key encryption.

13. The method as in claim 8 wherein the first software component, when exchanging software based messages with any one of the plurality of different stream handlers, maintains a two-way authenticated connection during the synchronization process and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface, either of which is capable of serially connecting the first and the second data processing systems with a stream of packets.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the synchronization software comprises a plurality of components, each configured to cause retrieval and storage of structured data in one data class, and wherein for each data class there is a separate application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data.

15. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

exchanging, through a first software interface, first software based messages between a first software component and synchronization software during a synchronization process between a first data processing system and a second data processing system, the first software component being designed to maintain a data connection between the first data processing system and the second data processing system during the synchronization process;

exchanging, through a second software interface, second software based messages between the first software component and one of a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces.

16. The medium as in claim 15, the method further comprising:

exchanging, through the first software interface, software based messages between the first software component and at least one of a backup software application and a configuration software application and wherein the synchronization process is a structured data synchronization process which synchronizes structured data in a first store on the first data processing system and in a second store on the second data processing system.

17. The medium as in claim 15 wherein the synchronization software synchronizes structured data comprising at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items, and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface.

18. The medium as in claim 17 wherein the first software component comprises software to provide encrypted two-way authentication during the synchronization process.

19. The medium as in claim 18 wherein the encrypted two-way authentication is encrypted with a private/public key encryption.

20. The medium as in claim 15 wherein the first software component, when exchanging software based messages with any one of the plurality of different stream handlers, maintains a two-way authenticated connection during the synchronization process and wherein the plurality of physical interfaces comprise a wired interface and a wireless interface, either of which is capable of serially connecting the first and the second data processing systems with a stream of packets.

21. The medium as in claim 20 wherein the synchronization software comprises a plurality of components, each configured to cause retrieval and storage of structured data in one data class, and wherein for each data class there is a separate application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data.

22. A data processing system comprising:

means for exchanging, through a first software interface, first software based messages between a first software component and synchronization software during a synchronization process between first data processing system and a second data processing system, the first software component being designed to maintain a data connection between the first data processing system and the second data processing system during the synchronization process;

means for exchanging, through a second software interface, second software based messages between the first software component and one of a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces.