Scheduling of synchronization operation on a mobile device based on predetermined subset of user actions

• US 7,269,433 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vargas, Sandra I., Williamson, David R., Foster, Michael A., Hall, Gary W., Esteve Balducci, Juan V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu X.
• Application Number:
  US10/640,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/556, 455/66, 455/74, 455/502, 455/556.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/418, 455/432.1, 707/204, 707/248, 395/200.78, 395/200.76, 395/821, 395/892
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Data is synchronized between a mobile device and a computing device over a wireless link. Synchronization operations are scheduled based on a predetermined subset of user actions.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing information between a mobile device and a computing device over a wireless link, comprising:

scheduling a periodic synchronization session according to a synchronization schedule;

detecting that a user has performed a first action, while manipulating information on the mobile device, that triggers a first synchronization operation regardless of the synchronization schedule;

automatically scheduling a synchronization session to occur after a predetermined time out period in response to the detected user action based on whether the periodic synchronization session is to occur before or after the predetermined time out period;

after automatically scheduling the synchronization session, detecting that a user has performed a second action, while manipulating information on the mobile device, that triggers a second synchronization operation regardless of the synchronization schedule; and

performing the first and second synchronization operations during the scheduled synchronization session.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless link is a remote link and wherein performing comprises:

establishing the remote, wireless link with the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically scheduling comprises:

determining whether the periodic synchronization session is scheduled to occur prior to the predetermined time out period; and

if so, scheduling no further synchronization session based on the detected user action.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting comprises:

detecting whether the user has performed one of a predetermined subset of information manipulation actions that trigger the first synchronization operation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein automatically scheduling comprises:

automatically scheduling the synchronization session in response to detection of only the predetermined subset of information manipulation actions.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the predetermined subset of information manipulation operations includes user manipulation actions that result in sending of an electronic mail transmission.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined subset of information manipulation operations includes user manipulation actions that request downloading of information from the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined subset of information manipulation operations excludes user manipulation actions indicating deletion of electronic mail transmissions.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined subset of information manipulation operations excludes user manipulation actions indicating reading of electronic mail transmissions.

10. A synchronization system in a mobile device having a local data store that is intermittently synchronized with a remote data store over a wireless link, the synchronization system comprising:

a synchronization scheduling component configured to schedule periodic synchronization sessions according to a synchronization schedule, to detect a plurality of data manipulation operations, performed by a user, that are each one of a pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store, and to perform a synchronization scheduling operation in response to the detection of the first of the data manipulation operations regardless of the synchronization schedule; and

a synchronization engine configured to perform a next scheduled synchronization operation synchronizing the data in the local data store with data in the remote data store based on each of the detected plurality of data manipulation operations.

11. The synchronization system of claim 10 wherein the synchronization scheduling component is configured to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by determining whether a synchronization operation is already scheduled to be performed within a predetermined wait time period.

12. The synchronization system of claim 11 wherein the synchronization scheduling component is further configured to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by scheduling a synchronization operation to be performed after the predetermined wait time period only if a synchronization operation is not already scheduled to be performed within the predetermined wait time period.

13. The synchronization system of claim 11 wherein the synchronization scheduling component is further configured to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by re-scheduling an already scheduled synchronization operation to be performed after the predetermined wait time period, if the already scheduled synchronization operation is scheduled to be performed within the predetermined wait time period.

14. The synchronization system of claim 10 wherein the pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store include operations that generate an electronic mail transmission.

15. The synchronization system of claim 14 wherein the pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store include meeting request operations.

16. The synchronization system of claim 10 wherein the pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store include requesting download of data.

17. A user interface on a mobile device that has a local data store that is intermittently synchronized with a remote data store over a wireless link, the user interface providing a user selection input, selectable by a user, to select a low latency response mode that causes a synchronization system on the mobile device to detect that a user has performed one of a pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store, regardless of a synchronization schedule for performing periodic synchronization operations, and to perform a synchronization scheduling operation in response to the detection wherein user selection of the low latency response mode causes the synchronization system to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by determining whether a synchronization operation is already scheduled to be performed within a predetermined wait time period.

18. The user interface of claim 17 wherein user selection of the low latency response mode causes the synchronization system to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by scheduling a synchronization operation to be performed after the predetermined wait time period only if a synchronization operation is not already scheduled to be performed within the predetermined wait time period.

19. The user interface of claim 17 wherein user selection of the low latency response mode causes the synchronization system to perform the synchronization scheduling operation by re-scheduling an already scheduled synchronization operation to be performed after the predetermined wait time period, if the already scheduled synchronization operation is scheduled to be performed within the predetermined wait time period.

20. The user interface of claim 17 wherein the pre-selected subset of operations that require data in the local data store to be synchronized with data in the remote data store include operations that generate an electronic mail transmission.