Method, system, and computer program product for synchronization of similar data objects with event information

• US 7,644,125 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Baynes, Robert W. Jr., Landray, Tashana K., Gray, Michael R., Whittaker, Thomas E., Upson, Linus M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US09/950,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,037 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/242, 709/246, 709/248, 709/206, 709/217, 709/236, 395/200.31
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2386 Bulk updating operations data conversion details G06F16/258
• 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 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method, system, and computer program product for the synchronization of similar data objects by exchanging event information to provide new and/or updated data objects to a mobile device or application for use on a device. The invention includes a method, system, computer program product, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for enabling similar data objects to be made available to users of mobile devices, and for the users of mobile devices to operate with such objects on their mobile devices in an interactive manner while in an off-line mode, i.e., while not actively connected to a network or external data source.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for delivering information from a first device to a second device, comprising the steps of:

storing a first data object on the first device in a first device-specific representation, wherein the second device stores a second data object corresponding to the first data object in a second device-specific representation, wherein the second representation differs from the first device-specific representation;

receiving information regarding a state of data stored on the second device;

generating a modification event representative of a modification made to the first data object on the first device;

determining whether the generated modification event conflicts with another modification event;

determining that the second device has transitioned from an off-line state to an on-line state;

generating a batch of information based at least on the received state of data stored on the second device, wherein the batch of information comprises the generated modification event if the generated modification event does not conflict with the other modification event;

delivering said batch of information to the second device;

wherein the second device processes the batch of information, wherein the second device parses the modification event to recover the modification to the first data object on the first device, wherein the second device stores the recovered modification; and

updating, at the first device, the state of data on the second device based on a confirmation received from the second device, wherein the received confirmation indicates at least that the modification event was successfully parsed by the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a data processing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a data communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event, resolving the conflict between the generated modification event and the other modification event to generate a new modification event;

wherein the batch of information comprises the new modification event if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event.

5. A computer-implemented method for delivering information from a first device to a second device identified as a recipient of said information, comprising the steps of:

storing a first data object on the first device in a first device-specific representation, wherein the second device stores a second data object corresponding to the first data object in a second device-specific representation, wherein the second representation differs from the first device-specific representation;

receiving information regarding a state of data stored on the second device;

generating a modification event representative of a modification made to the first data object on the first device

determining whether the generated modification event conflicts with another modification event;

generating a batch of information based at least on the received state of data stored on the second device, wherein the batch of information comprises the generated modification event if the generated modification event does not conflict with said other modification event;

delivering said batch of information to the second device;

wherein the second device processes the batch of information, wherein the second device parses the modification event to recover the modification to the first data object on the first device, wherein the second device stores the recovered modification; and

updating, at the first device, the state of data on the second device based on a confirmation received from the second device, wherein the received confirmation indicates at least that the modification event was successfully parsed by the second device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second device is a data processing device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second device is a data communications device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event, resolving the conflict between the generated modification event and the other modification event to generate a new modification event;

wherein the batch of information comprises the new modification event if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event.

9. A computer system for delivering information from a first device to a second device, comprising:

a storage for storing a first data object on the first device in a first device-specific representation, wherein the second device stores a second data object corresponding to the first data object in a second device-specific representation, wherein the second representation differs from the first device-specific representation;

a module configured to receive information regarding a state of data stored on the second device;

a module configured to generate a modification event representative of a modification made to the first data object on the first device;

a module configured to determine whether the generated modification event conflicts with another modification event;

a module configured to determine that the second device has transitioned from an off line state to an on-line state;

a module configured to generate a batch of information based at least on the received state of data stored on the second device, wherein the batch of information comprises the generated modification event if the generated modification event does not conflict with the other modification event;

a module configured to deliver said batch of information to the second device;

wherein the second device processes the batch of information, wherein the second device parses the modification event to recover the modification to the first data object on the first device, wherein the second device stores the recovered modification; and

a module configured to update, at the first device, the state of data on the second device based on a confirmation received from the second device, wherein the received confirmation indicates at least that the modification event was successfully parsed by the second device.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the device is a data processing device.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the device is a data communications device.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first representation and the second representation are platform specific.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first representation and the second representation are format specific or standard specific.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the event is an email.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein an attachment of the email is configured to be parsed to recover the modification.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein a body of the email is configured to be parsed to recover the modification.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the email is configured to be recognized as an event.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the batch includes information needed to make a content of data objects stored on the second device consistent with content of corresponding data objects stored on the first device.

19. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module configured to resolve a conflict between the generated modification event and the other modification event by generating a new modification event, if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event;

wherein the batch of information comprises the new modification event if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event.

20. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer usable medium having computer readable program means stored in said medium for a first device to deliver information to a second device, said computer readable means comprising:

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to store a first data object on the first device in a first device-specific representation, wherein the second device stores a second data object corresponding to the first data object in a second device-specific representation, wherein the second representation differs from the first device-specific representation;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to receive information regarding a state of data stored on the second device;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor configured to generate a modification event representative of a modification made to the first data object on the first device;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to determine whether the generated modification event conflicts with another modification event;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to determine that the second device has transitioned from an off-line state to an on-line state;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to generate a batch of information based at least on the received state of data stored on the second device, wherein the batch of information comprises the generated modification event if the generated modification event does not conflict with the other modification event;

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to deliver said batch of information to the second device;

wherein the second device processes the batch of information, wherein the second device parses the modification event to recover the modification to the first data object on the first device, wherein the second device stores the recovered modification; and

computer readable program code means for enabling a processor to update, at the first device, the state of data on the second device based on a confirmation received from the second device, wherein the received confirmation indicates at least that the modification event was successfully parsed by the second device.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

computer readable program code means further for enabling a processor to resolve the conflict between the generated modification event and the other modification event to generate a new modification event, if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event;

wherein the batch of information comprises the new modification event if the generated modification event conflicts with the other modification event.

22. A computer-implemented method for delivering information comprising the steps of:

receiving a first modification event from a first device, wherein the first modification is representative of a modification made to a first data object stored in a first format on the first device;

resolving a conflict between the first modification event and a second stored modification event to generate a third modification event;

receiving information regarding a state of data stored on a second device;

determining that the second device has transitioned from an off-line state to an on-line state;

generating a batch of information based at least on the received state of data stored on the second device, wherein the batch of information comprises the third modification event;

delivering said batch of information to the second device;

wherein the second device processes the batch of information, wherein the second device parses the third modification event to recover a modification; and

updating the state of data on the second device based on a confirmation received from the second device, wherein the received confirmation indicates at least that the modification event was successfully parsed by the second device.