Remote synchronization with intelligent power management

• US 6,470,358 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Beyda, William Joseph, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US09/235,571
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1737 for reducing power consumption or coping with limited storage space, e.g. in mobile devices saving storage space on storage devices G06F3/0608; power saving in storage systems G06F3/0625
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Synchronization techniques that improve the ease with which synchronization operations can be performed are disclosed. Synchronization is performed between resources on a portable computing device and resources stored on a remote server. The synchronization can be centralized across different types so that user interaction to achieve the different types of synchronization is minimal. Battery power can also be conserved during synchronization. A user can also be informed as to when the portable computing device should be shut-down or placed in a low-power state to have sufficient battery power remaining to perform the synchronization. The synchronization operations can be easily activated without much user interaction.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing resources between a portable computing device and a remote synchronization server, said method comprising:

centrally tracking synchronization events on the portable computing device, the synchronization events pertaining to multiple applications;

determining whether synchronization is to be performed; and

a telephone line detection circuit within said portable computing device, said telephone line detection circuit detects with a telephone line is coupled to said portable computing device, and the synchronization request is automatically caused by said telephone line detection circuit,

when said determining indicates that synchronization is to be performed, then respectively sending synchronization information pertaining to the synchronization events tracked to the remote synchronization server, and thereafter distributing the synchronization information to appropriate destination application servers where synchronization operations are separately performed, the destination application servers being associated with the multiple applications.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the destination application servers are coupled to the synchronization server.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sending of the synchronization information from the portable computing device and the synchronization server is performed at least in part over a telephone line connection.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein when said determining (b) indicates that synchronization is to be performed, performing the additional operations of connecting the portable computing device to the synchronization server, and authenticating the portable computer by the synchronization server.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the connection of the portable computer to the synchronization is performed at least in part over a telephone line connection.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the destination application servers is one of a file server and an email server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is a portable computer.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable computing device includes a battery to provide battery-power to the portable computing device, and

wherein said method further comprises:

estimating an estimated synchronization time needed to perform at least said sending of the synchronization information;

monitoring available battery-power of the battery; and

providing a warning to the user of the portable computing device before the available battery-power is less than an amount of power needed to power the remote computing device for the estimated synchronization time.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

performing the synchronization operations in accordance with the synchronization information; and

acknowledging to the portable computing device that the synchronizations have been performed.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the portable computing device includes a battery to provide battery-power to the portable computing device, and

wherein said method further comprises:

estimating an estimated synchronization time needed to perform at least said sending of the synchronization information;

monitoring available battery-power of the battery; and

providing a warning to the user of the portable computing device before the available battery-power is less than an amount of power needed to power the remote computing device for the estimated synchronization time.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said estimating of the estimated synchronization time includes the time needed for at least said sending of the synchronization, said performing the synchronization operations, and said acknowledging to the portable computing device that the synchronizations have been performed.

12. A system for synchronization of a portable computing device with remotely located resources, said system comprising:

local resources stored on the portable computing device;

a synchronization client on the portable computing device that logs changes to said local resources;

a remote destination server that stores remote resources, at least a portion of said local resources being copies of said remote resources;

a synchronization server that communicates with said synchronization client to synchronize those of said remote resources that correspond to said local resources that have been logged as being changed by said synchronization client, wherein the synchronization is initiated by said synchronization client when a synchronization request is received;

a plurality of remote destination servers that each store remote resources, at least a portion of the local resources on each of said remote destination servers are copies of said remote resources; and

a telephone line detection circuit within said portable computing device, said telephone line detection circuit detects with a telephone line is coupled to said portable computing device,

wherein the synchronization request is automatically caused by said telephone line detection circuit.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said remote destination servers are application programs and their associated files.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said remote destination servers is a desktop computer.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said remote destination servers are on different computer machines coupled together via a local network.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said remote destination servers is an email server.

17. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of said remote destination servers is a file server.

18. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said synchronization server distributes those of said local resources that have been logged as being changed by said synchronization client to the appropriate one of said remote destination servers that stores the remote resource that corresponds thereto.

19. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said system further comprises:

a power monitoring unit within said portable computing device, said portable computing device monitors available battery power from a battery used to power said portable computing device; and

a warning message unit within said portable computing device, said warning message unit operates to display a warning message on a display device of said portable computing device to inform a user that continued use of the portable computing device beyond a predetermined amount of time will impair the ability for the synchronization to occur under battery power.

20. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least after the synchronization request is caused the synchronization can be performed without user interaction with the portable computing device.

21. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the portable computing device has a display device, and wherein at least after the synchronization request is caused the synchronization can be performed without user interaction with the portable computing device and without powering the display device.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the portable computing device has a housing that folds open to facilitate user interaction with the display device, and wherein the synchronization can be performed with the housing folded closed.

23. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein while waiting for the synchronization request and when no user interaction is present, the portable computing device enters a low power state.

24. A method for notifying a user of a portable computing device that shut-down should occur to permit synchronization of the portable computing device with remote resources, the portable computing device including a battery, said method comprises:

determining an estimated battery life for the battery when continuing to power the portable computing device from the battery;

determining an estimated synchronization time for synchronization of the portable computing device with the remote resources;

determining an available usage time based on the estimated synchronization time and the estimated battery life; and

displaying an indication of the available usage time.

25. A method as recited in claim 24,

wherein said method further comprises comparing the available usage time with a predetermined threshold, and

wherein said displaying of the indication of the available usage time is performed only when the available usage time is less than the predetermined threshold.

26. A method as recited in claim 24,

wherein the portable computing device includes a display device, and

wherein the indication is a warning message that is displayed on the display device.

27. A portable computing device, comprising:

a display device;

a memory device, said memory device stores a computer program to provide synchronization processing;

a processor for executing the computer program to provide the synchronization processing;

a modem, said modem operates to provide communications over a telephone line when activated; and

a telephone line detection circuit operatively connected to said modem and said processor, said telephone line detection circuit operates to detect the existence of the connection of said modem to the telephone line,

wherein when said telephone line detection circuit detects the existence of the connection of said modem to the telephone line, said telephone line detection circuit informs said processor and in response said processor activates the synchronization processing.

28. A portable computing device as recited in claim 27, wherein said memory device stores local resources stored on the portable computing device, and

wherein the computer program to provide synchronization processing a synchronization client on the portable computing device that logs changes to the local resources.

29. A portable computing device as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable computing device is a laptop computer.

30. A method for synchronizing resources between a portable computing device and a remote synchronization server, the remote synchronization server having at least a first application server and a second application server coupled thereto, wherein the portable computing device including a battery to provide battery-power to the portable computing device, said method comprising:

centrally tracking synchronization events on the portable computing device, the synchronization events pertaining to multiple applications;

determining whether synchronization is to be performed;

estimating synchronization time needed to perform at least said sending of the first and second synchronization information;

monitoring available battery-power of the battery; and

providing a warning to the user of the portable computing device before the available battery-power is less than an amount of power needed to power the remote computing device for the estimated synchronization time,

when said determining indicates that synchronization is to be performed, then producing first and second synchronization information pertaining to the synchronization events tracked and sending the first and second synchronization information to the remote synchronization server, and thereafter distributing the first synchronization information to the first application server where synchronization operations are performed therefor and distributing the second synchronization information to the second application server where synchronization operations are performed therefor.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein when said determining indicates that synchronization is to be performed, performing the additional operations of connecting the portable computing device to the synchronization server, and authenticating the portable computing device by the synchronization server.

32. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein each of the first and second application servers is one of a file server, an email server and a desktop computer.

33. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the portable computing device is a portable computer.

34. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein said method further comprises:

performing the synchronization operations in accordance with the first and second synchronization in formation; and

acknowledging to the portable computing device that the synchronizations have been performed.

35. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein said estimating of the synchronization time includes the time needed for at least said sending of the first and second synchronization information, said performing of the synchronization operations, and said acknowledging to the portable computing device that the synchronizations have been performed.

36. A system for synchronization of a portable computing device with remotely located resources, said system comprising:

local resources stored on the portable computing device;

a synchronization client on the portable computing device that logs changes to said local resources;

a remote destination server that stores remote resources, at least a portion of said local resources being copies of said remote resources;

a synchronization server that communicates with said synchronization client to synchronize those of said remote resources that correspond to said local resources that have been logged as being changed by said synchronization client;

a plurality of remote destination servers that each store remote resources, at least a portion of the local resources on each of said remote destination servers are copies of said remote resources;

a power monitoring unit within said portable computing device, said portable computing device monitors available battery power from a battery used to power said portable computing device; and

a warning message unit within said portable computing device, said warning message unit operates to display a warning message on a display device of said portable computing device to inform a user that continued use of the portable computing device beyond a predetermined amount of time will impair the ability for the synchronization to occur under battery power.