Centrally controlled backup functionality

• US 8,443,108 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lehtola, Ari, Partanen, Tiina, Rapakko, Jouni
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US10/875,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,247 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method and mobile device are presented for centrally controlling backup functionality, so that parties such as backup devices will efficiently be informed how data content should be backed up from or restored to the mobile device. The mobile device exposes to a party rules for backing up or restoring data content, and those rules are not just for the party, but also are for other parties including the mobile device itself. The rules are contained in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML). If the party is an external party, the mobile device provides an object exchange protocol (OBEX) capability object in response to the party fetching that object. The OBEX capability object describes capabilities of the mobile device, and is for use by the external party in order to access the list of rules via the mobile device exposing those rules to the external party.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from an external party, a request for rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

providing an exchange protocol capability object from the mobile device to the external party in response to the request for rules, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of the capability object, wherein said link is configured for activation by said external party, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules;

activating said link in the extension of the capability object by the external party;

providing from the mobile device said list of rules to said external party in response to activation of said link by said external party, and

providing from the mobile device said data content to be backed up, or accepting said data content to be restored, according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both the external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device;

wherein the capability object is used by the external party and by other backup devices that interact with the mobile device, in order to access said list that includes said rules, and

wherein said backup devices include repositories for backing up different respective categories of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external party is a backup device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a list for a removable backup device that is removable from the mobile device comprises the list provided to the external party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capability object provided by the mobile device is identical for at least one other party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the party is a medium removable from the mobile device, or is a personal computer, or is a synchronization server in a network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the capability object provided by the mobile device is identical for every other party.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the medium is a multi-media card.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein if the party is the personal computer, then the backup occurs via a local communication medium.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the local communication medium is a universal serial bus, bluetooth, wireless local area network, or infrared link.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein said data content that is provided to or accepted from at least one of said other backup devices is in a different category of data compared to said data content that is provided to or accepted from said party, and

wherein said mobile device has a component that backs up at least part of said data content according to said rules.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a request for rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

means for providing an exchange protocol capability object from the apparatus to an external party in response to the request for rules, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of the capability object, and said link is configured for activation by said external party, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules;

means for activating said link in the extension of the capability object by the external party;

means for providing said list to said external party in response to activation of said link by said external party, and

means for providing said data content to be backed up, or for accepting said data content to be restored, according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both the external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device;

wherein the capability object is used by said external party and by other backup devices that interact with said apparatus, in order to access said list that includes said rules; and

wherein said backup devices include repositories for backing up different respective categories of data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the external party is a backup device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the list exposed to the party is identical for a removable backup device that is removable from the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the capability object provided by the apparatus is identical for at least one other party.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the party is a medium removable from the apparatus, or is a personal computer, or is a synchronization server in a network.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the capability object provided by the apparatus is identical for every other party.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the medium is a multi-media card.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein if the party is the personal computer, then the backup occurs via a local communication medium.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the local communication medium is a universal serial bus, bluetooth, wireless local area network, or infrared link.

20. A system, comprising:

a mobile device and an external device in communication with the mobile device;

wherein the external device is configured to provide a fetch signal requesting rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively,

and in response to the fetch signal, the mobile device is configured to provide to the external device an exchange protocol capability object, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of the capability object, and wherein said link is configured for activation by said external party, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules, and wherein the mobile device is further configured to activate said link in the extension of the capability object by the external party;

wherein said external device activates said link in the extension of the capability object;

wherein the mobile device is further configured to provide to the external device the list of rules in response to activation of said link by said external device and to provide said data content to be backed up, or to accept said data content to be restored, according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both the external device and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device;

wherein said external device is further configured to backup different respective categories of data content of the mobile device according to said rules, and

wherein the capability object is used by said external device and by other backup devices that interact with said mobile device, in order to access said list that includes said rules.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a connectivity subsystem configured to receive a request for rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

a backup application processor, configured to provide an exchange protocol capability object from the apparatus to the external party in response to the request for rules, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of said capability object, and wherein said link is configured for activation by said external party, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules; and

wherein said external party is configured to activate said link in the extension of the capability object,

wherein said connectivity subsystem, is further to provide said list of rules to said external party in response to activation of said link by said external party and to provide said data content to be backed up, or to accept said data content to be restored, according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both the external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device;

wherein the capability object is used by the external party and by other backup devices that interact with the apparatus, in order to access said list that includes said rules, and

wherein said backup devices include repositories for backing up different respective categories of data.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the external party is a backup device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the list exposed to the party is identical for a removable backup device that is removable from the apparatus.

24. A method, comprising:

providing a fetch signal to a mobile device requesting rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

receiving an exchange protocol capability object from the mobile device, said capability object being provided by said mobile device in response to said fetch signal, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of the capability object, wherein said link is configured for activation by a backup device, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules;

activating said link in the extension of the capability object in order to fetch from the mobile device said list that includes said list of rules;

receiving from the mobile device said list of rules in response to said activation of said link;

receiving from the mobile device said data content to be backed up or restored according to said rules; and

backing up different respective categories of data content of the mobile device according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both an external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device,

wherein the capability object is used by the external party and by other backup devices that interact with the mobile device, in order to access said list that includes said rules.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing a fetch signal to a mobile device requesting rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

means for receiving an exchange protocol capability object from the mobile device, said capability object being provided by said mobile device in response to said fetch signal, wherein said capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of the capability object, wherein said link is configured for activation by said apparatus, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules;

means for activating said link in the extension of the capability object in order to fetch from the mobile device said list that includes said rules;

means for receiving from the mobile device said list of rules in response to said activation of said link;

means for receiving from the mobile device said data content to be backed up or restored according to said rules; and

means for backing up different respective categories of data content of the mobile device according to said rules,

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both an external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device, and

wherein the capability object is used by the external party and by other backup devices that interact with the mobile device, in order to access said list that includes said rules.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a connectivity subsystem in communication with a mobile device, a backup application processor, and a data storage medium,

wherein the connectivity subsystem is configured to provide a fetch signal to the mobile device requesting rules regarding how a plurality of different categories of data content of a mobile device should be backed up or restored, wherein said rules are included in a list formatted in extensible markup language (XML), wherein said list has a document type definition structure that includes the plurality of different categories of the data content, wherein said list also accommodates additions for additional categories of the data content, and wherein said list provides backup rules that are followed in each of the plurality of different categories respectively;

wherein the connectivity subsystem is configured to receive an exchange protocol capability object from the mobile device in response to the fetch signal, wherein said exchange protocol capability object comprises a link located in an extension element of said capability object, and wherein said link is configured for activation by said backup application processor, and wherein said extension links to a location of a backup description XML object, said backup description XML object comprising said list of rules;

wherein the backup application processor is configured to activate said link in the extension of the capability object in order to fetch from the mobile device said list;

wherein the backup application processor is configured to receive from the mobile device said list of rules in response to said activation of said link and to receive from the mobile device said data content to be backed up or restored according to said rules;

wherein said rules for backing up and restoring the plurality of different categories of data content are rules for both an external party and also for other parties including the mobile device itself, and including all backup devices that interact with the mobile device, and

wherein the capability object is used by the external party and by other backup devices that interact with the mobile device, in order to access said list that includes said rules, and

wherein the data storage medium is configured to backup said plurality of different respective categories of data content of the mobile device according to said rules.