UPDATING MULTIPLE COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20100332682A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher, Belk, Andy, Groethe, Karl, Slack, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A system includes a server site that includes a memory for storing update data sets that correspond to data sets stored on multiple computing devices of a user. The system also includes a synchronization manager for determining that one computing device associated with the user and another computing device associated with the user are absent one or more data updates stored in the memory at the server site. The synchronization manager is configured to send in parallel, absent establishing a data transfer lock, the one or more data updates to the both computing devices of the user for updating the corresponding data stored on each computing device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server site comprising;

a memory for storing update data sets that correspond to data sets stored on multiple computing devices of a user; and

a synchronization manager for determining that at least a first computing device associated with the user and a second computing device associated with the user are absent at least a first data update stored in the memory at the server site, the synchronization manager is configured to send in parallel, absent establishing a data transfer lock, the at least first data update to the first computing device and the second computing device of the user for updating the corresponding data stored on each computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization manager is further configured to receive a second data update in parallel with sending the at least first data update to the first and second computing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the synchronization manager establishes a data transfer lock for receiving the second data update.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the synchronization manager is configured to compare an update identifier stored in the memory and an update identifier stored at the first computing device to identify the first computing device being absent at least one data update.

5. A system comprising:

a first computing device associated with a user, comprising;

a memory for storing update data sets to update corresponding stored data sets, and

a synchronizer for determining that the first computing device is absent at least a first data update stored at a server site, wherein the first synchronizer is configured to receive the at least first data update from the server site absent establishing a data transfer lock and in parallel with a second computing device receiving the at least first data update absent of establishing a data transfer lock.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second computing device is further configured to send a second data update to the server site in parallel with the first computing device receiving the at least first data update from the server site.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second computing device establishes a data transfer lock with the server site for sending the second data update.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the synchronizer is further configured to compare an update identifier stored in the memory and an update identifier provided from the server site to identify the first computing device as being absent at least a first data update.

9. The system of claim 5. wherein upon receiving the at least first data update from the server site, the synchronizer is further configured to determine that the first computing device is absent a second data update.

10. A method, comprising:

determining that at least a first computing device associated with a user and a second computing device associated with the user are absent at least a first data update stored at a server site; and

in parallel, sending the at least first data update from the server site to the first computing device and to the second computing device of the user to update corresponding data stored on each computing device, wherein sending the at least first data update occurs absent establishing a data transfer lock.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

in parallel with sending the at least first data update to the first and second computing devices from the server site, receiving a second data update at the server site.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the second data update at the server site includes establishing a data transfer lock.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the first computing device and the second computing device are absent the at least first data update includes comparing an update identifier stored at the server site and an update identifier stored at the first computing device, and comparing the update identifier stored at the server and an update identifier stored at the second computing device.

14. A method comprising:

determining that at least a first and a second computing device associated with a user are absent at least a first data update stored at a server site; and

in parallel, receiving the at least first data update from the server site at the first computing device and the second computing device of the user to update corresponding data stored on each computing device, wherein receiving the at least first data update occurs absent establishing a data transfer lock.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in parallel with receiving the at least first data update at the first and second computing devices from the server site, sending a second data update from a third computing device associated with the user to the server site.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the second data update to the server site includes establishing a data transfer lock between the third computing device and the server site.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing an update identifier from the server site to an update identifier at the third computing device to determine to send the second data update from the third computing device to the server site.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein upon receiving the at least first data update from the server site, the synchronizer is further configured to determine that the first computing device is absent a second data update.

19. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

determining that at least a first computing device associated with a user and a second computing device associated with the user are absent at least a first data update stored at a server site; and

in parallel, sending the at least first data update from the server site to the first computing device and to the second computing device of the user to update corresponding data stored on each computing device, wherein sending the at least first data update occurs absent establishing a data transfer lock.

20. The computer readable media of claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

in parallel with sending the at least first data update to the first and second computing devices from the server site, receiving a second data update at the server site.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein receiving the second data update at the server site includes establishing a data transfer lock.

22. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein determining the first computing device and the second computing device are absent the at least first data update includes comparing an update identifier stored at the server site and an update identifier stored at the first computing device, and comparing the update identifier stored at the server and an update identifier stored at the second computing device.

23. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

determining that at least a first and a second computing device associated with a user are absent at least a first data update stored at a server site; and

in parallel, receiving the at least first data update from the server site at the first computing device and the second computing device of the user to update corresponding data stored on each computing device, wherein receiving the at least first data update occurs absent establishing a data transfer lock.

24. The computer readable media of claim 23, further comprising instructions to cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

in parallel with receiving the at least first data update at the first and second computing devices from the server site, sending a second data update from a third computing device associated with the user to the server site.

25. The computer readable media of claim 24, wherein sending the second data update to the server site includes establishing a data transfer lock between the third computing device and the server site.

26. The computer readable media of claim 25, further comprising instructions to cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

comparing an update identifier from the server site to an update identifier at the third computing device to determine to send the second data update from the third computing device to the server site.