Method, data transfer arrangement, server and terminal device for updating information in a terminal device

• US 9,118,696 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capricode Oy
• Original Assignee: Capricode Oy
• Inventors: Rauma, Tapio, Koutaniemi, Jukka, Parkkila, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, SyLing
• Application Number:
  US13/224,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/611, 707/613, 707/617, 707/618, 707/624, 707/640, 707/661, 707/674, 707999203-204, 709/248, 705/59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and data transfer arrangement for synchronizing information comprised by an application program in a client device. In the method, information comprised by an application program in the client device is updated from a media server maintaining up-to-date information. In addition, the data transfer arrangement comprises a separate license server, which contains two separate license files: the first license file and the second license file. The up-to-date status of information in the client device can be ensured by means of the first license file. The second license file comprises information by which the update required by the client device can be retrieved from a media server maintaining up-to-date information.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a piece of information of an application program between a wireless client device that is in an operation mode and a media server maintaining up-to-date pieces of information of the application program, the method comprising:

indicating, in the wireless client device by a checking routine, that the application program has been started;

sending, by the wireless client device, a synchronization starting message including at least a first license file to a license server before said application program is taken into use, said first license file including at least a current status of said piece of information of the application program and a direction to be utilized in the synchronization between the wireless client device and the media server;

checking, by the license server after receiving the synchronization starting message, the up-to-date status of the received first license file of the application program;

on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program equals the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server;

sending, by the license server, a reply message to the wireless client device, wherein said reply message includes an up-to-date first license file of the application program and a synchronization acceptance message; and

on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program does not equal the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server;

sending, by the license server, a reply message to the wireless client device, wherein said reply message includes an up-to-date first license file of the application program and a second license file, the second license file including at least network information by which an unsynchronized piece of information of the application program is synchronized between the wireless client device and the media server; and

utilizing said application program in the wireless device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first license file comprises at least the following information of the application:

a licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second license file comprises:

a name of the information of a file or of an application to be synchronized, a version number, a search path of the file to be synchronized, a description of the file to be transferred because of the synchronizing and other release information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein on the condition that the wireless client device receives the second license file, then at least on a first time of synchronizing, a permission is asked to carry out the synchronizing from the media server or to the media server.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein if the synchronizing permission has been received, the wireless client device synchronizes the information of said application program from the media server by sending a synchronizing request to which the media server replies by sending to the wireless client device the requested information for synchronizing.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein if the synchronizing permission has been received, the wireless client device sends to the media server a synchronizing request including an indication that the media server should update said application program in the media server after the synchronization request by the information sent by the wireless client device.

7. A data synchronizing arrangement for synchronizing a piece of information between a wireless client device that is in an operation mode and a media server that is configured to maintain up-to-date pieces of information of an application program, the data synchronizing arrangement further comprising:

the wireless client device comprising;

the application program to be synchronized;

means for starting the application program;

means for sending, after indicating said starting of the application program, a synchronization starting message including at least a first license file to a license server before said application program is taken into use, said first license file including at least a current status of said piece of information of the application program before said application program is taken into use in the wireless client device and a direction to be utilized in the synchronization between the wireless client device and the media server;

means for receiving a reply message from the license server;

means for sending messages and data to the media server;

means for receiving messages and data from the media server; and

means for starting the application program after utilizing received synchronization data; and

the license server comprising;

means for receiving the synchronization starting message and the first license file of the application program from the wireless client device;

means for checking the up-to-date status of the received first license file of the application program;

means for sending to the wireless client device a reply message that includes an up-to-date first license file of the application program and a synchronization acceptance message on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program equals the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server; and

means for sending to the wireless client device a reply message that includes an up-to-date first license file of the application program and a second license file on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program does not equal the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server, the second license file including at least network information by which an unsynchronized piece of information of the application program is synchronized between the wireless client device and the media server.

8. The data synchronizing arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the first license file comprises at least the following information:

a licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.

9. The data synchronizing arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the second license file comprises the following information:

a name of the information, of a file or an application program to be synchronized, a version number, a search path of the file to be synchronized, a description of the file to be transferred because of the synchronizing and other release information.

10. The data synchronizing arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the wireless client device has received the second license file the wireless client device is configured to synchronize said application program from the media server by sending a synchronizing request and the media server has been configured to send to the wireless client device the requested synchronizing information.

11. The data synchronizing arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the wireless client device has received the second license file the client device is configured to synchronize said application program with the media server by sending an update request including an indication that the media server should update said application program in the media server after the synchronization request by the information sent by the wireless client device.

12. A license server for synchronizing information of an application program between a wireless client device and a media server, the license server comprising:

files concerning the application program of the wireless client device, wherein the files comprise;

an up-to-date first license file including at least a current status of a piece of information of the application program; and

a second license file including at least network information by which an unsynchronized piece of information of the application program is configured to be synchronized between the wireless client device and the media server;

means for checking information of a first license file of a received synchronization starting message from the wireless client device against the up-to-date first license file;

means for checking an indicated direction to be utilized in the synchronization between the wireless client device and the media server; and

means for sending to the wireless client device a reply message that includes an up-to-date first license file of the application and a synchronization acceptance message on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program equals the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server; and

means for sending to the wireless client device a reply message that includes an up-to-date first license file of the application and a second license file on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program does not equal the status of the first license file of the same application program known by the license server, the second license file including at least network information by which an unsynchronized piece of information of the application program is synchronized between the wireless client device and the media server.

13. The license server according to claim 12, wherein the first license file comprises at least the following information of the application:

a licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.

14. The license server according to claim 13, wherein the second license file comprises:

a name of the information, of a file or of an application to be synchronized, a version number, a search path of the file to be synchronized, a description of the file to be transferred because of the synchronizing and other release information.

15. A wireless terminal of a wireless data transfer network, comprising:

means for sending, receiving and processing messages;

means for synchronizing a piece of information of an application program used in the wireless terminal between a media server;

means for indicating a starting of said application program in the wireless terminal;

means for sending a synchronization starting message including at least a first license file to a license server before said application program is taken into use, said first license file including at least a current status of said piece of information of the application program and a direction to be utilized in the synchronization between the wireless terminal and a media server;

means for processing a reply message sent by the license server on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program equals the status of a first license file of the same application program known by the license server, which message includes an up-to-date first license file of the application and a synchronization acceptance message;

means for processing a reply message sent by the license server on a condition that the status of the received first license file of the application program does not equal the status of a first license file of the same application program known by the license server, which message includes a second license file, the second license file including at least network information by which an unsynchronized piece of information of the application program is synchronized between the wireless terminal and the media server; and

means for starting the application program after utilizing received synchronization data.

16. The wireless terminal according to claim 15, which also comprises:

means for asking the user of the wireless terminal for a synchronizing permission at least on a first time of synchronizing, if the second license file has been received; and

means for synchronizing the piece of information with the media server based on the information received in the second license file.

17. The wireless terminal according to claim 15, wherein said first license file comprises at least the following information:

a licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.

18. The wireless terminal according to claim 15, wherein said second license file comprises a name of the information, of a file or of an application to be synchronized, a version number, a search path of the file to be synchronized, a description of the file to be transferred because of the synchronizing and other release information.

19. The wireless terminal according to claim 15, wherein said means have been implemented by an application program installed in the wireless terminal.

20. The wireless terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the wireless terminal is one of the following:

a terminal device of a cellular network, a WLAN terminal device, a PDA or a palm computer.