Method and apparatus for enabling synchronizing data in different devices having different capabilities and unmatched data fields
DCFirst Claim
1. A method by which a first client data store (10c) hosted by a first client device (10) is synchronized with respect to a second client data store (11c) hosted by a second client device (11) by synchronizing the two client data stores (10c 11c) with respect to a server data store (12c) hosted by a server device (12), the server having an established connection with the client devices, the two client data stores (10c 11c) each including various data fields, the method characterized by:
- forming (2339) structure information indicative of the structure of the two client data stores (10c 11c) in respect to at least one data field of the first client data store (10c), for which the second client data store (11c) does not have either one corresponding data field or does not have two or more data fields that in combination correspond to the at least one data field;
detecting (34) by the server (12) or the first client device (10) a use of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c); and
setting (36) a correspondence of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c) in respect to the second client data store (11c), in order for the at least one data field in the first client data store to be used by the second client.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus by which a user of two or more client devices (10 11) each hosting a data store (10c 11c) can have the data stores kept synchronized by a server (12) (in some cases operated as a synchronizing service) in a way acceptable to the user even though at least one of the two data stores (10c) includes a data component (such as a field of a record) that is not in the other data store (11c) (or for which a correspondence from the one data store (10c) to the other data store (11c) in respect to the data component has not yet been set, including possibly a null correspondence). Any such so-called problem field is monitored by a sync field scanner (12g) usually hosted by the server, which alerts the user that a data component is a problem field only when the user first provides a value for the data component. The invention provides that, if possible, the sync field scanner (12g) automatically suggests to the user how to accommodate the problem field that occurs in one data store (10c) but not in the data store (11c).
63 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method by which a first client data store (10c) hosted by a first client device (10) is synchronized with respect to a second client data store (11c) hosted by a second client device (11) by synchronizing the two client data stores (10c 11c) with respect to a server data store (12c) hosted by a server device (12), the server having an established connection with the client devices, the two client data stores (10c 11c) each including various data fields, the method characterized by:
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forming (2339) structure information indicative of the structure of the two client data stores (10c 11c) in respect to at least one data field of the first client data store (10c), for which the second client data store (11c) does not have either one corresponding data field or does not have two or more data fields that in combination correspond to the at least one data field;
detecting (34) by the server (12) or the first client device (10) a use of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c); and
setting (36) a correspondence of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c) in respect to the second client data store (11c), in order for the at least one data field in the first client data store to be used by the second client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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17. A device for use in carrying out a method by which a first client data store (10c) hosted by a first client device (10) is synchronized with respect to a second client data store (11c) hosted by a second client device (11) by synchronizing the two client data stores (10c 11c) with respect to a server data store (12c) hosted by a server device (12), the server having an established connection with the client devices, the two client data stores (10c 11c) each including various data fields, the device comprising at least two of the following:
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means for forming (2339) structure information indicative of the structure of the two client data stores (10c 11c) in respect to at least one data field of the first client data store (10c), for which the second client data store (11c) does not have either one corresponding data field or does not have two or more data fields that in combination correspond to the at least one data field;
means for detecting (34) by the server (12) or the first client device (10) a use of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c); and
means for setting (36) a correspondence of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c) in respect to the second client data store (11c), in order for the at least one data field in the first client data store to be used by the second client. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system, comprising a first client device (10) and a second client device (11) and also a server device (12), the first client device having a first client data store (10c) and the second client device having a second client data store (11c), the first client data store (10c) being kept wholly or partly synchronized with the second client data store (11c) by synchronizing the two client data stores (10c 11c) with respect to a server data store (12c) hosted by the server device (12), the two client data stores (10c 11c) each including various data fields and having an established connection with the server device, the system characterized by the server device (12) having:
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means for forming (2339) structure information indicative of the structure of the two client data stores (10c 11c) in respect to at least one data field of the first client data store (10c) for which the second client data store (11c) does not have either one corresponding data field or does not two or more data fields that in combination correspond to the at least one data field;
means for detecting (34) by the server (12) or the first client device (10) a use of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c); and
means for recording (37) a correspondence of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c) in respect to the second client data store (11c), in order for the at least one data field in the first client data store to be used by the second client.
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22. A computer readable medium encoded with a software data structure for providing instructions to a telecommunications device (101112) so that the telecommunications device (101112) performs or enables at least part of a method by which a first client data store (10c) hosted by a first client device (10) is synchronized with respect to a second client data store (11c) hosted by a second client device (11) by synchronizing the two client data stores (10c 11c) with respect to a server data store (12c) hosted by a server device (12), the server having an established connection with the client devices, the two client data stores (10c 11c) each including various data fields, the method characterized by:
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forming (2339) structure information indicative of the structure of the two client data stores (10c 11c) in respect to at least one data field of the first client data store (10c), for which the second client data store (11c) does not have either one corresponding data field or does not have two or more data fields that in combination correspond to the at least one data field;
detecting (34) by the server (12) or the first client device (10) a use of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c); and
setting (36) a correspondence of the at least one data field in the first client data store (10c) in respect to the second client data store (11c), in order for the at least one data field in the first client data store to be used by the second client.
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Specification