Apparatus and method for mobile device synchronization
First Claim
1. A method for selectively synchronizing a first data set with a compatible second data set, each data set having a plurality of records, the method comprising:
- creating a first user data structure identifying a plurality of data sets including the first and second data sets, the first user data structure also identifying combinations of the plurality of data sets;
including a share field in each of the plurality of records;
for each of the plurality of records, identifying in the share field one or more data sets for synchronizing by selecting from the first user data structure one or more of the plurality of data sets; and
selectively synchronizing the first data set and the second data set by identifying new records in the first data set and adding the identified new records to the second data set only for new records having a share field that specifies the second data set, and identifying new records in the second data set and adding the identified new records to the first data set only for new records having a share field that specifies the first data set;
wherein after selectively synchronizing the first data set and the second data set the first and second data sets do not necessarily have a one-to-one record correspondence.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Many portable computing devices include data based applications such as schedules, contact managers, and the like, which can be synchronized with another computing device, such as a desktop computer, whereby the data on both synchronized devices are conformed. The present invention discloses a method and apparatus that allows such data to be selectively synchronized, wherein the user can specify, on a record-by-record basis, which other databases receive or synchronize with each record. The present invention allows multiple users to synchronize portable computers with the same desktop (or other) computer without necessarily sharing all of their synchronizable data.
23 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for selectively synchronizing a first data set with a compatible second data set, each data set having a plurality of records, the method comprising:
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creating a first user data structure identifying a plurality of data sets including the first and second data sets, the first user data structure also identifying combinations of the plurality of data sets;
including a share field in each of the plurality of records;
for each of the plurality of records, identifying in the share field one or more data sets for synchronizing by selecting from the first user data structure one or more of the plurality of data sets; and
selectively synchronizing the first data set and the second data set by identifying new records in the first data set and adding the identified new records to the second data set only for new records having a share field that specifies the second data set, and identifying new records in the second data set and adding the identified new records to the first data set only for new records having a share field that specifies the first data set;
wherein after selectively synchronizing the first data set and the second data set the first and second data sets do not necessarily have a one-to-one record correspondence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for selectively synchronizing a plurality of data sets, each data set having a plurality of records, the method comprising:
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creating a user data structure having a list of the plurality of data sets, the user data structure also identifying combinations of the plurality of data sets;
including a share field in each of the plurality of records and identifying in the share field one or more data sets for synchronizing by selecting from the user data structure one or more of the plurality of data sets;
selecting a first data set and a second data set from the plurality of data sets;
updating the first data set an the second data set such that new records in the first data set are added to the second data set only for new records wherein the corresponding share field specifies the second data set, and new records in the second data set are added to the first data set only for new records wherein the corresponding share field specifies the first data set;
selecting a third data set from the plurality of data sets; and
updating the first data set and the third data set such that new records in the first data set are added to the third data set only for new records wherein the corresponding share field specifies the third data set, and new records in the third data set are added to the first data set only for new records wherein the corresponding share field specifies the first data set;
wherein after selective synchronization the records of the first data set and the records of the second data set and the records of the third data set do not necessarily have a one-to-one correspondence. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification