Wirelessly syncing content of an application without requiring device to be plugged into power source

• US 9,819,534 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Denner, Gary, O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Paterson, Kevin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance Leonard
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAN, MOHAMMAD YOU A
• Application Number:
  US13/915,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for wirelessly syncing content. An analytics engine in a mobile computing device gathers and stores information regarding battery usage for data synchronizations. Upon receiving an indication for content of an application to be synced with the device, the analytics engine determines an estimated amount of content to be synced as well as an estimated amount of battery usage for syncing the estimated amount of content based on the stored information. The content will be wirelessly synced with the device if there is sufficient battery life for syncing the content. If there is not enough battery life for wirelessly syncing the entire content, then a portion of the content will be synced. In this manner, the device does not need to be plugged into a power source and will only sync the amount of content that the device has power to do so.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly syncing content, the method comprising:

gathering and storing information regarding battery usage for data synchronizations with a device so as to generate distribution curves based on battery usage for synchronizing particular types of data and generate tables indicating an average amount of content that is synced for each application;

receiving an indication for content of an application to be synced with said device;

determining an estimated amount of content of said application to be synced with said device as well as an estimated amount of battery usage for syncing said estimated amount of content of said application with said device based on said stored information by consulting said generated distribution curves and said generated tables; and

syncing, by a processor, said content of said application with said device in response to a battery life of said device exceeding said estimated amount of battery usage for syncing said content of said application with said device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

informing a user of said device regarding a remaining battery life after syncing said content of said application being below a threshold in response to said remaining battery life after syncing said content of said application being below said threshold.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said threshold is user-defined.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring usage of applications and content of applications by a user of said device to determine a level of importance of types and/or properties of data that make up said content of said applications.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

prioritizing data that make up said content of said application to be synced with said device based on a determined level of importance of types and/or properties of said data that make up said content of said application; and

selecting a subset of said data of said content of said application to be synced with said device based on said prioritization in response to said battery life of said device being less than said battery usage for syncing said content of said application with said device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

providing a user of said device an option to sync or not sync said selected data of said content of said application with said device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input from a user of said device regarding a level of importance of types and/or properties of data that make up said content of said application to be synced with said device;

prioritizing said data of said content of said application to be synced with said device based on said user input; and

selecting a subset of said data of said content of said application to be synced with said device based on said prioritization in response to said battery life of said device being less than said battery usage for syncing said content of said application with said device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

providing said user of said device an option to sync or not sync said selected data of said content of said application with said device.