Method and device for handling synchronization related information

• US 7,308,642 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pajusaari, Sami, Rapakko, Jouni, Martikainen, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US10/411,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/515
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

SyncML allows synchronization to take place between a terminal device and a server device. To be able to understand each other the data transferred between a SyncML client and a SyncML server must be coded as a SyncML document. The coding or decoding/parsing of the SyncML document is done by the separate application components, respectively, that other end-user applications (e.g. a UI application) can use. It is not always wanted, advantageous or even possible to employ the SyncML coding/decoding feature, since it is subjected to several disadvantages. The present disclosure provides a concept to still use the synchronization related components for communicating synchronization data between the participating devices but without employing the coding/decoding component feature. The response of coding and decoding the synchronization data is transferred to corresponding end-user applications.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving synchronization related information from an application of an electronic device;

in case said synchronization related information received from said application includes uncoded synchronization related information for controlling generation of synchronization related information,

coding said synchronization related information by the electronic device using a synchronization standard, and

transmitting the coded synchronization related information to a communication component of the electronic device using synchronization messages generated using the coded synchronization related information in accordance with a synchronization protocol of the synchronization standard and providing further synchronization messages to the communication component for transmitting said further synchronization messages to a counterpart electronic device enabling synchronization with a remote application carried out thereat; and

in case the information received from said application includes application coded synchronization related information,

passing through the application coded synchronization related information to said communication component, including wrapping the application coded synchronization related information to form synchronization messages meeting requirements of the synchronization protocol and providing the synchronization messages to the communication component for transmitting said synchronization messages to a counterpart electronic device enabling synchronization with a remote application carried out thereat.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

checking said received information in order to determine if said received information includes coded synchronization related information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein handling of said synchronization related information comprises:

providing header information in accordance with said synchronization related information, and transmitting said header information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication component transmits said synchronization related information to a further electronic device for synchronizing.

5. A software tool for handling synchronization related information, comprising program code portions for carrying out the operations of claim 1, when said program is implemented in a computer program for being executed on a computer, a user terminal or a network device.

6. A computer program for handling synchronization related information, comprising program code section for carrying out the operations of claim 1, when said program is run on a computer, a user terminal or a network device.

7. A computer program product for handling synchronization related information, wherein said computer program product is comprising program code sections stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of claim 1, when said program product is run on a computer, a user terminal or network device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coding is performed or said coded synchronization related information is coded using a synchronization markup language standard.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting further comprises wrapping of the coded synchronization related information or the application coded synchronization related information to fit requirements of a synchronization protocol.

19. A computer program product for handling synchronization related information, wherein said computer program product is comprising program code sections stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of claim 5, when said program product is run on a computer, a user terminal or network device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving synchronization related information from a communication component;

determining before decoding if said synchronization related information is to be passed through;

in case said synchronization related information received from said communication component is not to be passed through,

decoding said synchronization related information using a synchronization standard, and

transmitting said decoded synchronization related information to an application; and

in case said synchronization related information received from said communication component is to be passed through,

transmitting said synchronization related information undecoded but unwrapped using said synchronization standard to an application,

wherein said application is running on an electronic device, said decoding and determining are performed by said electronic device and said electronic device comprises said communication component.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining, if said synchronization related information is to be passed through, comprises:

receiving a user input.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining if said synchronization related information is to be passed through comprises:

analyzing header information associated with said synchronization related information.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said communication component receives said synchronization related information from a further electronic device for synchronizing.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said synchronization related information is communicated via an application program interface (API).

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said communication component communicates said synchronization related information to said further electronic device, based on a synchronization protocol according to the synchronization markup language (SyncML) standard.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said synchronization protocol is transmitted via a logical communication connection which is based on at least one protocol out of a group comprising:

hyper text transfer protocol,

wireless session protocol and

object exchange protocol.

17. A software tool for handling synchronization related information, comprising program code portions for carrying out the operations of claim 10, when said program is implemented in a computer program for being executed on a computer, a user terminal or a network device.

18. A computer program for handling synchronization related information, comprising program code section for carrying out the operations of claim 10, when said program is run on a computer, a user terminal or a network device.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one application configured to provide synchronization related information;

a synchronization and coding component, adapted to receive said synchronization related information from said at least one application, and in case said received synchronization related information includes uncoded synchronization related information is further configured to code said synchronization related information using a synchronization standard, further configured to provide the synchronization messages generated using using the coded synchronization related information in accordance with a synchronization protocol of the synchronization standard to a communication component;

a wrapper component, adapted to receive said synchronization related information from said at least one application, and in case said received synchronization related information includes coded synchronization related information, configured to wrap the application coded synchronization related information and to provide further synchronization messages meeting requirements of the synchronization protocol to the communication component; and

a communication component, responsive to said synchronization messages and further synchronization messages configured to transmit said synchronization and further synchronization messages to a counterpart electronic device enabling synchronization with a remote application carried out thereat.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said wrapper component is adapted to execute operations of receiving said synchronization related information and determining if said synchronization related information is to be passed through.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said coded synchronization related information is coded using a pre-defined synchronization standard.