CROSS-POLINATION SYNCHRONIZATION OF DATA

• US 20130138609A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schleifer, Jason E., Hall, Gary W., Tan, Garry K., Chen, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,585 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: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A technique and mechanism to effect cross-pollination synchronization of PIM (personal information manager) data to multiple sources. Additionally, a novel feature of the subject invention is the ability to effect cross-pollination synchronization with any number of devices and sources in a network. The invention provides for a user to employ a mobile device or set of devices as a central repository for PIM data (e.g., calendar, contacts and tasks) synchronized from multiple sources (e.g., multiple PC'"'"'s (personal computers), an exchange server). The invention provides for synchronization of PIM data from multiple types of server sources to multiple devices regardless of the synchronization protocol versions and different schemas.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A device for data synchronization, the device comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium operationally coupled to the processor and storing computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the device to;

compare a first data item received with a second data item, the first data item having a first plurality of item properties and the second data item having a second plurality of item properties including a subset of item properties absent from the first plurality of item properties, thereby determining that the first data item and the second data item are duplicate data items; and

upon determining that the first data item and the second data item are duplicate data items, synchronize the second data item with the first data item, wherein synchronizing the second data item and the first data item includes updating item properties included within the first plurality of item properties and the second plurality of item properties without updating the subset of item properties that are absent from the first plurality of item properties.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the device to receive at the device the first data item from a source.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the first plurality of item properties are supported by the source.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the subset of item properties absent from the first plurality of item properties are unsupported by the source.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the source comprises a mobile device communicatively connected to the device.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the second data item was received from a second source different from the source.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the act of determining that the first and second data items are duplicates includes generating a hash value of the first data item.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the device supports a different version of a protocol as compared to a source from which the first data item was received.

29. The device of claim 21, wherein the first data item and the second data item comprise calendar data items.

30. The device of claim 21, wherein the first data item and the second data item comprise electronic mail data items.

31. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions, which, when executed in a device including a processor, cause the device to:

compare a first data item received with a second data item, the first data item having a first plurality of item properties and the second data item having a second plurality of item properties including a subset of item properties absent from the first plurality of item properties, thereby determining that the first data item and the second data item are duplicate data items; and

upon determining that the first data item and the second data item are duplicate data items, synchronize the second data item with the first data item, wherein synchronizing the second data item and the first data item includes updating item properties included within the first plurality of item properties and the second plurality of item properties without updating the subset of item properties that are absent from the first plurality of item properties.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the device to receive at the device the first data item from a source.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the first plurality of item properties are supported by the source.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the subset of item properties absent from the first plurality of item properties are unsupported by the source.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the source comprises a mobile device communicatively connected to the device.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the second data item was received from a second source different from the source.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the device supports a different version of a protocol as compared to a source from which the first data item was received.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the first data item and the second data item comprise electronic mail data items.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the first data item and the second data item comprise calendar data items.

40. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions, which, when executed in a mobile device including a processor, cause the mobile device to:

receive at a mobile device a first email data item from a server, the first email data item having a first plurality of item properties supported by the server;

compare the first email data item received from the server with a second email data item stored in the memory of the mobile device, the second email data item having a second plurality of item properties including a subset of item properties absent from the first plurality of item properties, thereby determining that the first email data item and the second email data item are duplicate data items; and

upon determining that the first email data item and the second email data item are duplicate data items, synchronize the second email data item with the first email data item, wherein synchronizing the second email data item and the first email data item includes updating item properties included within the first plurality of item properties and the second plurality of item properties without updating the subset of item properties that are absent from the first plurality of item properties.