Synchronization of conversation data

• US 9,294,307 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhakar, Gautam, Garg, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): STILTNER, WEIWEI YE
• Application Number:
  US13/267,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/248, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for synchronizing conversation data between a client and a server in a networked computing environment. A data structure associated with an e-mail conversation is encoded and shuttled between the client and the server. When received at the server, the data structure is analyzed to determine changes within the e-mail conversation. The data structure is subsequently modified to reflect or include only those changes to minimize the amount of information transferred between the server and client.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing communication data in a networked computing environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, a request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device and another application executing at least in part on a second device in the networked computing environment;

analyzing content of the request and identifying a first message linked to the content;

retrieving a plurality of information associated with the first message;

encoding at least a portion of the plurality of information into a first electronic file, wherein the first electronic file comprises a binary large object including a first message identifier and text of the first message;

sending the first electronic file from the first computing device to the second device to synchronize communication data associated with the first message; and

subsequently receiving, at a first computing device, an updated request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device, the updated request including a reduced binary large object including the first message identifier and without the text of the first message, and a new message identifier and text of a new message associated with the communication data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message and the new message comprises an e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein content of the request comprises a conversation identifier that identifies a specific conversation associated with the first message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein content of the request further comprises a conversation identifier that specifically identifies the first message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing content of the request and identifying a plurality of messages linked to the content; and

retrieving a plurality of information associated with each one of the plurality of messages.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a tree structure including a plurality of nodes, each node storing at least a portion of the plurality of information associated with each one of the plurality of messages selected from;

a conversation identifier that identifies a specific conversation associated with a corresponding message of the plurality of messages;

a message identifier that specifically identifies a corresponding message of the plurality of messages; and

text associated with a corresponding message of the plurality of messages.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

encoding the tree structure as a binary large object to form a second electronic file; and

sending the second electronic file from the first computing device to the another computing device to synchronize communication data associated with the plurality of messages.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequently receiving, at a first computing device, an updated request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device, the updated request including second reduced binary large object including the first message identifier and without the text of the first message, the new message identifier and without the text of the new message associated with the communication data, and a third message identifier and text of the third message associated with the communication data.

9. A method for synchronizing communication data between a client device and a server device in a networked computing environment, the method comprising:

sending, from the client device to the server device, a first request message to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the client device and another application executing at least in part on the server device;

receiving a first response message at the client device in reply to the first request message, the first response message encoding a first tree structure that includes a first plurality of nodes each storing at least a conversation identifier that identifies a specific conversation associated with a corresponding message of a first plurality of messages, and a message identifier that specifically identifies the corresponding message of the first plurality of messages;

storing the first tree structure in a predetermined memory location to synchronize communication data of a conversation associated with the first plurality of messages; and

in response to storing the first tree structure, sending, from the client device to the server device, a second request message to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the client device and another application executing at least in part on the server device, the second request message including a conversation identifier that identifies the specific conversation associated with a new or modified message associated with the communication data and a reduced binary large object, the reduced binary large object having a modified tree structure in which the first plurality of nodes are re-populated with the conversation identifier and associated message identifier and the modified tree structure including a new node that includes text for the new message associated with the communication data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first plurality of messages comprise an e-mail message.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first response message is encoded as a binary large object.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first plurality of nodes further storing text associated with a corresponding message.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second response message at the client device in reply to the second request message, the second response message encoding a second tree structure that includes a second plurality of nodes each storing at least a conversation identifier that identifies a specific conversation associated with a corresponding message of a second plurality of messages, and a message identifier that specifically identifies the corresponding message of the second plurality of messages.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the second plurality of messages comprise an e-mail message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second response message is encoded as a binary large object.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

decoding the second response message;

merging the second tree structure with the first tree structure to form a modified tree structure; and

storing the modified tree structure in the predetermined memory location to synchronize communication data of the conversation associated with the second plurality of messages.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein merging the second tree structure with the first tree structure to form a modified tree structure comprises generating a new node within the first tree structure, the new node comprising text associated with a corresponding message of the second plurality of messages.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein merging the second tree structure with the first tree structure to form a modified tree structure comprises deletion of an existing node within the first tree structure.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a system memory connected to the processing unit, the system memory including instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computing device to;

receiving, at a first computing device, a request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device and another application executing at least in part on a second device in the networked computing environment;

analyzing content of the request and identifying a first message linked to the content;

retrieving a plurality of information associated with the first message;

encoding at least a portion of the plurality of information into a first electronic file, wherein the first electronic file comprises a binary large object including a first message identifier and text of the first message;

sending the first electronic file from the first computing device to the second device to synchronize communication data associated with the first message; and

subsequently receiving, at a first computing device, an updated request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device, the updated request including a reduced binary large object including the first message identifier and without the text of the first message, and a new message identifier and text of a new message associated with the communication data, wherein the first message is retrievable based on the first message identifier.

20. The computing device of claim 19, further comprising:

receive a selection to delete the new message;

subsequently receive, at a first computing device, an updated request to synchronize communication data between a first application executing at least in part on the first computing device, the updated request including third reduced binary large object including only the first message identifier and without the text of the first message, and a third message identifier and text of the third message associated with the communication data.