System and method for resolving conflicts detected during a synchronization session
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for resolving a conflict detected while synchronizing a first data file in a first store associated with a mobile device and a second data file in a second store associated with a server, comprising:
- designating at least one property of the first data file as a mergeable property and at least one corresponding property of the second data file as a corresponding mergeable property;
determining when the conflict detected comprises a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file; and
when the conflict detected does not comprise a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file, indicating that the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and that at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file are not dirty, wherein synchronization is not performed; and
when the conflict detected comprises a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file, merging the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file to form a single identical data file in each of the first and second stores.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is described for resolving a conflict detected while synchronizing a first data object in a first store associated with a mobile device and a second data object in a second store associated with a server. Once the conflict is detected, properties of the first data object are compared with corresponding properties of the second data object. If the properties and the corresponding properties that differ are designated as mergeable properties, the properties and the corresponding properties are merged. Merging the properties involves sending a preferred state associated with each of the properties and the corresponding properties to the mobile device and the server for updating the first data object and second data object, respectively, when an initial state for the properties and the corresponding properties is different than the preferred state. The preferred state is based on a likelihood that vital information would be lost if the preferred state did not replace the initial state of the property or the corresponding property. The merging is performed without user-intervention on the mobile device. In addition, the entire first data object or second data object is not sent to the mobile device to achieve the merge, thereby minimizing the data transfer to the mobile device.
127 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for resolving a conflict detected while synchronizing a first data file in a first store associated with a mobile device and a second data file in a second store associated with a server, comprising:
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designating at least one property of the first data file as a mergeable property and at least one corresponding property of the second data file as a corresponding mergeable property; determining when the conflict detected comprises a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file; and when the conflict detected does not comprise a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file, indicating that the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and that at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file are not dirty, wherein synchronization is not performed; and when the conflict detected comprises a difference between the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file, merging the at least one mergeable property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding mergeable property of the second data file to form a single identical data file in each of the first and second stores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for synchronizing a first data file associated with a mobile device and a second data file associated with a server, the instructions comprising:
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receiving a request for a synchronization event that synchronizes the first data file with the second data file; during the synchronization event, comparing the first data file to the second data file to determine whether one of the first data file and second data file is dirty; when the first data file and the second data file are not dirty, dismissing the synchronization event; when the first data file and the second data file are dirty, performing a conflict resolution, wherein the conflict resolution includes; indicating that the first data file and the second data file are not dirty when the first data file and the second data file are not different; and automatically merging a mergeable property of the first data file with a corresponding mergeable property of the second data file, when the first data file and the second data file are different. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for resolving a conflict detected during a synchronization session, comprising:
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a first device associated with a first data store, the first store storing a plurality of data files; a second device associated with a second data store, the second data store storing a plurality of corresponding data files, each corresponding data file being associated with one of the data files stored in the first store; and a server configured to; determining whether at least one of the plurality of data files is dirty; determining whether at least one of the plurality of corresponding data files is dirty; when the at least one of the plurality of data files and the at least one of the plurality of corresponding data files are not dirty, not performing the synchronization session; when the at least one of the plurality of data files and the at least one of the corresponding data files are dirty, performing a conflict resolution, wherein the conflict resolution includes; removing a dirty indication when the at least one of the plurality of data files and the at least one of the plurality of corresponding data files are not different; and merging the at least one of the plurality of data files and the at least one of the plurality of corresponding data files when the at least one of the plurality of data files and the at least one of the plurality of corresponding data files are different and designated as mergeable properties. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a first data file and a second data file, comprising:
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determining whether at least one corresponding property of a first data file is dirty; determining whether at least one corresponding property of a second data file is dirty; when the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file are not dirty, not synchronizing the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding file of the second data file; when the at least one corresponding property of the first data file is dirty and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file is not dirty, synchronizing the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding file of the second data file to include identical information; when the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file are dirty, performing a conflict resolution, wherein the conflict resolution includes; deleting the at least one corresponding property of the first data file, when the at least one corresponding property of the second data file is deleted; indicating that the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file are not dirty when the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file are not different; and merging the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file when the at least one corresponding property of the first data file and the at least one corresponding property of the second data file are different and designated as mergeable properties.
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Specification