Wireless telephone data backup system

• US 7,643,824 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cooligy Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Stannard, Liam J., Ridgard, Leighton A., Onyon, Richard M., Garner, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/151,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/558, 455/412.1, 707/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A system for backing up data on a wireless telephone having a data store containing a user'"'"'s personal information. A method and application are provided.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a processing device on a wireless telephone for backing up personal information stored in the telephone, comprising:

presenting a back-up system user account set-up interface on a user interface on the phone, the set-up interface enabling establishment of a back-up service account;

presenting a backup scheduling interface to the user interface on the phone, the backup scheduling interface accepting user input on a backup schedule; and

presenting a restore information interface on the user interface on the phone, the restore interface enabling a user to retrieve backup information to a data store on the phone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user account setup interface calls a method allowing the user to set up a backup account with a backup store.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup scheduling interface sets an interval to regularly send personal information to the backup store.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup scheduling interface causes the transmission of personal information to the backup store upon modification of the information on the phone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the restore interface calls a method to upload all stored information on a backup data store to the data store on the phone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the method further includes providing a rollback interface to the user interface on the phone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the rollback interface is accessed via a web browser.

8. The method of claim 6 where the rollback interface is accessed via a wireless protocol.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the rollback interface calls a method uploading changes based on a particular date.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes providing an undelete interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the undelete interface is accessed via a web browser.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the undelete interface is accessed via a wireless protocol such as WAP.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the undelete interface calls a method which transmits a change associated with a particular record in a user'"'"'s personal information space.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises an address book data store.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises a task entry data store.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises a calendar entry data store.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises a note entry data store.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises an alarm data store.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises a custom dictionary data store.

73. The method of claim 4 wherein the backup scheduling interface causes the transmission of personal information to the backup store immediately modification of the information on the phone.

74. The method of claim 4 wherein the backup scheduling interface causes the transmission of personal information to the backup store upon modification of the information on the phone at a point in time separated from the modification.

75. The method of claim 6 where the rollback interface is accessed via the phone agent.

76. The method of claim 6 where the undelete interface is accessed via the phone agent.

77. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises an email data store.

78. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises an multimedia data store for pictures, sounds, and movies.

79. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal information comprises an ringtone data store.

20. A method for storing personal information in a wireless telephone in a backup storage database, comprising:

providing a phone agent including instructions operable by a processor in the phone to implement an automated phone data transmission method capable of regularly transmitting changes to a backup store via a communications link, and a restore method retrieving backup information to a data store on the phone, the agent including a backup service sign-up interface, a backup method scheduling interface and a restore interface calling the restore method, all provided to a user interface on the phone; and

responsive to user entry at the restore interface of said agent, providing changes from the backup store to the wireless telephone.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the method further includes accepting personal information from the telephone at intervals defined by the user via the backup method scheduling interface.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the method further includes accepting user account set-up data from the service sign-up interface of the agent.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the method further includes assigning a schedule of download intervals to the agent.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the method further includes modifying the interval schedule to load balance amongst a plurality of users.

25. The method of claim 20 further including providing a notification to the agent that changes have been made to the backup store via a secondary interface.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the phone agent updates the data store on the phone upon receipt of a notification.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the notification is a SMS message.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the notification is a result of polling the server for changes.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the method further includes providing the secondary interface and the secondary interface is a web interface.

30. A method implemented on a wireless telephone for maintaining personal information in the wireless telephone, comprising:

presenting a back-up system user account set-up interface on a user interface on the phone;

establishing a user account via the back-up system user account set-up interface, the user account identifying the user by an unique designation; and

transmitting phone data to a backup store via a wireless network at regular intervals scheduled by the user.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting phone data at user-defined intervals.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of transmitting occurs upon receipt of an indication from backup store that changes to data on the data store have occurred.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicator is an SMS message.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the indicator is a result of polling the backup store to determine if changes have occurred.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting only changes to phone data.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting only changes to phone data in the form of change logs.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the method further includes the step of restoring data to the phone by applying all change logs.

38. The method of claim 30 further including the step of providing an interface to the store via the web to alter data in the data store.

39. The method of claim 38 further including the step transmitting data changed by the interface to the phone at a user scheduled interval.

40. The method of claim 38 further including the step transmitting data changed by the interface to the phone at upon a user initiated action.

41. The method of claim 38 further including the step transmitting data changed by the interface to the phone at a server-directed interval.

42. A method implemented by a processor on a wireless telephone, comprising:

an automated backup process transmitting changes to the backup system at user defined intervals; and

a restore process activated by a user via a restore interface provided to the user by the application on the phone, to restore information stored on the backup system to the phone.

43. The application of claim 42 wherein the application further includes a rollback phone information process.

44. The application of claim 43 wherein rollback information process returns data on the wireless to a state existing on a specified date.

45. The application of claim 42 wherein the application further includes an undelete record process.

46. The application of claim 42 wherein the application includes a BREW agent.

47. The application of claim 42 wherein the application includes a JAVA agent.

48. The application of claim 42 including a SyncML communications module.

49. The application of claim 48 wherein the application operates to transmit changes from the backup system to the phone.

