Maintaining Data States Upon Forced Exit

• US 20120023506A1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Maeckel, Clay, Crim, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems of maintaining data states upon forced exit are disclosed. In one aspect, an application program executing on the mobile device can maintain a connection to a remote data store and retrieve and cache data from the data store. When the mobile device receives an event that forces the application program to terminate, the mobile device can provide a time window in which the mobile device can perform various state preservation actions. During the time window, the mobile device can store data states, including states of the connection and states of the cached data. When the application program is re-launched, the mobile device can use the stored data states to restore a connection and a displayed view.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, on a mobile device, an event to terminate one or more connections connecting the mobile device to one or more data stores, the event corresponding to a time window in which the mobile device is to perform one or more actions to terminate the one or more connections;

within the time window, storing data states on a storage device, the data states including states of at least one of the one or more connections; and

terminating the one or more connections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event includes a notification of a forced exit of an application program, the application program utilizing the one or more connections.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the time window by inquiring, to an operating system of the mobile device, a time window corresponding to the forced exit of the application program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data stores are connected to the mobile device through a wireless communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the event includes an indication that a loss of connection to the wireless communications network has occurred or is imminent.

6. The method of claim 1, where storing the data states within the time window includes storing states of a maximum number of connections as limited by the time window.

7. The method of claim 1, storing the data states includes storing states of cached data, the cached data include a data record that is configured to be modifiable by multiple users.

8. The method of claim 7, where storing the states of cached data includes storing an indicator indicating a number of times the data record has been updated.

9. The method of claim 1, where storing the data states includes storing display settings for displaying data upon occurrence of the event.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to restore the one or more connections;

retrieving the stored data states; and

restoring the one or more connections according to the retrieved state.

11. The method of claim 10, where restoring the one or more connections comprise:

determining that a shared data record in the one or more data stores changed after the one or more connections are terminated; and

upon the determining, refreshing cached data to reflect the changed data record.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

upon the determining, providing for display a user interface for resolving a conflict in the shared data record.

13. A computer program product stored on a storage device, operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, on a mobile device, an event to terminate one or more connections connecting the mobile device to one or more data stores, the event corresponding to a time window in which the mobile device is to perform one or more actions to terminate the one or more connections;

within the time window, storing data states on a storage device, the data states including states of at least one of the one or more connections; and

terminating the one or more connections.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the event includes a notification of a forced exit of an application program, the application program utilizing the one or more connections.

15. The product of claim 14, further comprising determining the time window by inquiring, to an operating system of the mobile device, a time window corresponding to the forced exit of the application program.

16. The product of claim 13, wherein the one or more data stores are connected to the mobile device through a wireless communications network.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the event includes an indication that a loss of connection to the wireless communications network has occurred or is imminent.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, on a mobile device, an event to terminate one or more connections connecting the mobile device to one or more data stores, the event corresponding to a time window in which the mobile device is to perform one or more actions to terminate the one or more connections;

within the time window, storing data states on a storage device, the data states including states of at least one of the one or more connections; and

terminating the one or more connections.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the event includes a notification of a forced exit of an application program, the application program utilizing the one or more connections.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising determining the time window by inquiring, to an operating system of the mobile device, a time window corresponding to the forced exit of the application program.