Method, system and program product for preserving and restoring mobile device user settings

• US 7,822,831 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Software Group Switzerland GmbH
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McGowan, Patrick G., Paul, Christopher J., Redpath, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whipple; Brian P
• Application Number:
  US10/632,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Under the present invention, an enterprise application and corresponding client properties file is provided on a mobile device. Upon initiation of the mobile device, the client properties file is read into application memory. The user can then make modifications to the client properties file to change the user settings as he/she desires. If an updated properties file is later received from the server, it is reconciled with the client properties file. Thus, the user'"'"'s modifications are not discarded or overwritten. In addition, the reconciled properties file could be synchronized to the server so that if the mobile device is lost or fails, the user'"'"'s settings can be restored.

Claims

1. A method for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, comprising:

initiating an enterprise application on a mobile device, and reading a client properties file from a device memory of the mobile device into an application memory;

receiving an updated properties file from a server in the device memory;

comparing time values of the updated properties file to time values of the client properties file in the application memory to determine whether the client properties have been changed by a user;

reconciling, based on the comparison, the client properties file and the updated properties file to yield a reconciled properties file; and

writing the reconciled properties file to the device memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the client properties file prior to receiving the updated properties file, wherein time values of the updated properties file are compared to time values of the modified client properties file, and wherein the modified client properties file is reconciled with the updated properties file to yield the reconciled properties file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the updated properties file from the server prior to the receiving step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client properties file and the updated properties file each contain a configuration of the enterprise application, and wherein the client properties file further contains the mobile device user settings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing step comprises comparing a date of the updated properties file to a date of the client properties file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconciling step comprises reconciling the updated properties file and the client properties file to yield the reconciled properties file if the time values of the updated properties file are different than the time values of the client properties file.

8. A method for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, comprising:

initiating an enterprise application on a mobile device, and reading a client properties file from a client database of the mobile device into an application memory;

receiving an updated properties file from a server database to a device memory of the mobile device;

reconciling the updated properties file with the client properties file in the client database to yield a reconciled properties file to retain changes made to the client properties file by a user;

replacing the client properties file in the client database with the reconciled properties file; and

synchronizing the reconciled properties file to the server database.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying mobile device user settings of the reconciled properties file on the mobile device, wherein the synchronizing step comprises synchronizing the modified reconciled properties file to the server database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reading step comprises:

determining if the client properties file is in the client database;

reading the client properties file from the device memory if the client properties file is not in the client database;

copying the client properties file to the client database; and

deleting the client properties file from the device memory after the copying step.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the updated properties file is reconciled with another properties file prior to being received on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising requesting the updated properties file from the server database prior to the receiving step.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the client database and the server database are DB2 databases.

15. A system for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, comprising:

a file reading system for reading a properties file corresponding to an enterprise application initiated on a mobile device into an application memory;

a file request system for requesting and receiving an updated properties file from a server to a device memory of the mobile device;

a time value system for comparing time values of the updated properties file to time values of the client properties file to determine whether the client properties have been changed by a user;

a reconciliation system for reconciling the updated properties file with the client properties file to yield a reconciled properties file based on the comparison; and

a file write system for writing the reconciled properties file to the device memory.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a configuration system for modifying the client properties file, wherein time values of the updated properties file are compared to time values of the modified client properties file, and wherein the modified client properties file is reconciled with the updated properties file to yield the reconciled properties file.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

18. The system claim 15, wherein the client properties file and the updated properties file each contain a configuration of the enterprise application, and wherein the client properties file further contains the mobile device user settings.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the time value system compares a date of the updated properties file to a date of the client properties file.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the reconciliation system reconciles the updated properties file and the client properties file in the application memory to yield a reconciled properties file if the time values of the updated properties file are different than the time values of the client properties file.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the file write system replaces the updated client file in the device memory with the reconciled properties file.

22. A system for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, comprising:

a file reading system for reading a properties file corresponding to an enterprise application initiated on a mobile device from a client database into an application memory;

a file request system for requesting and receiving an updated properties file from a server database to a device memory of the mobile device;

a reconciliation system for reconciling the updated properties file with the client properties file in the client database to yield a reconciled properties file that retains changes made to the client properties file made by a user;

a file write system for replacing the client properties file in the client database with the reconciled properties file; and

a synchronization system for synchronizing the reconciled properties file to the server database.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a configuration system for modifying mobile device user settings of the reconciled properties file on the mobile device, wherein the synchronization system synchronizes the modified reconciled properties file to the server database.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the file reading system:

determines if the client properties file is in the client database;

reads the client properties file from the device memory if the client properties file is not in the client database;

copies the client properties file to the client database; and

deletes the client properties file from the device memory after the copying step.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the updated properties file is reconciled with another properties file prior to being received on the mobile device.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the client database and the server database are DB2 databases.

28. A program product stored on a recordable medium for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, which when executed, comprises:

program code for reading a properties file corresponding to an enterprise application initiated on a mobile device into an application memory;

program code for requesting and receiving an updated properties file from a server to a device memory of the mobile device;

program code for comparing time values of the updated properties file to time values of the client properties file to determine whether the client properties have been changed by a user;

program code for reconciling the updated properties file with the client properties file to yield a reconciled properties file based on the comparison; and

program code for writing the reconciled properties file to the device memory.

29. The program product of claim 28, further comprising program code for modifying the client properties file, wherein time values of the updated properties file are compared to time values of the modified client properties file, and wherein the modified client properties file is reconciled with the updated properties file to yield the reconciled properties file.

30. The program product of claim 28, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

31. The program product claim 28, wherein the client properties file and the updated properties file each contain a configuration of the enterprise application, and wherein the client properties file further contains the mobile device user settings.

32. The program product of claim 28, wherein the program code for comparing time values compares a date of the updated properties file to a date of the client properties file.

33. The program product of claim 28, wherein the program code for reconciling reconciles the updated properties file and the client properties file in the application memory to yield a reconciled properties file if the time values of the updated properties file are different than the time values of the client properties file.

34. The program product of claim 28, wherein the program code for writing replaces the updated client file in the device memory with the reconciled properties file.

35. A program product stored on a recordable medium for preserving hand-held mobile device user settings, which when executed, comprises:

program code for reading a properties file corresponding to an enterprise application initiated on a mobile device from a client database into an application memory;

program code for requesting and receiving an updated properties file from a server database to a device memory of the mobile device;

program code for reconciling the updated properties file with the client properties file in the client database to yield a reconciled properties file such that changes made to the client properties file made by a user are retained;

program code for replacing the client properties file in the client database with the reconciled properties file; and

program code for synchronizing the reconciled properties file to the server database.

36. The program product of claim 35, further comprising program code for modifying mobile device user settings of the reconciled properties file on the mobile device, wherein the program code for synchronizing synchronizes the modified reconciled properties file to the server database.

37. The program product of claim 35, wherein the program code for reading:

determines if the client properties file is in the client database;

reads the client properties file from the device memory if the client properties file is not in the client database;

copies the client properties file to the client database; and

deletes the client properties file from the device memory after the copying step.

38. The program product of claim 35, wherein the updated properties file is reconciled with another properties file prior to being received on the mobile device.

39. The program product of claim 35, wherein the device memory is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a memory stick and random access memory.

40. The program product of claim 35, wherein the client database and the server database are DB2 databases.