Synchronization methods and systems

• US 7,991,738 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Farkas, Jacob, Freedman, Gordon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US12/853,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831, 707/246, 707/248, 709/246, 709/248, 715/229, 717/170
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

Connection architectures, methods, systems and computer readable media are described. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises a first software component which is configured to interface, through first software based messages, with synchronization software components during a structured data synchronization process between a host and a device and which is configured to interface, through second software based messages, with a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces. Systems, methods, architectures and other computer readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method performed at a device comprising:

receiving a request to synchronize a data class;

determining a version number of a data class handler for the data class;

determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data class handler is configured to determine whether or not to perform the synchronizing, wherein the determining the version includes

receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of the data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the synchronization mode comprises

receiving the synchronization type, and

selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising

waiting for a connection;

sending a ready signal in response to the connection.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising

determining whether the data class is supported.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising

receiving a next host anchor and a previous device anchor.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein synchronizing the data class comprises

sending changes to the data class, sending all records for the data class, or marking all records in the data class as cleared;

and

saving a next device anchor.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the synchronizing the data class further comprises

sending a “

ready to pull”

message;

receiving records for the data class;

creating remapping the added records;

sending device identifiers for the added records.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising

saving a next device anchor.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the data class comprises at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items.

10. A machine implemented method performed at a host comprising:

sending a request to synchronize a data class;

determining a version number of a data source for the data class;

determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data source is configured to determine the synchronization mode, wherein the determining the version number comprises

receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of the data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising

determining whether the version number of the data source matches with the version number of the data class handler for the data class.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein the determining the synchronization mode comprises

selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

13. The method as in claim 10, further comprising

determining whether a device is connected to the host;

and

determining whether a next data class requires synchronization.

14. The method as in claim 10, further comprising

determining whether the data class is supported.

15. The method as in claim 10, further comprising

receiving a next device anchor and a previous host anchor.

16. The method as in claim 10, wherein synchronizing the data class comprises

receiving changes to the data class, or receiving all records for the data class;

and

saving a next device anchor.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the synchronizing the data class further comprises

receiving a “

ready to pull”

message;

sending changes to the data class or all records for the data class;

receiving device identifiers for the added records.

18. The method as in claim 10, further comprising

saving a next host anchor.

19. The method as in claim 10, wherein the data class comprises at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to synchronize a data class;

determining a version number of a data class handler for the data class;

determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data class handler is configured to determine whether or not to perform the, wherein the determining the version number includes

receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of the data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, wherein the determining the synchronization mode comprises

receiving the synchronization type, and

selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

waiting for a connection;

sending a ready signal in response to the connection.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

determining whether the data class is supported.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

receiving a next host anchor and a previous device anchor.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, wherein synchronizing the data class comprises

sending changes to the data class, sending all records for the data class, or marking all records in the data class as cleared;

and

saving a next device anchor.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 25, wherein the synchronizing the data class further comprises

sending a “

ready to pull”

message;

receiving records for the data class;

creating remapping the added records;

sending device identifiers for the added records.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

saving a next device anchor.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 20, wherein the data class comprises at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

sending a request to synchronize a data class;

determining a version number of a data source for the data class;

determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data source is configured to determine the synchronization mode, wherein the determining the version number comprises

receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of the data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29 further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

determining whether the version number of the data source matches with the version number of the data class handler for the data class.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, wherein the determining the synchronization mode comprises

selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

determining whether a device is connected to the host;

and

determining whether a next data class requires synchronization.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

determining whether the data class is supported.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

receiving a next device anchor and a previous host anchor.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, wherein synchronizing the data class comprises

receiving changes to the data class, or receiving all records for the data class;

and

saving a next device anchor.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 35, wherein the synchronizing the data class further comprises

receiving a “

ready to pull”

message;

sending changes to the data class or all records for the data class;

receiving device identifiers for the added records.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, further comprising instructions that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

saving a next host anchor.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 29, wherein the data class comprises at least one of (a) calendar data;

(b) contact data;

(c) email account setup information;

(d) bookmarks;

(e) notes; and

(f) To Do items.

39. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

means for receiving a request to synchronize a data class;

means for determining a version number of a data class handler for the data class;

means for determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

means for synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data class handler is configured to determine whether or not to perform the synchronizing, and wherein at least one of the means for receiving, the means for determining, and the means for synchronizing is coupled to the processor, wherein the means for determining the version number includes

means for receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

means for comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of the data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

40. The data processing system as in claim 39, wherein the means for determining the synchronization mode comprises

means for receiving the synchronization type, and

means for selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

41. The data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising

means for determining whether the data class is supported.

42. The data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising

means for receiving a next host anchor and a previous device anchor.

43. The data processing system as in claim 39, wherein synchronizing the data class comprises

means for sending changes to the data class, sending all records for the data class, or marking all records in the data class as cleared;

and

means for saving a next device anchor.

44. The data processing system as in claim 39, further comprising

means for saving a next device anchor.

45. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

means for sending a request to synchronize a data class;

means for determining a version number of a data source the data class;

means for determining a synchronization mode for the data class; and

means for synchronizing the data class based on the synchronization mode, wherein the data source is configured to determine the synchronization mode, and wherein at least one of the means for sending, the means for obtaining, the means for determining; and

the means for synchronizing is coupled to the processor, wherein the means for determining the version number comprises

means for receiving the version number of the data class handler for the data class; and

means for comparing the version number of a data source with the version number of a data class handler for the data class to determine which one of the data class handler and the data source to use to synchronize the data class.

46. The data processing system as in claim 45 further comprising means for determining whether the version number of the data source matches with the version number of the data class handler for the data class.

47. The data processing system as in claim 45, wherein the determining the synchronization mode comprises

means for selecting the synchronization type for the data class, wherein the synchronization type is a complete synchronization, a changes synchronization, or a reset operation.

48. The data processing system as in claim 45, further comprising

means for determining whether a device is connected to the host;

and

means for determining whether a next data class requires synchronization.

49. The data processing system as in claim 45, further comprising

means for determining whether the data class is supported.

50. The data processing system as in claim 45, further comprising

means for receiving a next device anchor and a previous host anchor.

51. The data processing system as in claim 45, wherein the means for synchronizing the data class comprises

means for receiving changes to the data class, or receiving all records for the data class;

and

means for saving a next device anchor.

52. The data processing system as in claim 45, further comprising means for saving a next host anchor.