System and method for wireless hot-synchronization of a personal digital assistant

• US 6,721,787 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hiscock, James Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Volper, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US09/501,204
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 370/277, 370/278, 370/310, 370/312, 370/313, 370/328, 370/338, 370/346, 370/349, 370/350, 370/352, 370/353, 370/432, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/213, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/237, 709/248, 707/10, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A wireless hot-sync system includes a personal digital assistant (PDA) having a transceiver for communicating over a wireless link, a hot-sync server having a transceiver for communicating with the PDA over the wireless link and a network interface for communicating with devices on a local area network (LAN), and a host system connected to the LAN. Upon receipt a hot-sync request from the PDA via the wireless link, the hot-sync server opens a network connection with the host system to establish a wireless hot-sync channel. The PDA and the host system exchange packets containing synchronization data, which is used by each device to update a local data set to bring it into correspondence with the data set of the other device. Upon completion of the wireless hot-sync, the hot-sync server closes the network connection and disables the hot-sync channel.

Claims

1. A wireless hot-sync system, comprising:

a first data processing device having first storage system containing a first data set, the first data processing device being operative to transmit a hot-sync request message over a wireless communications link;

a second data processing device having a second storage system containing a second data set; and

a server operative to receive the hot-sync request message and in response to the receipt of the hot-sync request message to establish a communication channel between the first data processing device and the second data processing device, wherein the communication channel includes the wireless communications link between the first data processing device and the server;

the server being operative, upon receipt of the hot-sync request from the first data processing device, to transmit a connection request message to the second data processing device, and upon receipt of a connection accepted message from the second data processing device, to transmit a service offered message to the first data processing device, the service offered message indicating the ability of the server to establish the communication channel, and upon receipt of a service accepted message from the first data processing device, to transmit a connection opened message to the second data processing device and a service enabled message to the first data processing device, the connection opened and service enabled messages each indicating that the communication channel can be utilized for the transfer of information by the respective data processing device;

the first data processing device being operative, upon receipt of the service offered message from the server, to determine whether to accept the offer of service, and upon determining to accept the offer of service, to transmit the service accepted message to the server, and upon receipt of the service enabled message from the server, to engage in the transfer of information with the second data processing device;

the second data processing device being operative, upon receipt of the connection request message from the server, to determine whether to accept the connection request, and upon accepting the connection request to establish the requested connection and return the connection accepted message to the server, and upon receipt of the connection opened message from the server, to engage in the transfer of information with the first data processing device; and

at least one of the first and second data processing devices being operative to selectively transfer information to the other of the first and second data processing devices over the communication channel, and at least the other of the first and second data processing devices being operative to modify its data set based on the transferred information to bring the first and second data sets into correspondence.

2. A wireless hot-sync system according to claim 1, wherein the first data processing device is a personal digital assistant.

3. A wireless hot-sync system according to claim 1, wherein the second data processing device is a personal computer.

4. A wireless hot-sync system according to claim 1, wherein the first data processing device is a personal digital assistant, and the second data processing device is a personal computer.

5. A wireless hot-sync system according to claim 1, wherein:

the second data processing device is operative, upon completion of the transfer of information, to transmit a transfer complete message to the server; and

the server is operative, upon receipt of the transfer complete message from the second data processing device, to transmit a service disabled message to the first data processing device, the service disabled message indicating that the communication channel has been closed.

6. A method of bringing first and second data sets stored in respective first and second data processing devices into correspondence, comprising:

transmitting a hot-sync request message from the first data processing device to a server over a wireless communications link;

in response to the receipt of the hot-sync request message at the server, establishing a communication channel between the first data processing device and the second data processing device, the communication channel including the wireless communications link between the first data processing device and the server, the channel-establishing including;

at the server, upon receipt of the hot-sync request from the first data processing device, transmitting a connection request message to the second data processing device, and upon receipt of a connection accepted message from the second data processing device, transmitting a service offered message to the first data processing device, the service offered message indicating the ability of the server to establish the communication channel, and upon receipt of a service accepted message from the first data processing device, transmitting a connection opened message to the second data processing device and a service enabled message to the first data processing device, the connection opened and service enabled messages each indicating that the communication channel can be utilized for the transfer of information by the respective data processing device;

at the first data processing device, upon receipt of the service offered message from the server, determining whether to accept the offer of service, and upon determining to accept the offer of service, transmitting the service accepted message to the server, and upon receipt of the service enabled message from the server, engaging in the transfer of information with the second data processing device; and

at the second data processing device, upon receipt of the connection request message from the server, determining whether to accept the connection request, and upon accepting the connection request establishing the requested connection and returning the connection accepted message to the server, and upon receipt of the connection opened message from the server, engaging in the transfer of information with the first data processing device; and

selectively transferring information from at least one of the first and second data processing devices to the other of the first and second data processing devices over the communication channel, and modifying the data set in at least the other of the first and second data processing devices based on the transferred information to bring the first and second data sets into correspondence.