50. The application of claim 49 wherein the SyncML communications module includes a SyncML client.

51. The application of claim 48 wherein the SyncML communications module communicates with a SyncML client in the telephone.

52. A wireless telephone having a user interface for storing personal information and having a data store backup system, comprising:

an automated backup means transmitting changes to the backup system at user defined intervals; and

a restore means called by the user through a restore interface presented on the user interface of the phone, the restore means providing user data to the phone.

53. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein an application includes a rollback method providing a state of user data existing as of a specified date.

54. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein an application includes an undelete method providing at lease one restored data item previously deleted by a user action.

55. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein the backup means is initiated by the agent.

56. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein the intervals are defined by user but altered by administrator.

57. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein the intervals are regular.

58. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein the intervals are arbitrary.

59. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein the restore means operates responsive to the phone recognized as having no data and an existing user account.

60. The wireless telephone of claim 52 wherein an account creation is performed by the backup system via a secondary interface provided to the user.

61. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform:

presenting a backup scheduling interface to a user interface on a wireless phone, the backup scheduling interface accepting user input on a backup schedule;

transmitting an initial set of phone data to a backup system;

transmitting changes to the phone data at an interval defined by the user via the user interface to the backup system; and

presenting a restore information interface on the user interface on the phone, the restore interface enabling the user to retrieve the phone data and changes to the phone data to a data store on the phone.

62. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 61 wherein the method further includes presenting a user account setup interface to the user interface on the phone.

63. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 62 wherein the setup interface is presented via a world wide web interface.

64. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 61 wherein the backup scheduling interface is provided on the phone.

65. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 62 wherein the backup scheduling interface is provided via a world wide web interface.

66. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 61 wherein the restore information interface is provided on the phone.

67. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 62 wherein the restore information interface is provided via a world wide web interface.

68. The one or more processor readable storage devices as defined in claim 62 wherein the method includes the step of sending data to the phone from the data store responsive to restore information interface.

69. A user-controlled, wireless backup system for backing up of a phone data store in a wireless, mobile phone comprising:

a server for authenticating the phone and for containing a backup data store; and

a set of personal information stored in the phone data store identified with a user identifier and a phone identifier,

wherein, the phone is used to;

select the set of personal information in the phone data store to be backed up to the backup data store,

schedule an initiation of a backup of the backup data store, and

transmit the set of personal information from the phone to the backup data store in accordance with the schedule.

70. The backup system of claim 69 wherein the system includes an auto account creation process utilizing the phone identifier to configure data associated with the phone.

71. The backup system of claim 69 wherein the user identifier is a universally unique identifier.

72. The backup system of claim 69 wherein the phone identifier is a universally unique identifier.

80. A method of backing up a plurality of data types each with a plurality of entries stored in a wireless communication device, comprising:

a. using the wireless communication device to form a backup account at a server;

b. using the wireless communication device to selectively cause a wireless backup of predetermined data types in the wireless communication device onto a central data store; and

c. using the wireless communication device to restore data to the wireless communication device by pulling data to the wireless communication device from the central data store.

81. A method of backing up to a backup account at a server a plurality of data types each with a plurality of entries stored in a wireless communication device, comprising:

a. using the wireless communication device to selectively cause a wireless backup of predetermined data types in the wireless communication device onto a central data store wherein the wireless communication device pushes the data to the server; and

b. using the wireless communication device to restore data to the wireless communication device by pulling data to the wireless communication device from the central data store.

82. A method of user-controlled wireless backing up of a data store in a wireless communication device comprising:

a. authenticating the wireless communications device;

b. using the wireless communication device to select data in the wireless communication device data store to be backed up to a backup data store;

c. using the wireless communication device to schedule an initiation of a backup of the backup data store; and

d. transmitting the data from the wireless communication device to the backup data store in accordance with the schedule.

83. A method implemented by a processing device on a wireless telephone for backing up personal information stored in the telephone, comprising:

presenting a back-up system user account set-up interface on a user interface on the phone, the set-up interface enabling establishment of a back-up service account;

presenting a backup scheduling interface to the user interface on the phone, the backup scheduling interface accepting user input on a backup schedule; and

presenting a restore information interface on the user interface on the phone, the restore interface enabling a user to restore backup information to a data store on the phone, wherein an identity of the phone is first determined and if the identity of the phone is determined to be the same as the phone used to generate the back-up service account, the backup information restored is from a backup data store on a server and if the identity of the phone is determined to be different than the phone used to generate the back-up service account, the backup information is restored from the backup data store on the server and the phone used to generate the back-up service account.

84. A method implemented by a processing device on a wireless telephone for backing up personal information stored in the telephone, comprising:

presenting a back-up system user account set-up interface on a user interface on the phone, the set-up interface enabling establishment of a back-up service account; and

presenting a restore information interface on the user interface on the phone, the restore interface enabling a user to retrieve backup information to a data store on the phone.

85. A user-controlled backup system for backing up of a device data store in a device comprising:

a server for authenticating the device and for containing a backup data store; and

a set of personal information stored in the device data store identified with a user identifier and a device identifier,

wherein, the device is used to;

select the set of personal information in the device data store to be backed up to the backup data store,

schedule an initiation of a backup of the backup data store, and

transmit the set of personal information from the device to the backup data store in accordance with the schedule.