System and method for merging remote and local data in a single user interface

• US 7,539,665 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visto Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Mendez, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/279,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/2, 707/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

The system comprises a local database; a user interface; a remote access engine, communicatively coupled to a network, the user interface, and the local database; and a rendering engine, communicatively coupled to the remote access engine. The user interface receives a data search request. The remote access engine searches for and retrieves, from a remote database communicatively coupled to the network and the local database, data corresponding to the received search request. The rendering engine displays the received data from the remote database and the local database.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a handheld device, a data search request specifying at least one database to search for data;

searching in a local database, upon indication that the local database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the local database fulfilling requirements of the received data search request;

querying via a wireless connection a remote database manager to search in a remote database, upon indication that the remote database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the remote database fulfilling the requirements of the received data search request;

determining if receiving data from the local and remote databases corresponding to the received data search request exceeds a threshold of an amount of data that is displayed simultaneously on a display of the handheld device;

refining the received data search request if the determining indicates that the received data corresponding to the received data search request exceeds the threshold;

retrieving, from the local database, data entries found in the searching fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

receiving, from the remote database via the wireless connection, data entries found in the querying fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

merging the retrieved and received data entries; and

presenting the merged data entries in a single user interface on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding voluminous data exceeding a threshold, the voluminous data stored in the remote database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding confidential data, stored in the remote database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding obsolete data that is stored in the remote database longer than a threshold time period from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding personal data associated with a user, the personal data stored in the local database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store sales force automation data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store customer relations management data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store corporate directory data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store calendar data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store tasks data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the local and remote databases store files.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving, to the local database, the data received from the remote database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the remote database using a one port of a plurality of ports on a firewall; and

presenting in the single user interface that the retrieved data is stored in the local database, and the received data is stored in the remote database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the local database and querying the remote database manager are performed in response to a sole data search request.

15. A computer readable medium, including computer executable instructions that cause a computer to implement a method comprising:

receiving, from a handheld device, a data search request specifying at least one database to search for data;

searching in a local database, upon indication that the local database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the local database fulfilling requirements of the received data search request;

querying via a wireless connection a remote database manager to search in a remote database, upon indication that the remote database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the remote database fulfilling the requirements of the received data search request;

determining if receiving data from the local and remote databases corresponding to the received data search request exceeds a threshold of an amount of data that is displayed simultaneously on a display of the handheld device;

refining the received data search request if the determining indicates that the received data corresponding to the received data search request exceeds the threshold;

retrieving, from the local database, data entries found in the searching fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

receiving, from the remote database via the wireless connection, data entries found in the querying fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

merging the retrieved and received data entries; and

presenting the merged data entries in a single user interface on the display.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

excluding voluminous data exceeding a threshold, the voluminous data stored in the remote database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

excluding confidential data, stored in the remote database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

excluding obsolete data that is stored in the remote database longer than a threshold time period from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

excluding personal data associated with a user, the personal data stored in the local database, from the received data corresponding to the received data search request.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store sales force automation data.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store customer relations management data.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store corporate directory data.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store calendar data.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store tasks data.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the local and remote databases store files.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

saving, to the local database, data received from the remote database.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing the remote database using port one of a plurality of ports on a firewall, and

presenting in the single user interface that the retrieved data is stored in the local database, and the received data is stored in the remote database.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein searching the local database and querying the remote database manager are performed in response to a sole data search request.

29. A system, comprising:

at least one server computer coupled to a network;

means for receiving, from a handheld device, a data search request specifying at least one database to search for data;

means for searching in a local database, upon indication that the local database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the local database fulfilling requirements of the received data search request;

means for querying via a wireless connection a remote database manager to search in a remote database, upon indication that the remote database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, for each data entry in the remote database fulfilling the requirements of the received data search request;

means for determining if receiving data from the local and remote databases corresponding to the received data search request exceeds a threshold of an amount of data that is displayed simultaneously on a display of the handheld device;

means for refining the received data search request if the determining indicates that the received data corresponding to the received data search request exceeds the threshold;

means for retrieving, from the local database, data entries found by the means for searching fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

means for receiving, from the remote database via the wireless connection, data entries found by the means for querying fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

means for merging the retrieved and received data entries; and

means for presenting the merged data entries in a single user interface on the display.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for querying the remote database manager queries the remote database manager in response to a sole data search request.

40. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a firewall to protect the remote database, wherein the means for presenting the retrieved and received data in the single user interface also presents in the single user interface that the retrieved data is stored in the local database, and the received data is stored in the remote database.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a local database;

a user interface, communicatively coupled to the local database, receives a data search request, from a handheld device, specifying at least one database to search for data and to search for and retrieve, from the local database, upon indication that the local database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, each data entry in the local database fulfilling requirements of the received data search request;

a remote access engine, communicatively coupled to a network and the user interface, queries and receives via a wireless connection, from a remote database communicatively coupled to the network, upon indication that the remote database is included in the at least one database specified in the received data search request, each data entry in the remote database fulfilling requirements of the received data search request; and

the user interface further

determines if receiving data from the local and remote databases corresponding to the received data search request exceeds a threshold of an amount of data that is displayed simultaneously on a display of the handheld device;

refines the received data search request if the user interface determines that the received data corresponding to the received data search request exceeds the threshold;

retrieves, from the local database, data entries found in the searching fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search request;

receives, from the remote database via the wireless connection, data entries found in the querying fulfilling the requirements of the refined data search reguest;

a rendering engine, communicatively coupled to the remote access engine and the user interface, merges the received data from the remote database and the retrieved data from the local database and presents the merged data in a single user interface on the display.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the rendering engine further excludes personal data stored in the local database.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores sales force automation data.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores customer relations management data.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores corporate directory data.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores calendar data.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores tasks data.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local database stores files.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the user interface further saves, to the local database, data received from the remote database.

41. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

a firewall to protect the remote database, and wherein the rendering engine is further configured to present in the single user interface that the retrieved data is stored in the local database, and the received data is stored in the remote database.

42. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the remote access engine queries the remote database in response to a sole data search request.