DATA SYNCH NOTIFICATION USING A NOTIFICATION GATEWAY

• US 20120290740A1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tewari, Ashutosh, Vaithilingam, Gandhi
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• 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: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for facilitating synchronizing of data between one or more servers and a mobile device. The mobile device can establish which servers comprise data that is to be synchronized, and inform the servers that a push notification gateway should be used to send notifications of a data state change. A connection can be opened between the mobile device and the push notification gateway so that when a data state change is detected by a server the server can send the notification to the gateway, which can forward it to the mobile device. The mobile device may then choose to initiate a data synchronization with the server. In this manner, an open connection is merely maintained between the mobile device and the gateway, as opposed to multiple resource intensive connections between the mobile device and multiple servers.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing data between a server and a mobile device, comprising:

sending a request to the server to monitor a data storage container for a data state change;

opening a communication channel to a push notification gateway;

receiving a notification from the push notification gateway that the server has detected a data state change for the data storage container.

2. The method of claim 1, sending the request to the server comprising sending the request to an exchange server that utilizes an exchange active-synch protocol to synchronize data with the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, receiving a notification from the push notification gateway comprising receiving the notification from the server routed through the push notification gateway, the notification comprising a server ID and a mobile device ID corresponding to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, the server ID provided to the server upon registration of the server with the push notification gateway.

5. The method of claim 3, the notification sent from the server to the push notification gateway upon detecting a data state change in the storage container comprised in the request from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, sending a request to the server to monitor a data storage container comprising sending a request to the server to monitor one or more of:

an email message folder;

a calendar folder;

a task folder;

a journal folder;

a contact folder; and

a notes folder.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising initiating an exchange active synch between the server and mobile device upon receiving the notification from the push notification gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising registering the mobile device with the push notification gateway by sending a notification forwarding request to the push notification gateway to forward notifications from the server.

9. The method of claim 8, registering the mobile device comprising receiving one or more of the following from the push notification gateway in response to the registration:

a mobile device ID; and

a universal resource identifier (URI) for the push notification gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising registering the mobile device with the server to send the notification using the push notification gateway, the registering comprising sending one or more of the following to the server:

the mobile device ID; and

the universal resource identifier (URI) for the push notification gateway.

11. The method of claim 8, opening the communication channel comprising the push notification gateway keeping the communication channel open from the mobile device upon receiving the notification forwarding request.

12. A method for synchronizing data between a server and a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device to monitor data shared between the server and the mobile device for a data state change;

registering the server with a push notification gateway that comprises a communication channel to the mobile device; and

sending a notification to the push notification gateway of a data state change upon detecting a data state change in the shared data, the notification forwarded to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, registering the server with a push notification gateway comprising receiving a server ID from the push notification gateway in response to the registering.

14. The method of claim 13, the notification sent to the push notification gateway comprising the server ID and a mobile device ID corresponding to the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising closing a connection between the server and the push notification gateway upon sending the notification to the push notification gateway.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising sending a receipt of the request to the mobile device upon successful registration of the request.

17. The method of claim 12, sending the notification to the push notification gateway of a data state change upon detecting a data state change in the shared data comprising detecting the data state change in one or more of:

an email message folder;

a calendar folder;

a task folder;

a journal folder;

a contacts folder; and

a notes folder.

18. A system for facilitating synchronizing of data between a server and a mobile device, comprising:

a computer-based processor configured to process data for the system;

a mobile device registration component, operably coupled with the processor, configured to register the mobile device and provide a mobile device token;

a server registration component, operably coupled with the processor, configured to register the server and provide a server ID; and

a data change notification component, operably coupled with the processor, configured to forward a data change notification to the registered mobile device from the registered server, the notification comprising the server ID and the mobile device token.

19. The system of claim 18:

the server comprising an exchange active synch server; and

the notification comprising a notification of change in data in a shared folder between the server and the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising a communication channel component configured to keep a live communication channel open to the mobile device for sending a notification.