Dynamic Intervals for Synchronizing Data

• US 20140289428A1
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Walter, Jason D., Tewari, Ashutosh, Vitaldevara, Krishna
• Application Number:
  US13/848,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

In embodiments of dynamic intervals for synchronizing data, the data is periodically synchronized between computing devices, such as between server devices, client devices, and/or between client and server devices. A polling optimization service can assess heuristics that are associated with the data synchronizations between the computing devices, and determine optimal dynamic intervals to periodically synchronize the data based on the heuristics. The polling optimization service can then iterate to further assess the heuristics that are associated with subsequent data synchronizations and determine updates of the optimal dynamic intervals. The polling optimization service updates the heuristics based on the subsequent and ongoing data synchronizations, and iterates to update the optimal dynamic intervals based on the updated heuristics.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a memory device configured to maintain data that is periodically synchronized with at least one additional computing device;

a processing system to implement a polling optimization service that is configured to;

assess heuristics associated with the data synchronizations, the heuristics including at least data information and synchronization information;

determine an optimal dynamic interval to periodically synchronize the data based on the heuristics; and

iterate to said assess the heuristics associated with subsequent data synchronizations and to said determine updates of the optimal dynamic interval.

2. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the data information of the heuristics includes at least a type of the data and a quantity of the data that is synchronized; and

the synchronization information of the heuristics includes at least previous information associated with the data synchronizations.

3. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the computing device is a server device that communicates with the additional computing device configured as one of a client device or additional server device;

or

the computing device is a client device that communicates with the additional computing device configured as one of a server device or an additional client device.

4. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the additional computing device is an email server configured to distribute the data as at least one of email messages, contacts, and calendar event data; and

the processing system further implements an email client that is configured to poll the email server based on the optimal dynamic interval to synchronize the data.

5. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the polling optimization service is configured to control when the computing device and the additional computing device communicate to synchronize the data based on the optimal dynamic interval.

6. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the polling optimization service is configured to initiate communication of the optimal dynamic interval to the additional computing device that controls when to synchronize the data.

7. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the polling optimization service is configured to communicate with an additional polling optimization service implemented by the additional computing device; and

the polling optimization service and the additional polling optimization service together determine when to synchronize the data based on the optimal dynamic interval.

8. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the polling optimization service is configured to update the heuristics based on the subsequent data synchronizations with the additional computing device, and said iterate to determine the update of the optimal dynamic interval based on the updated heuristics.

9. A computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the heuristics include one or more of:

a context of the data that is periodically synchronized;

processing resources of the computing device to synchronize the data; and

user interaction with an application that utilizes the data.

10. A method, comprising:

synchronizing data periodically between a first computing device and at least a second computing device;

assessing heuristics associated with the data synchronizations between the first and second computing devices;

determining an optimal dynamic interval to periodically synchronize the data, the optimal dynamic interval based on the heuristics; and

iterating said assessing the heuristics associated with subsequent data synchronizations and said determining updates of the optimal dynamic interval.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first computing device is a server device communicating to synchronize the data with the second computing device configured as one of a client device or additional server device.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first computing device is a client device communicating to synchronize the data with the second computing device configured as one of a server device or an additional client device.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising controlling, from the first computing device, when the first and second computing devices synchronize the data based on the optimal dynamic interval.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

said assessing the heuristics includes assessing first heuristics associated with the data synchronizations at the first computing device and assessing second heuristics associated with the data synchronizations at the second computing device; and

said determining the optimal dynamic interval is based on both the first heuristics at the first computing device and the second heuristics at the second computing device.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising updating the heuristics based on the subsequent data synchronizations between the first and second computing devices, and said iterating to determine the update of the optimal dynamic interval based on the updated heuristics.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the heuristics include one or more of:

a context of the data that is periodically synchronized between the first and second computing devices, the context of the data including at least data information and synchronization information associated with the data synchronizations;

processing resources of the first and second computing devices to synchronize the data; and

user interaction with an application that utilizes the data.

17. A system, comprising:

a client device that implements an email client configured to request updates to email data from one or more server devices;

a polling optimization service configured to;

assess heuristics associated with periodic data synchronizations of the email data; and

determine an optimal dynamic interval to periodically synchronize the email data based on the heuristics.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the heuristics are associated with the periodic data synchronizations between the client device and a server device;

the client device implements a first instance of the polling optimization service configured to assess the heuristics;

the server device implements a second instance of the polling optimization service configured to assess the heuristics; and

the first and second instances of the polling optimization service are configured to determine the optimal dynamic interval in conjunction with each other.

19. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the email data includes email messages, contacts, and calendar event data; and

the heuristics are associated with one of;

the periodic data synchronizations of the email data between the one or more server devices;

or

the periodic data synchronizations of the email data between the client device and the one or more server devices.

20. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the polling optimization service is configured to iterate to said assess the heuristics associated with the periodic data synchronizations of the email data and to said determine updates of the optimal dynamic interval.