Selective information synchronization based on implicit user designation

• US 6,725,239 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sherman, Roman, Schwitters, Chad A., Mansour, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, JOON H
• Application Number:
  US10/214,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/200-206, 715/500.1, 709/248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A device and method for synchronizing information between computer systems is provided. Certain subsets of information may be synchronized, while excluding other information from the synchronization process. The determination of the information subset to synchronize requires no explicit designation by the user. Instead, the subset of information to be synchronized is ascertained through actions of the user that implicitly indicate the user'"'"'s interest in the information, allowing for an intuitive assumption of the user'"'"'s synchronization desires, and requiring no user activity outside of the user'"'"'s normal operational activity.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing subsets of an object set between first and second object stores in first and second computing systems respectively, the method comprising:

defining one or more predetermined user actions that implicitly demonstrate a user'"'"'s desire to synchronize particular objects of the object set between the first and second object stores;

assigning a synchronization indicator to each of the particular objects to be synchronized in the second object store, upon recognition of the predetermined user action; and

synchronizing the subset of objects to which the synchronization indicator has been assigned in the second object store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining one or more predetermined user actions comprises defining user actions other than an explicit identification of which particular objects of the object set are to be synchronized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining one or more predetermined user actions comprises defining a predetermined user action based on a use pattern of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining one or more predetermined user actions comprises defining the user'"'"'s attempt to operationally utilize the particular objects as a predetermined user action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein defining one or more predetermined user actions comprises defining the user'"'"'s attempt to visually utilize a graphical component of the particular objects as a predetermined user action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a synchronization indicator to each of the particular objects comprises storing the synchronization indicator in a database record corresponding to the particular object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the occurrence of the predetermined user actions, and assigning the synchronization indicator in response thereto.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first object store in a primary computer, and providing second object store in companion device capable of electronic communication with the primary computer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disassociating the synchronization indicator from objects in the second object store which are no longer to be included in the subset of objects to be synchronized.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein disassociating the synchronization indicator comprises disassociating the synchronization indicator based on a use pattern of the user.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

12. A method for synchronizing subsets of an e-mail folder hierarchy between a server computer and a client computer, the method comprising:

defining one or more predetermined user actions that implicitly demonstrate a user'"'"'s desire to synchronize particular folders of the e-mail folder hierarchy between the server and client computers;

associating a synchronization flag in the client computer with parents of folders to be synchronized upon recognition of the predetermined user action; and

synchronizing the subfolders of folders associated with the synchronization flags in the client computer, whereby synchronization of the subset of folders is accomplished without explicit designation of the subset by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein associating a synchronization flag in the client computer with the particular folder comprises storing the synchronization flag in a folder database record associated with the particular folder.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring the synchronization flags in the folder database record to ascertain the subset of folders.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein synchronizing the subset of folders comprises recursively synchronizing the particular folders of a branch of the folder hierarchy as dictated by a state of the associated synchronization flags.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein defining the predetermined user actions comprises defining the predetermined user action as activating a folder expansion feature with respect to a particular folder to perceive its succeeding subfolders.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating a folder expansion feature comprises activating the folder expansion feature via a user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the folder expansion feature via a user interface comprises selecting a folder expansion icon associated with the particular folder via a graphical user interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the folder expansion feature via a user interface comprises verbally identifying the particular folder via an audio user interface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the folder expansion feature via a user interface comprises entering text identifying the particular folder via a text entry device.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising disassociating the synchronization flag from parent folders of the currently-synchronized folders which are no longer to be included in the subset of folders to be synchronized.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein disassociating the synchronization flag comprises disassociating the synchronization flag based on a use pattern of the user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein disassociating the synchronization flag based on a use pattern comprises disassociating the synchronization flag when a number of messages associated with the currently-synchronized folder drops below a predetermined number.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein disassociating the synchronization flag based on a use pattern comprises disassociating the synchronization flag when the user explicitly removes one or more of the currently-synchronized folders from the subset of folders to be synchronized.

25. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process in an e-mail system at a client computer, the computer process synchronizing subsets of an e-mail folder hierarchy between a server computer and the client computer, the computer process comprising:

defining one or more predetermined user actions that demonstrate a user'"'"'s implicit desire to synchronize particular folders of first and second e-mail folder hierarchies;

comparing actual user actions to the predetermined user actions to determine which of the particular folders are selected for synchronization;

associating a synchronization flag with each of the particular folders in the second e-mail folder hierarchy if the actual user action corresponds to the predetermined user action; and

synchronizing subfolders of the folders of the second e-mail folder hierarchy having the synchronization flags set with the first e-mail folder hierarchy.

26. The computer program storage medium of claim 25 wherein the computer process further comprises performing recursive synchronization of the particular folders of branches of the second e-mail folder hierarchy according to a state of the associated synchronization flags.

27. The computer program storage medium of claim 25 wherein defining the predetermined user actions comprises defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature with respect to a particular folder to perceive its succeeding subfolders.

28. The computer program storage medium of claim 27 wherein defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature comprises defining the predetermined user action as an activation of the folder expansion feature via a user interface.

29. The computer program storage medium of claim 27 wherein defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature comprises defining the predetermined user action as a selection of a folder expansion icon associated with the particular folder via a graphical user interface.

30. The computer program storage medium of claim 27 wherein defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature comprises defining the predetermined user action as a verbal identification of the particular folder via an audio user interface.

31. The computer program storage medium of claim 27 wherein defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature comprises defining the predetermined user action as an entry of text identifying the particular folder via a text entry device.

32. The computer program storage medium of claim 25 wherein the computer process further comprises disassociating the synchronization flag from parent folders of the currently-synchronized folders which are no longer to be included in a subset of folders to be synchronized.

33. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions to execute a computer process for synchronizing particular folders in first and second e-mail folder hierarchies of a server computer and a handheld computer respectively, the computer process comprising:

providing one or more predetermined user actions that demonstrate a user'"'"'s implicit desire to synchronize the particular folders of the first and second e-mail folder hierarchies;

assigning a synchronization flag to each of the particular folders in the second e-mail folder hierarchy that are associated with a user'"'"'s execution of the predetermined user action on the handheld computer; and

synchronizing subfolders of the folders of the second e-mail folder hierarchy having the synchronization flags set with the first e-mail folder hierarchy.

34. The computer data signal of claim 33, wherein the computer process comprises performing recursive synchronization of the particular folders of branches of the second e-mail folder hierarchy according to a state of the associated synchronization flags.

35. The computer data signal of claim 33 wherein the computer program instructions for defining the predetermined user actions comprises defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature with respect to a particular folder to perceive its succeeding subfolders.

36. The computer data signal of claim 35 wherein the computer program instructions for defining one of the predetermined user actions as an activation of a folder expansion feature comprises defining the predetermined user action as an activation of the folder expansion feature via a user interface.

37. An apparatus for synchronizing subsets of an e-mail folder hierarchy between a server computer and a client computer, the apparatus in the client computer comprising:

a user action definition module defining one or more predetermined user actions that implicitly demonstrate a user'"'"'s desire to synchronize particular folders of the e-mail folder hierarchy between the server computer and the client computer;

a monitor module monitoring actual user actions and the one or more predetermined user actions, and identifying an action correlation upon recognition of a correlation between the actual user actions and the one or more predetermined user actions;

a synchronization assignment module assigning a synchronization identifier to each of the particular folders in the client computer associated with the action correlation;

a synchronization module synchronizing a subset of the e-mail folder hierarchy comprising subfolders of the particular folders to which a synchronization identifier has been assigned.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a folder database for storing a plurality of database records including a folder identification field to store a folder identifier for each of the folders of the folder hierarchy, and further including a synchronization identification field to store the synchronization identifiers for each of the particular folders in the client computer associated with the action correlation.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the synchronization module comprises a recursive synchronization module synchronizing the folders to which a synchronization identifier has been assigned in a top-down fashion from a top of the folder hierarchy to a bottom of the folder hierarchy.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the synchronization module comprises means for recursively synchronizing subfolders of the folders to which a synchronization identifier has been assigned.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a user-interface module interfacing the monitor module and the actual user actions.