SYNCHRONIZATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20100145908A1
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon J. Freedman
• Original Assignee: Gordon J. Freedman
• Inventors: Freedman, Gordon J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/610
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Widget synchronization architectures, methods, systems, and computer readable media are described. One exemplary embodiment includes a first software component which is configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class for one or more widgets from a first store of the data on a device, such as a first data processing system, and is configured to synchronize data for the first data class in the first store with data of the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, such as a second data processing system. The first software component is separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data. The first software component synchronizes the structured data through a second software component which interfaces with the host and the device.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions comprising:

a first software component configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a device and configured to synchronize data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data, and wherein the first software component synchronizes the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

3. The medium as in claim 2 further comprising:

the second software component which, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, issues a message to the first software component to commit changes to the first store.

4. The medium as in claim 2 wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

5. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions comprising:

a first software component configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a host and configured to synchronize data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data, and wherein the first software component synchronizes the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the first software component is a data class handler and wherein the first software component sends messages specifying next host anchor for a widget synchronization process and previous device anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and next host anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the device and receives a version identifier for a data source software component on the device for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

7. The medium as in claim 6 further comprising:

the second software component which, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, issues a message to the first software component to commit changes to the first store.

8. The medium as in claim 6 wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

9. A machine implemented method comprising:

retrieving and storing, through a first software component, data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for each record maintained on the host.

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

retrieving and storing, through a first software component, data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

14. The medium as in claim 13 wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

16. The medium of claim 14 wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for each record maintained on the host.

17. A data processing system comprising:

means for retrieving and storing, through a first software component, data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

means for synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

18. A machine implemented method comprising:

causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a host, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein the first software component is a data class handler and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process and previous device anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next host anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the device and receives a version identifier for a data source software component on the device for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

21. The method as in claim 19 wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

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

causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a host, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

23. The medium as in claim 22 wherein the first software component is a data class handler and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process and previous device anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next host anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process;

and wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the device and receives a version identifier for a data source software component on the device for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

24. The medium as in claim 23, the method further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

25. The medium as in claim 23 wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

26. A data processing system comprising:

means for causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a host, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data;

means for synchronizing the data for the first data class in the first store with data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.