System and device for data management, and method thereof

• US 8,838,537 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Yun Seok, Park, Jae Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US12/872,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/617, 707/620, 707/621, 707/365
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Provided are a data management method, device and system for synchronizing data without prior knowledge of the data'"'"'s structure. When any application is activated, application data is created and also an application data change log is created to indicate a change in the application data. In addition, a schema table defining a data structure for storing the application data is created and also a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table is created. Based on such data and logs, a client and a server can share data without a prior agreement in data schema.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a client device configured to store an application data change log, a schema table, and, a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table, wherein the application data change log indicates at least one of creation, modification and deletion of application data created by activation of an application, and wherein the schema table defines a data structure for storing the application data, and is formed to be variable according to the activation of applications, to update the schema table when a new schema table is required according to the activation of applications, and to add a change log of the updated schema table to the schema table change log; and

a server device configured to receive at least one of the schema table and the application data from the client device through a communication channel with the client device, to apply the creation, modification and deletion to the application data, based upon the schema table, and to store the application data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes:

a memory unit configured to store a schema table change log which indicates a change in the schema table depending upon a change in the data structure according to creation of application data;

a control unit configured to control transmission of at least one of the schema table and the application data, based upon at least one of the schema table change log and the application data change log, to the server device; and

at least one of a radio frequency unit and a connection interface configured to establish the communication channel for data transmission.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server device includes:

a server control unit configured to control reception of at least one of the schema table and the application data from the client device; and

a server memory unit configured to store application data, based upon the schema table.

4. A data management device comprising:

a memory unit configured to store at least one application and at least one item of data among application data created by activation of the application, an application data change log indicating a change in the application data, a schema table defining a data structure for storing the application data, and a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table, wherein the schema table is formed to be variable according to the activation of applications;

at least one of a radio frequency unit and a connection interface configured to establish a communication channel for transmitting the at least one item of data; and

a control unit configured to control transmission of the at least one item of data through the communication channel in response to an input signal and to update the schema table when a new schema table is required according to the activation of applications, and to add a change log of the updated schema table to the schema table change log.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the control unit includes:

a database manager configured to receive data created by the application, to store the application data in the memory unit, to create both the application data change log and the schema table change log, and to manage the schema table;

a data sync manager configured to offer an Application Programming Interface (API) for a synchronization operation and to provide a change log API when there is a synchronization request;

a sync engine configured to convert the application data into specific commands under the control of the data sync manager, to transmit the converted data, and to restore received specific commands;

an application data adapter configured to convert the application data among data received from the sync engine into a suitable form for the memory unit through the database manager, and to deliver the application data stored in the memory unit to the sync engine; and

a schema adapter configured to convert the schema table among the data received from the sync engine into a suitable form for the memory unit through the database manager, and to deliver the schema table stored in the memory unit to the sync engine.

6. A data management method in a system having a client device and a server device, the method comprising steps of:

at the client device, creating at least one of application data related to a specific application, a schema table defining a data structure for storing the application data, and an application data change log indicating creation, modification and deletion of the application data created by activation of the specific application, wherein the schema table is formed to be variable according to the activation of applications;

at the client device, storing at least one of the application data, the schema table, and the application data change log, and a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table;

at the client device, transmitting at least one of the application data and the schema table to the server device;

at the client device, updating the schema table when a new schema table is required according to the activation of applications;

at the client device, adding a change log of the updated schema table to the schema table change log; and

at the server device, storing the application data, based upon the schema table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting step at the client device includes:

at a sync engine of the client device, converting at least one of the application data and the schema table into specific commands;

transmitting the specific commands to a corresponding sync engine of the server device; and

converting the received specific commands into data suitable for storage in a memory unit of the server device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the creating step at the client device includes:

creating a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table depending upon a change in the data structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the storing step at the client device includes:

storing the schema table and the schema table change log.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting step at the client device includes:

when receiving an input signal for synchronizing data stored in the client device, the client device determines whether the schema table change log of the client device exists; and

if the schema table change log exists, the client device transmits the schema table to the server device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the storing step at the server device includes:

updating the stored schema table, based upon the received schema table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the storing step at the server device includes:

storing the application data if the client device transmits the application data, based upon the updated schema table.

13. A data management method in a device, the method comprising steps of:

receiving an input for generating application data related to a specific application;

storing a schema information corresponding to the application data as a schema table defining a data structure for storing the application data, the schema information being a description of a data structure, wherein the schema table is formed to be variable according to the activation of applications;

generating an application data change log indicating creation, modification and deletion of the application data created by activation of the specific application; and

transmitting the application data and the schema table through a communication channel to a server device;

updating the schema table when a new schema table is required according to the activation of applications; and

adding a change log of the updated schema table to the schema table change log.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the application data and the schema table through a communication channel, wherein the transmitting step includes;

at a sync engine, converting the application data and the schema table into specific commands; and

transmitting the specific commands to a corresponding sync engine of a counterpart connected to the communication channel.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the storing step further comprises:

storing a schema table change log indicating a change in the schema table depending upon a change in the data structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

determining, when an input signal for synchronizing stored data is received, by a client device, whether the schema table change log of the client device exists; and

transmitting, when the schema table change log exists, by the client device, the schema table through a communication channel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the storing step further comprises:

storing the schema table and the schema table change log.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

sending at least one of the application data and the schema table to the server device as specific commands corresponding to at least one of the application data change log and the schema table change log.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the schema table change log indicates creation, modification and deletion of the schema table.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

determining, when an input signal for synchronizing stored data is received, by a client device, whether the schema table change log of the client device exists; and

transmitting, when the schema table change log exists, by the client device, the schema table through the communication channel.