Content synchronization frameworks using dynamic attributes and file bundles for connected devices

• US 7,133,933 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Ram, Truong, Binh, Shah, Samir
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US10/229,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A content synchronization method for connected devices comprises accepting, by a central reference point, context from a connected client device, constructing, by the central reference point, at least one response in a semantic compatible with the connected device and compatible with a user of the connected device the response comprising at least one file description bundle, prioritizing, by the central reference point, download order of files described in the at least one response bundle, downloading the files described in the at least one response bundle, to the connected device in the download order, confirming complete download of the files described in the at least one response bundle, and rejecting incompletely downloaded bundles of files.

Claims

1. A content synchronization method initiated by a connected client devices comprising:

accepting, by a central reference point, context from a connected client device;

constructing, by said central reference point, at least one response in a semantic compatible with said connected device and compatible with a user of said connected device, wherein said semantic is determined from the context received from the connected client device, and said response comprising at least one file description bundle;

prioritizing, by said central reference point, download order of files described in said at least one response bundle;

creating a delta list, by said client device, wherein said delta list lists the files in the at least one response bundle that are different from local copies available to the client device,

downloading said files described in said delta list, to said connected device in said download order;

confirming complete download of said files described in said at least one response bundle; and

rejecting incompletely downloaded bundles of files.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising overwriting copies of files described in said at least one response bundle present on said client device with said downloaded bundle files.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a delta list of out-of-date bundle files associated with said client device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said creating is carried out by said client device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said context comprises dynamic device attributes.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a geographic location of said device;

a language of said user of said device; and

an operating system of said device.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a client locale;

a client device type;

a city;

a state abbreviation;

a zip code;

a language code;

a country code;

a area code;

a phone number;

a telephone country access code;

a peripheral type;

a peripheral manufacturer identification;

a peripheral model;

a peripheral stock keeping unit number;

a peripheral build identification;

a peripheral purchase channel;

an application version;

an offer locale;

an user interface locale; and

a service delivery platform front-end version identification.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said semantic comprises at least one semantic selected from a group of semantics consisting of:

a written language; and

an operating system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying an external partner server for supplementing said bundles.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising caching, by said central reference point, at least one of said response.

11. A content synchronization framework comprising:

a central reference point processing synchronization requests initiated from connected client devices and returning responses to said connected client devices, said responses including, at least in part, bundles identifying files to satisfy said synchronization requests;

at least one server hosting said files for use by said connected devices in various contexts;

software sending a current context of each connected client device to said central reference point, said software adapted to be hosted by said connected client device; and

network connectivity communicating said context from said connected devices to said central reference point and communicating said responses from said central reference point to said connected devices, wherein said central reference point determines a semantic understood by each connected client device in response to the context received from each connected client device and packages said bundles in the semantics understood by the client devices for returning said responses to said connected client device.

12. The framework of claim 11 wherein said context comprises dynamic device attributes.

13. The framework of claim 12 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a geographic location of said device;

a language of said user of said device;

a written language; and

an operating system.

14. The framework of claim 12 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a client locale;

a client device type;

a city;

a state abbreviation;

a zip code;

a language code;

a country code;

an area code;

a phone number;

a telephone country access code;

a peripheral type;

a peripheral manufacturer;

a peripheral model;

a peripheral stock keeping unit;

a peripheral build identification;

a peripheral purchase channel;

an application version;

an offer locale;

an user interface locale; and

a service delivery platform front-end version identification.

15. The framework of claim 11 further comprising at least one external partner server supplementing said responses from said central reference point.

16. The framework of claim 11 wherein said central reference point is a server.

17. The framework of claim 11 wherein said central reference point is one of said at least one servers.

18. The framework of claim 11 wherein said central reference point caches at least one of said responses.

19. A content synchronization method initiated by a connected client device comprising:

sending, by a connected device, a synchronization request comprising, at least in part, context and dynamic attributes of said connected device;

accepting, by a central reference point, said synchronization request;

constructing, by said central reference point, at least one response bundle, comprised at least in part of file identifications, in a semantic compatible with said connected device, wherein said semantic is determined from the context and dynamic attributes received from the connected client device;

prioritizing, by said central reference point, download order of said files identified in said at least one response bundle;

responding to said connected device, by said central reference point, to said synchronization request with a synchronization response comprising said at least one response bundle;

creating, by said client device, a delta list of bundle files including files in the at least one response bundle that are different from local copies available to the client device and bundle files to replace out-of-date bundle files on said client device and bundle files not present on said client device;

downloading said files indicated in said delta list to said connected device in said download order;

overwriting copies of said bundle files present on said client device with said downloaded bundle files;

confirming complete download of said bundles; and

rejecting incompletely downloaded bundles.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said response bundle is written in a language understood by a user of said connected device.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a geographic location of said device;

a language of said user of said device;

a written language; and

an operating system.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said dynamic device attributes comprise at least one attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of:

a client locale;

a client device type;

a city;

a state abbreviation;

a zip code;

a language code;

a country code;

an area code;

a phone number;

a telephone country access code;

a peripheral type;

a peripheral manufacturer;

a peripheral model;

a peripheral stock keeping unit;

a peripheral build identification;

a peripheral purchase channel;

an application version;

an offer locale;

a user interface locale; and

a service delivery platform front-end version identification.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising caching, by said central reference point, said response.