System and method for managing databases associated with respective personal information manager service accounts

• US 7,849,056 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: May, Darrell R., Bredin, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US11/673,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/621
• 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

Abstract

A method of managing databases at an electronic device, associated with respective ones of a first PIM service account and a second PIM service account. The method includes: receiving representative data of records at a server associated with the second PIM service account and obtaining data representative of records already present at the electronic device; comparing the data representative of the records at the server with the data representative of records already present at the electronic device; and determining with which of two of the databases ones of the records, at the server, for which representative data is received are associated, based on whether each of the records, at the server, for which representative data is received is already present in one of the two of the databases.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device in which a default database is initially associated with both of a default PIM (personal information manager) service account and a second PIM service account, the method comprising:

in addition to the default database, establishing in the electronic device a second database to store synchronized records associated with only the second PIM service account, wherein the default database initially contains merged database records previously stored in the default database regardless of with which PIM service account each merged database record originated, such that the source of each merged database record is indistinguishable in the default database;

reconciling the merged database records with server database records associated with the second PIM service account to determine if all of the server database records are already present in the default database;

if all of the server database records are already present in the default database;

identifying a subset of the merged database records in the default database as overlapping records, overlapping records being server database records associated with the second PIM service account that are already present in the default database; and

moving the overlapping records from the default database to the second database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

after moving the overlapping records, sending a delete records command to a server with an instruction to delete overlapping records from a server database associated with the default PIM service account.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing data representative of the merged database records to a server associated with the server database records, wherein the server is configured to delete server overlapping records from the server database;

receiving additional server database records;

storing the additional server database records in the second database; and

setting the second database as a new default database.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising synchronizing with the default PIM service account prior to enabling synchronization of the second PIM service account.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the default database for storing only first PIM records associated with the first PIM service account; and

maintaining the second database for storing only second PIM records associated with the second PIM service account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PIM service account is associated with a first calendar service, and the second PIM service account is associated with a second calendar service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein reconciling the merged database records with server database records comprises:

receiving representative data values from the server, each representative data value being associated with a respective record of the server database records;

obtaining comparison data values, each comparison data value being associated with a respective record of the merged database records already present in the default database; and

comparing the representative data values with the comparison data values to determine if all of the server database records are already present in the default database.

8. An electronic device:

comprising;

memory for storing a plurality of PIM (personal information manager) record databases, including at least a default database initially associated with both of a default PIM service account and a second PIM service account, wherein the default database initially contains merged database records previously stored in the default database regardless of with which PIM service account each merged database record originated, such that the source of each merged database record is indistinguishable in the default database;

a processor configured to;

establish in the memory a second database to store synchronized records associated with only the second PIM service account;

reconcile the merged database records in the default database with server database records associated with the second PIM service account to determine if all of the server database records are already present in the default database;

if all of the server database records are already present in the default database;

identify a subset of the merged database records in the default database as overlapping records, overlapping records being server database records associated with the second PIM service account that are already present in the default database; and

move the overlapping records from the default database to the second database.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

after moving the overlapping records, send a delete records command to a server with an instruction to delete overlapping records from a server database associated with the default PIM service account.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if all of the server database records are not already present in the default database;

provide data representative of the merged database records to a server associated with the server database records, wherein the server is configured to delete server overlapping records from the server database;

receive additional server database records;

store the additional server database records in the second database; and

set the second database as a new default database.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

computer readable medium having computer readable code embodying the method of;

creating a second database to store synchronized records associated with only a second PIM (personal information manager) service account;

reconciling merged database records in a default database with server database records associated with the second PIM service account to determine if all of the server database records are already present in the default database, the default database initially associated with both of a default PIM service account and the second PIM service account, wherein the default database initially contains merged database records previously stored in the default database regardless of with which PIM service account each merged database record originated, such that the source of each merged database record is indistinguishable in the default database;

if all of the server database records are already present in the default database;

identifying a subset of the merged database records in the default database as overlapping records, overlapping records being server database records that are already present in the default database; and

moving the overlapping records from the default database to the second database.