Method and system for adaptive data synchronization and transport across multiple data transport infrastructures

• US 7,594,017 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: DiValentino, Rocco
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/580,272
• Time in Patent Office: 3,407 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method and system for adapting communication protocol between a host computer system and a peripheral computer system depending on the transport infrastructure used, so that communication can be optimized and/or customized to the transport mechanism used. A connection between the two computer systems is made. This connection is via one transport mechanism out of many possible transport mechanisms, such as a serial cradle, networked cradle, modem, cellular wireless, radio frequency, infrared, Internet, etc. The host computer system recognizes which transport mechanism is being used and determines the communication protocol based on the transport mechanism. For example, if the transport mechanism is low bandwidth wireless, the communication protocol may call for data encryption for security and data compression for economy. The communication protocol can be optimized for other parameters, such as authentication of the user attempting data transfer, and restriction on the data set to be transferred. The host system and peripheral computer then communicate using the determined protocol. In one embodiment, the parameters of the communication protocols may be updated by the user of the peripheral computer to affect only that user. In another embodiment, the parameters of communication protocols may be updated by a system administrator and affect all users of that system.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a peripheral computer system comprising the steps of:

a) creating a two-way communication link from a personal digital assistant with a host computer system using one transport mechanism of a plurality of possible transport mechanisms;

b) said host computer system recognizing said one transport mechanism used in step a) by adaptation software executing on said host computer system;

c) said host computer system determining a communication protocol from a plurality of possible communication protocols based on recognition of said one transport mechanism, wherein said determining comprises indexing a table with said one transport mechanism recognized in step b) to determine at least one parameter in the communication protocol, and wherein said table comprises parameters that are designed to improve communication based on the transport mechanism wherein said communication protocol determined at step c) selects a particular user authentication protocol performed to establish data communication between said personal digital assistant and said host computer system and said communication protocol determined at step c) selects a particular data encryption protocol performed to establish data communication between said personal digital assistant and host computer system; and

d) said host computer system communicating information to said personal digital assistant based on said communication protocol determined at step c).

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said plurality of transport mechanisms comprises:

communication via a serial line coupled to said host computer;

communication via a networked line coupled to said host computer using a network;

communication via a wireless link to said host computer; and

communication via the Internet.

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said communication protocol determined at step c) restricts data volume communicated to said personal digital assistant peripheral computer system.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said communication protocol determined at step c) selects a particular data set that can be accessed by said personal digital assistant.

5. A method as described in claim 1 and further comprising the step of e) updating said plurality of communication protocols by updating said table on said host computer system, wherein said step e) comprises the steps of:

e1) allowing a first set of said plurality of communication protocols to be updated by a system administrator, said first set applied to all users; and

e2) allowing a second set of said plurality of communication protocols to be updated by a given user accessing said host computer system with said personal digital assistant, said second set applicable only to said given user.

6. A system for communicating with a peripheral computer system comprising:

a) a host computer system;

b) a personal digital assistant;

c) a two-way communication link between said host computer system and said personal digital assistant, said communication link being established on one transport mechanism of a plurality of transport mechanisms;

d) adaptation software for execution on said host computer system, said adaptation software for recognizing which of said plurality of transport mechanisms is said one transport mechanism;

e) said host computer system also operable to determine a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols based on which of said plurality of transport mechanisms is used, wherein said host computer system uses a table defining a communication protocol having a plurality of parameters for each of the transport mechanisms, wherein like parameters for different communication protocols are separately adjustable to adapt each communication protocol to a respective transport mechanism; and

f) said host computer system also operable to communicate information to said personal digital assistant based on said communication protocol determined in paragraph e);

wherein said communication protocol selects a particular user authentication protocol performed to establish data communication between said personal digital assistant and said host computer system; and

wherein said communication protocol selects a particular data encryption protocol to be used for data communication between said personal digital assistant and host computer system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

g) said personal digital assistant operable to recognize said transport mechanism of said plurality of transport mechanisms;

h) said personal digital assistant also operable to determine said communication protocol from said plurality of communication protocols based on said transport mechanism used; and

i) said personal digital assistant also operable to communicate information to said host computer system based on said communication protocol determined in paragraph h).

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of transport mechanisms comprises:

communication via a serial line coupled to said host computer;

communication via a networked line coupled to said host computer using a network;

communication via a wireless link to said host computer; and

communication via the Internet.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a user interface coupled to said personal digital assistant, said user interface operable for allowing a user to update a set of said plurality of communication protocols, said set applicable only to said user.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a system administrator interface coupled to said host system, said system administrator interface operable for allowing a system administrator to update a set of said plurality of communication protocols, said set applicable to all users.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein said communication protocol restricts data volume communicated to said personal digital assistant.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein said communication protocol selects a particular data set that can be accessed by said personal digital assistant.

13. An apparatus for transferring information on a host computer system and a personal digital assistant, said apparatus comprising:

a two-way communication link, said communication link connecting said host computer system to a personal digital assistant, said two-way communication link using one transport mechanism of a plurality of transport mechanisms;

identification software residing on said host computer system, said identification software for determining which of said plurality of transport mechanisms is used on said two-way communication link;

adaptation software residing on said host computer system, said adaptation software operable to determine a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols based on which of said plurality of transport mechanisms is used on said two-way communication link, wherein said adaptation software allows communication protocol parameters to be adjusted separately for each of the plurality of transport mechanisms, wherein said plurality of communication protocols include a user authentication protocol and a data encryption protocol; and

communication software residing on said host computer system, said communication software operable to transfer data between said host computer system and said personal digital assistant based on said communication protocol determined by said adaptation software.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a user parameter program residing on said personal digital assistant, said user parameter program operable to allow a set of said plurality of communication protocols to be updated by a given user, said set applicable only to said given user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

an administrator parameter program residing on said host computer system, said user administrator parameter program operable to allow a set of said plurality of communication protocols to be updated by a system administrator, said set applicable to all users in a system.