Portable database system

• US 7,650,364 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelon, Frederick Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US10/268,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,659 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707 20-204, 709/203, 709223-224, 709/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An improved method of storing databases in a portable computer is provided to reduce and optimize storage space required while ensuring accessibility to user-required data. An improved method of interchanging data records between a master computer and a portable computer is also provided. In the present invention, attributes are assigned to data records and data fields to indicate relevance of the record or field to a user in different circumstances. Only the data records and data fields relevant to a user'"'"'s current circumstance are downloaded to the portable computer. A change in circumstance of a user is tracked by a change in attribute, which triggers replacement or interchange of existing data records with data records that are relevant to the user'"'"'s current circumstance.

Claims

1. A data management method comprising:

providing a master database storing records, each record including a trigger attribute stored with the record;

providing a portable database configured to store a subset of the records;

communicatively coupling the portable database to the master database;

selecting a trigger attribute and a tag attribute;

comparing the selected trigger attribute to records in the master database;

identifying a set of two or more records in the master database having a trigger attribute matching the selected trigger attribute;

identifying at least one field of each of the two or more records having a predefined tag attribute stored in the record and matching the selected tag attribute;

identifying a priority attribute assigned to at least one of the two or more records, the priority attribute indication whether to transfer the at least one of the two or more records to the portable database based on an amount of storage space available thereon, wherein priority attribute is based on a frequency of use of the at least one of the two or more records;

ensuring that the subset of records stored in the portable database contains only records corresponding to the identified set and fields corresponding to the selected tag attribute; and

transferring at least one of the two or more records to the portable database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether to download at least one of the two or more records to the portable database based on an amount of storage space available on the portable database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring the set of two or more records to the portable database.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting at least one record in the portable database not corresponding to the selected trigger attribute.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, prior to deleting the at least one record, updating the master database with at least one record that has been modified in the portable database.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising, prior to deleting the at least one record, updating the master database with at least one record that has been created in the portable database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected trigger attribute is not specified by a user.

8. A data management method, comprising:

providing a master database storing records, each record including a trigger attribute and a priority attribute stored with the record;

providing on a portable computer a portable database configured to store a subset of the records;

identifying at least one record to transfer from the master database to the portable database communicatively coupled thereto based on a selected trigger attribute;

identifying a priority attribute assigned to the at least one record, the priority attribute indicating whether to transfer the at least one record to the portable database based on an amount of storage space available on the portable computer, the priority attribute selected from a set of options, one of the options being to transfer the at least one record regardless of the amount of storage space available;

identifying a predefined tag attribute assigned to at least one field of the at least one record and stored with the at least one record, the tag attribute indicating whether to transfer content of the at least one field to the portable computer when the at least one record is transferred to the portable database; and

transferring at least one record to the portable database.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising changing the priority attribute of the at least one record based on a frequency of use of the at least one record.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising downloading, based on the priority attribute, the at least one record to the portable computer if a sufficient amount of storage space is available on the portable computer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the priority attribute of the at least one record does not change.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein, prior to the transfer, the at least one record is in the master database but not in the portable database.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger attribute and the priority attribute are predefined for each record, wherein the trigger attribute can be different for different records, and wherein the priority attribute can be different for different records.

14. A data management method, comprising:

providing a master computer including a master database storing records, each record including a trigger attribute stored with the record;

providing a portable computer including a portable database configured to store a subset of the records;

identify a priority attribute assigned to at least one of the records the priority attribute indicating whether to transfer the at least one of the records to the portable database based on an amount at storage space avai1able thereon wherein the priority attribute is changed based on a frequency of use of the at least one of the records;

automatically comparing a trigger attribute of each record stored in the portable database to a current trigger attribute in response to communicative coupling of the portable computer with the master computer, wherein the current trigger attribute is not specified by a user;

if the trigger attribute of each record stored in the portable computer does not correspond to the current trigger attribute, automatically deleting each non-corresponding record from the portable computer; and

transferring at least one of the records to the portable database.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising replacing the each non-corresponding record in the portable computer with at least one record from the master computer having a trigger attribute corresponding to the current trigger attribute.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining whether to download at least one record in the master computer to the portable computer based on an amount of storage space available on the portable computer.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising identifying a predefined tag attribute assigned to at least one field of at least one record in the master computer and stored with the at least one record, the tag attribute indicating whether to transfer content of the at least one field to the portable computer when the at least one record is transferred to the portable database.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the current trigger attribute is a characteristic of the portable computer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the current trigger attribute is a current time-of-day.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the current trigger attribute is a current location.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the current trigger attribute is a current weather condition.

22. A data management method comprising:

providing a master database storing records, each record including a predefined trigger attribute stored with the record;

providing a portable database configured to store a subset of the records;

communicatively coupling the portable database to the master database;

identifying a plurality of records in the master database having a predefined trigger attribute matching a selected trigger attribute, wherein the selected trigger attribute is not specified by a user;

updating the master database with at least one record that has been modified in the portable database, and then deleting each record stored in the portable database not corresponding to the selected trigger attribute;

determining whether to download at least one of the plurality of records to the portable database based on an amount of storage space available on the portable database and a priority attribute assigned to the at least one record indicating whether to transfer the at least one record to the portable database based on the amount of storage space; and

transferring at least one of the plurality of records to the portable database.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising changing the priority attribute of the at least one record based on a frequency of use of the at least one record.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising, prior to deleting the each record, updating the master database with at least one record that has been created in the portable database.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the selected trigger attribute is a characteristic of a portable computer having the portable database.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected trigger attribute is a current time-of-day.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected trigger attribute is a current location.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected trigger attribute is a current weather condition.