Method and apparatus for event-based synchronization of information between communication devices

• US 8,548,010 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bloebaum, Leland Scott, Liu, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US11/711,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42076 where the identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42119 where the identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for synchronizing contact information between a first communication device associated with a first user and a second communication device associated with a second user are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises monitoring the occurrence of a trigger on the first communication device and transferring, in response to the trigger, a first data object to the second communication device, the first data object comprising data relevant to two or more contact entries associated with the first communication device and an invitation to synchronize. In response to the first data object, a response data object is received from the second communication device, the response data object comprising either more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, or a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, or both.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing contact information between a first communication device associated with a first user and a second communication device associated with a second user, the method comprising:

monitoring the occurrence of a trigger on the first communication device;

transferring, in a first transfer step, upon the occurrence of the trigger, a first data object to the second communication device, wherein the first data object comprises contact information associated with the first communication device and an invitation to synchronize, wherein the contact information corresponds to contact entries for two or more individuals or companies;

receiving, at the first communication device, a response data object from the second communication device, wherein the response data object comprises at least one of;

(1) updated contact information for at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object and (2) a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object; and

processing the response data object;

wherein the response data object comprises a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, the method further comprising transferring, in a second transfer step, a second data object to the second communication device, wherein the second data object comprises more recent data associated with the at least one of the contact entries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response data object comprises more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, the method further comprising storing the more recent data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the first data object to the second communication device comprises transmitting a request to a data object server requesting the data object server to send the first data object to the second communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises the establishment of a session or call, a timer-based periodic or random event, or a manual activation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second communication devices comprises a mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the response data object from the second communication device comprises receiving the response data object via a data object server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the second data object to the second communication device comprises transmitting a request to a data object server requesting the data object server to send the first data object to the second communication device.

8. A first communication device, associated with a first user and configured to synchronize contact information between the first communication device and a second communication device, associated with a second user, the first communication device comprising a processing unit configured to:

monitor the occurrence of a trigger on the first communication device;

transfer, in a first transfer step, upon the occurrence of the trigger, a first data object to the second communication device, wherein the first data object comprises contact information associated with the first communication device and an invitation to synchronize, wherein the contact information corresponds to contact entries for two or more individuals or companies;

receive a response data object from the second communication device, wherein the response data object comprises at least one of;

(1) updated contact information for at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object and (2) a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object; and

process the response data object;

wherein the response data object comprises a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to transfer, in a second transfer step a second data object to the second communication device the second data object comprising more recent data associated with the at least one of the contact entries.

9. The first communication device of claim 8, wherein the response data object comprises more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object and wherein the processing unit is further configured to store the more recent data.

10. The first communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is configured to transfer the second data object to the second communication device by transmitting a request to a data object server requesting the data object server to send the first data object to the second communication device.

11. The first communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is configured to transfer the first data object to the second communication device by transmitting a request to a data object server requesting the data object server to send the first data object to the second communication device.

12. The first communication device of claim 8, wherein the trigger comprises the establishment of a session or call, a timer-based periodic or random event, or a manual activation.

13. The first communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the response data object from the second communication device via a data object server.