System for optimizing distribution of information employing a universal dictionary

• US 7,461,372 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lilley, Patrick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr.; Lewis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAARY, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US10/681,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 725/105, 725/132, 725/152, 382/236, 382/305, 348/207.1
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system for optimizing distribution of information employing a universal dictionary. Optimization may include reducing data communicated between a sender and a receiver when both employ the same (or similar) universal dictionary. The universal dictionary may be a reference frame available to the sender as well as the receiver, deviation from which constitutes data that may be communicated to the other party (sender or receiver). Use of the reference image by a flash manager in an electronic device to create a new flash image may reduce the size of any update package to be transferred to an electronic device from a flash image server and may also reduce time to transfer the update package and time taken to update FLASH memory in the electronic device. The reference image in the electronic device may also contain significant portions of the binary image.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing distribution of information, the method comprising:

generating update information representing at least one universal dictionary;

communicating the update information to a first electronic device and to a second electronic device, the update information for use by the first electronic device and the second electronic device to maintain a local copy of the at least one universal dictionary as a common frame of reference for communication of data;

communicating a reduced amount of data from the first electronic device to the second electronic device using content of the at least one universal dictionary, wherein the reduced amount of data is expressed as a set of instructions;

generating plurality of update packages;

analyzing the update packages to determine differences in at least two universal dictionaries;

communicating difference information to the at least two universal dictionaries; and

synchronizing the at least two universal dictionaries.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one universal dictionary comprises a universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and another universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and the universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device comprise substantially identical information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one universal dictionary comprises a universal dictionary shared by the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising regenerating original data from an update package received by the second electronic device from the first electronic device by using the at least one universal dictionary.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

comparing information contained in at least a pair of binary images;

deriving difference information from the compared information;

creating an update package comprising the derived difference information;

sending the update package to a universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device; and

updating the universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device with the update package.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the derived difference information at least comprises a set of instructions and associated data.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the set of instructions comprises at least one program instruction selected from:

copy;

duplicate;

set;

reference location call; and

delete.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

comparing random data associated with a plurality of information packages to be transmitted;

compressing the random data based upon contents of the plurality of information packages;

sharing the compressed random data with a plurality of sender/receiver pairs; and

synchronizing the at least one universal dictionary associated with a sender/receiver pair based upon the compressed random data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the update information comprises an update package.

11. A system for optimizing distribution of information, the system comprising:

one or more processors communicatively coupled to a plurality of electronic devices, the one or more processors operating to, at least;

generate update information representing at least one universal dictionary;

communicate the update information to a first electronic device and to a second electronic device, the update information for use by the first electronic device and the second electronic device to maintain a local copy of the at least one universal dictionary as a common frame of reference for communication of data;

communicate a reduced amount of data from the first electronic device to the second electronic device using content of the at least one universal dictionary, wherein the reduced amount of data is expressed as a set of instructions;

generate a plurality of update packages;

analyze the update packages to determine differences in at least two universal dictionaries;

communicate difference information to the at least two universal dictionaries; and

synchronize the at least two universal dictionaries.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one universal dictionary comprises a universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and another universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and the universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device comprise substantially identical information.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one universal dictionary comprises a universal dictionary shared by the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

15. The system according to claim 11, comprising regenerating original data from an update package received by the second electronic device from the first electronic device by using the at least one universal dictionary.

16. The system according to claim 11, comprising:

comparing information contained in at least a pair of binary images;

deriving difference information from the compared information;

creating an update package comprising the derived difference information;

sending the update package to a universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device; and

updating the universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device with the update package.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the derived difference information at least comprises a set of instructions and associated data.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the set of instructions comprises at least one program instruction selected from:

copy;

duplicate;

set;

reference location call; and

delete.

19. The system according to claim 11, comprising:

comparing random data associated with a plurality of information packages to be transmitted;

compressing the random data based upon contents of the plurality of information packages;

sharing the compressed random data with a plurality of sender/receiver pairs; and

synchronizing the at least one universal dictionary associated with a sender/receiver pair based upon the compressed random data.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the update information comprises an update package.

21. A computer-readable storage media having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for optimizing distribution of information, the at least one code section executable by a computer to perform steps comprising:

generating update information representing at least one universal dictionary;

communicating the update information to a first electronic device and to a second electronic device, the update information for use by the first electronic device and the second electronic device to maintain a local copy of the at least one universal dictionary as a common frame of reference for communication of data;

communicating a reduced amount of data from the first electronic device to the second electronic device using content of the at least one universal dictionary, wherein the reduced amount of data is expressed as a set of instructions;

generating a plurality of update packages;

analyzing the update packages to determine differences in at least two universal dictionaries;

communicating difference information to the at least two universal dictionaries; and

synchronizing the at least two universal dictionaries.

22. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 21, wherein the at least one universal dictionary comprises a universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and another universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device.

23. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 22, wherein the universal dictionary employed by the first electronic device and the universal dictionary employed by the second electronic device comprise substantially identical information.

24. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 21, comprising code for regenerating original data from an update package received by the second electronic device from the first electronic device by using the at least one universal dictionary.

25. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 21, comprising code for:

comparing information contained in at least a pair of binary images;

deriving difference information from the compared information;

creating an update package comprising the derived difference information;

sending the update package to a universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device; and

updating the universal dictionary accessible by the second electronic device with the update package.

26. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 25, wherein the derived difference information at least comprises a set of instructions and associated data.

27. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 26, wherein the set of instructions comprises at least one program instruction selected from:

copy;

duplicate;

set;

reference location call; and

delete.

28. The computer-readable storage media according to claim 21, comprising code for:

comparing random data associated with a plurality of information packages to be transmitted;

compressing the random data based upon contents of the plurality of information packages;

sharing the compressed random data with a plurality of sender/receiver pairs; and

synchronizing the at least one universal dictionary associated with a sender/receiver pair based upon the compressed random data.