Method and apparatus for synchronization of two computer systems supporting multiple synchronization techniques by using synchronization transport modules

• US 6,505,215 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kruglikov, Vitaly, Haitani, Rob, Marianetti, Ron, McKendrick, Ain, Flores, Roger, Lamb, Art, Boyer, Monty
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/590,541
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/10, 709/201-203, 709/248
• US Class Current: 707/635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and system for synchronizing two computer systems supporting multiple synchronization techniques is described. In one example system, a portable computer system is loaded with synchronization transport modules. An application on the portable computer system is executed causing the application to automatically recognize the synchronization transport modules. The portable computer system receives a selection corresponding to one of the two synchronization transport modules. The selection could be from a user and would indicate that the user prefers to synchronize with the second computer system using a particular method of external communication. After the selection, the portable computer system synchronizes with the other computer system using the selected method of external communication.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a first set of records on a computer system with a second set of records on a portable computer, the method comprising:

identifying a transport module from a plurality of possible transport modules for synchronizing the portable computer and the computer system, the plurality of transport modules including at least a first direct connection transport module and a first wireless transport module, the second set of records being accessible to each transport module in the plurality of transport modules;

sending over a medium corresponding to the identified transport module the second set of records; and

comparing the first set of records with the second set of records in order to synchronize at least a portion of the first set of records with at least a portion of the second set of records.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first set of records with the second set of records in order to update one or more records in the second set of records with data in one or more records in the first set of records; and

sending over the medium corresponding to the identified transport module the second set of records with the updated one or more records.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the first wireless transport module, the first wireless transport module being for a wireless packet radio network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the direct connection transport module, the direct connection transport module being for a cradle that connects to the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the first wireless transport module, the first wireless transport module being for communications signaled over an infrared port.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a network transport module, the network transport module being for communications signaled over a connection to a local area network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying the first wireless transport module for a wireless packet radio network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first set of records with the second set of records in order to synchronize at least a portion of the first set of records with at least a portion of the second set of records includes at least one of (i) adding one or more records from the second set of records to the first set of records, (ii) adding one or more records from the first set of records to the second set of records, (iii) updating one or more records in the second set of records with data in one or more records in the first set of records, and (iv) updating one or more records in the first set of records with data in one or more records in the second set of records.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the first set of records with the second set of records includes at least one of (i) removing one or more records from the first set of records upon determining that records in the second set of records corresponding to those one or more records in the first set of records have been removed, and (ii) removing one or more records from the second set of records upon determining that records in the first set of records corresponding to those one or more records in the second set of records have been removed.

10. A method for synchronizing a first set of records on a computer system with a second set of records on a portable computer, the method comprising:

identifying a transport module from a plurality of possible transport modules for synchronizing the portable computer and the computer system, the plurality of transport modules including at least a first direct connection transport module and a first wireless transport module, the second set of records being accessible to each transport module in the plurality of possible transport modules;

sending over a medium corresponding to the identified transport module the second set of records so as to cause the computer system to receive and compare the first set of records with the second set of records; and

in response to sending over the medium, receiving over the medium the second set of records, in which at least a portion of the second set of records has been updated with at least a portion of the first set of records.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to sending over the medium, causing the computer system to compare the first set of records with the second set of records in order to update one or more records in the second set of records with data in one or more records in the first set of records.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the first wireless transport module, the first wireless transport module being for a wireless packet radio network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the direct connection transport module, the direct connection transport module being for a cradle that connects to the computer system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a user selection specifying the first wireless transport module, the first wireless transport module being for communications signaled over an infrared port.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying a network transport module, the network transport module being for communications signaled over a connection to a local area network.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a transport module includes identifying the first wireless transport module for a wireless packet radio network.

17. A portable computer comprising:

a first application executable on the portable computer;

a plurality of transport modules, including a first wireless transport module and a first direct connection transport module;

a first set of records for use with the first application, the first set of records being accessible to the transport modules in the plurality of transport modules;

a synchronization application executable on the portable computer to identify at least a portion of the first set of records, to identify a selected transport module from the plurality of transport modules, and to send the portion of the first set of records over a medium of the selected transport module in order to synchronize the first set of records with a corresponding set of records of a computer system.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the synchronization application is executable to receive a second set of records from the computer system over the medium of the selected transport module, the second set of records corresponding to the first set of records after the first set of records is synchronized with the corresponding set of records of the computer system.