System for synchronizing databases on multiple devices utilizing a home base

• US 6,611,849 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Raff, Chris, Boyer, Monty
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US09/675,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/203, 707/201, 707/8, 707/202, 707/101, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system of synchronizing multiple devices utilizing a host system. In one embodiment, the present invention first synchronizes a first device with the host system. Next, the present invention synchronizes a second device with the host system. In so doing, the second device receives all changes which were entered directly into the host system, along with changes from the first device as of the last synchronization between the first device and the host system. If desired, the user may then synchronize the first device with the host system to get the changes from the second device. One embodiment of the present invention allows for any number of devices to be synchronized in this fashion, without having to connect the devices together for a single synchronization. Another embodiment of the present invention allows two devices to perform a pseudo-synchronization process. The pseudo-synchronization process allows the two devices to share recent changes with each other immediately, without the use of the host system.

Claims

1. A system for sharing information comprising:

a host computer system having a first version of a database stored thereon;

a portable computer system having a second version of said database stored thereon, wherein said portable computer system and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates; and

a portable electronic device having a third version of said database stored thereon, where said host computer system and said portable electronic device perform a slow synchronization wherein records of said first and third version of said database are compared against each other to determine record updates.

2. A system for sharing information as described in claim 1 wherein said portable electronic device and said portable computer system perform synchronization wherein only records that have changed since the last time each device synchronized to said host computer are involved and wherein no change flags are cleared and duplicate records are ignored.

3. A system for sharing information as described in claim 1 wherein said portable electronic device is a cellular phone.

4. A system for sharing information as described in claim 1 wherein said portable electronic device is a pager device.

5. A system for sharing information as described in claim 1 wherein said portable computer system is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

6. A system for sharing information as described in claim 1 wherein said portable electronic device has changes flags that are reset after said slow synchronization with said host computer system.

7. A system for sharing information comprising:

a host computer system having a first version of a database stored thereon;

a portable computer system having a second version of said database stored thereon, wherein said portable computer system and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates; and

a portable electronic device having a third version of said database stored thereon, where said host computer system and said portable electronic device perform a synchronization wherein all records of said first version of said database which have changed since the most recent said fast synchronization with said portable computer system are compared with new and modified records of said third version of said database to determine record updates and wherein change flags on said portable electronic device are cleared and change flags on said host computer system are not cleared.

8. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein said portable electronic device is a cellular phone.

9. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein said portable electronic device is a pager device.

10. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein said portable computer system is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

11. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein said portable electronic device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein records added to said first version of said database since the most recent said fast synchronization are not transferred to said portable electronic device during said synchronization between portable electronic device and said host computer system.

13. A system for sharing information as described in claim 7 wherein records deleted from said third version of said database are not compared with said records of said first version of said database which have changed since the most recent said fast synchronization during said synchronization between portable electronic device and said host computer system.

14. A system for sharing information comprising:

a host computer system having a host version of a database and a first and a second transaction log stored thereon, said first and said second transaction logs for containing first pending changes and second pending changes to be sent respectively to a first and a second portable electronic device;

said first portable electronic device having a first version of said database stored thereon, wherein said first portable electronic device and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates, and wherein said first portable electronic device receives said first pending changes from said first transaction log; and

said second portable electronic device having a second version of said database stored thereon, wherein said second portable electronic device and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates, and wherein said second portable electronic device receives said second pending changes from said second transaction log.

15. A system for sharing information as described in claim 14 wherein said first portable electronic device is a cellular phone.

16. A system for sharing information as described in claim 14 wherein said second portable device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a third transaction log on said host system, said third transaction log for containing pending changes for a third portable electronic device; and

said third portable electronic device having a third version of said database stored thereon, wherein said third portable electronic device and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates and said third portable electronic device receives changes from said third transaction log.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said first transaction log is further for receiving pre-synchronization changes from said host computer system and from said second portable electronic device; and

said second transaction log is further for receiving pre-synchronization changes from said host computer system and from said first portable electronic device.

19. A system for sharing information comprising:

a host computer system having a first version of a database and a backup database stored thereon;

a portable computer system having a second version of said database stored thereon, wherein said portable computer system and said host computer system perform a fast synchronization wherein change flags are used to determine record updates; and

a portable electronic device having a third version of said database stored thereon and for sending only changed records to said host computer system, said backup database for receiving said changed records from said third version of said database such that said backup database mirrors said third version of said database, wherein said host computer system and said backup database perform a slow synchronization wherein records of said backup database and said first version of said database are compared against each other to determine record updates.

20. A system for sharing information as described in claim 19 wherein said portable electronic device is a cellular phone.

21. A system for sharing information as described in claim 19 wherein said portable electronic device is a pager device.

22. A system for sharing information as described in claim 19 wherein said portable computer system is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

23. A system for sharing information as described in claim 19 wherein said third version of said database receives reconciled records from the result of said slow synchronization between said backup database and said first version of said database.