METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY SYNCHRONIZING DATA

• US 20090112936A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kamperman, Franciscus Lucas Antonius Johannes, Kelly, Declan Patrick, Fontijn, Wilhelmus Franciscus Johannes, Luitjens, Steven Broeils
• Application Number:
  US11/814,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112936A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

There is provided a system operable to execute automatic synchronization therein. The system comprises a first data memory (20) for storming a first data set, said first memory (20) being coupled to a communication network (10). The system further includes a portable device (100) including a second data memory (130) for storing a second data set, said portable device being provided with a wireless transceiver (150) wherein said transceiver (150) includes a data memory (320) for storing a record of synchronization updates required to synchronize the first and second data sets into mutual conformity. The transceiver (150) is operable when introduced together with the portable device (100) within communication range of the communication network (10, 30a) to at least partially synchronize automatically said first and second data sets.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A system operable to execute automatic synchronization therein, said system comprising:

(a) a first data memory (20) for storing a first data set, said first data memory (20) being coupled to a communication path (10, 30, 30a);

(b) a portable device (100) including a second data memory (130) for storing a second data set, said portable device (100) being provided with a transceiver (150) wherein said transceiver (150) includes a data memory (320) for storing a record of synchronization updates required to synchronize the first and second data sets into mutual conformity, the transceiver (150) being operable when introduced together with the portable device (100) within communication range of the communication path (10, 30, 30a) to at least partially synchronize automatically said first and second data sets,

wherein the synchronization is performed in accordance to records stored in said data memory (320), said records including updates required to synchronize the first and the second data sets into mutual conformity.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transceiver (150) comprises a radio frequency tag (150), said tag (150) being configurable to function autonomously to the device (100) for supervising and supporting data synchronization between the first and second data sets.

21. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said data memory (320) of the transceiver (150) is implemented as non-volatile memory such that said transceiver (150) is operable to support mutual synchronization of the first and second data sets when the portable device (100) is in a switched-off state.

22. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said wireless transceiver (150) is incorporated into a data carrier for conveying data between the portable device (100) and the first data memory (20), said transceiver (150) being operable to supervise synchronization between the first and second data sets and said data carrier being operable to convey synchronization data objects between the portable device (100) and the first data memory (20) as determined by the transceiver (150).

23. A system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data carrier is an optical data disc and the transceiver (150) is implemented as a radio frequency tag integrally incorporated into the disc.

24. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first data memory (20) and its associated communication path (10, 30, 30a) comprise a data server (20) coupled to a communication network (10).

25. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the portable device (100) is provided with a user-interface (120) for presenting to a user (200) of the device (100) an indication of pending synchronization operations and their relative priorities.

26. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the portable device (100) is provided with a user-interface (120) for presenting to a user (200) of the device (100) an indication of pending synchronization operations, said interface (120) comprising an alarm for warning the user when more than a predetermined number of data objects are pending for synchronization between the first and second data sets.

27. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the portable device (100) is provided with a user-interface (140) for entering data pertinent to the transceiver (150), said user-interface (140) including at least one of:

a keypad, a stylus pad, a microphone, a pixel camera, a magnetic reader, an optical data disc reader, a magnetic disc reader, a magnetic strip reader, an optical scanning reader.

28. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the portable device (100) is implemented to be one or more of:

a personal data assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a cell phone, a portable computer, an industrial portable data entry terminal, an electronic game, a portable cash payment terminal, a portable music player, a portable video player, a GPS terminal.

29. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transceiver (150) is operable to implement concurrent bi-directional synchronization between the first and second data sets.

30. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said radio frequency tag (150) is detachable from the device (100).

35. Software executable in a system as claimed in claim 19 for implementing automatic data synchronization therein according to a method of implementing automatic synchronization within a system, said method comprising steps of:

(a) configuring a first data memory (20) for storing a first data set, said first data memory (20) being coupled to a communication path (10, 30, 30a);

(b) configuring a portable device (100) to include a second data memory (130) for storing a second data set;

(c) providing said portable device (100) with a transceiver (150), said transceiver including a data memory (320);

(d) storing a record of synchronization updates required to synchronize the first and second data sets into mutual conformity; and

(e) introducing together the portable device (100) and the transceiver (150) within communication range of the communication path (10, 30, 30a) to at least partially synchronize automatically said first and second data sets,

wherein the synchronization is performed in accordance to said stored records.

31. A method of implementing automatic synchronization within a system, said method comprising steps of:

(a) configuring a first data memory (20) for storing a first data set, said first data memory (20) being coupled to a communication path (10, 30, 30a);

(b) configuring a portable device (100) to include a second data memory (130) for storing a second data set;

(c) providing said portable device (100) with a transceiver (150), said transceiver including a data memory (320);

(d) storing a record of synchronization updates required to synchronize the first and second data sets into mutual conformity; and

(e) introducing together the portable device (100) and the transceiver (150) within communication range of the communication path (10, 30, 30a) to at least partially synchronize automatically said first and second data sets,

wherein the synchronization is performed in accordance to said stored records.

32. A portable device (100) including a second data memory (130) for storing a second data set, said portable device (100) being provided with a wireless transceiver (150) wherein said transceiver (150) includes a data memory (320) for storing a record of synchronization updates required to synchronize the second data set into mutual conformity with a first data set, said first data set being stored in a first data memory (20) coupled to a communication path (10, 30, 30a), wherein the transceiver (150) is operable when introduced together with the portable device (100) within communication range of the communication path (10, 30, 30a) to at least partially synchronize automatically said first and second data sets, the synchronization being performed in accordance to said stored records of synchronization updates.

33. A transceiver (150) for including with the device (100) as claimed in claim 32, said transceiver (150) including a memory (320) local thereto configured to supervise automatic synchronization of said device (100) with a data set stored remotely from the device (100), the memory having stored records of synchronization updates, wherein the synchronization is performed in accordance to said stored records of synchronization updates.

34. A transceiver (150) as claimed in claim 33 implemented as a radio frequency tag (150), said tag (150) being operable autonomously relative to said device (100).

36. A data carrier (400) provided with a wireless transceiver (150) integral therein, said transceiver (150) being configured with data memory (320) local thereto for supervising data synchronization, said data carrier (400) being configurable to convey one or more data objects required for implementing automatic synchronization, the memory (320) having stored records of synchronization updates, wherein the synchronization is performed in accordance to said stored records of synchronization updates.