Method and system for synchronizing mobile devices

• US 20030046434A1
• Filed: 08/14/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Brian, Serdy, Frank Stephen, Friedman, Greg, Flanagin, Stephen D., Alam, Salim
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A protocol for synchronizing data is provided. Additionally, a system and method of using the protocol are also provided. The protocol allows responses to be grouped with commands in a single XML document. It provides a command for requesting a single object be sent without requiring that all unsynchronized objects be sent. It provides a command for specifying how many objects at a time should be sent and a response that indicates that more objects are available to be sent. It provides a means for arbitrarily extending the protocol in application-specific ways. It provides a means for sending updates while requesting that no updates be sent back.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a data structure stored thereon for use in synchronizing an object between a server and a client, the data structure comprising:

(a) a version portion that indicates which version of the data structure is being used to synchronize the object;

(b) a command portion that indicates a synchronization action to take to synchronize the object between the server and the client; and

(c) if an error occurs while the synchronization action is performed, a response portion that indicates that the synchronization action was not successful.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command portion includes a fetch portion, having an object ID, indicating that the server should send an object associated with the object ID to the client.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the fetch portion indicates that only the object should be sent.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command portion includes a window size portion that indicates a maximum number of objects for the server to send.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command portion includes a more available portion that indicates that the server has more objects available to send to the client.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising an options portion that includes another data structure.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the other data structure is used to send additional commands between the client and the server.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the other data structure is used to send data between the client and the server.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising if the client requests updates from the server, a get changes portion that indicates that the server should send updates to the client.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising if the client sends an object to be added to the server, a response portion that indicates which ID the server associated with the object.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the response portion further indicates an ID the client sent with the object.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the object is associated with a plurality of other objects to be synchronized.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure is embedded within other data.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure is embedded in an email.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure is transmitted using a hypertext transport protocol.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command portion includes a data portion that contains data associated with the object.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising a status portion that indicates a status of performing the synchronization action.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises:

(d) another command portion that indicates another synchronization action to take to synchronize another object between the server and the client; and

(e) if an error occurs while the other synchronization action is performed, another response portion that indicates that the other synchronization action was not successful.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the data structure further comprises:

(f) if the client requests information, an information response portion that contains the requested information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises:

(d) if the client requests information, an information response portion that contains the requested information.

21. A system for synchronizing an object, comprising:

(a) a server configured to receive a data structure, the data structure having;

(i) a version portion indicating which version of the data structure is being used to synchronize the object; and

(ii) a command portion that indicates a synchronization action to take to synchronize the object;

(b) a mobile device coupled to the server, wherein the mobile device is configured to send the data structure to the server to synchronize the object.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the server is further configured to send another data structure having:

(i) a second version portion indicating which version of the other data structure is being used to synchronize the object;

(ii) if an error associated with the synchronization action occurred while processing the data structure, a response portion that indicates the error.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein if an error does not occur, the data structure omits the response portion.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the other data structure further comprises:

(iii) if the mobile device requests information, an information response portion that contains the requested information.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the other data structure further comprises a command portion that indicates another synchronization action to take to synchronize another object between the server and the mobile device.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the server is further configured to update data on another server using the data structure.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the server comprises a proxy server.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the proxy server associates an object on the mobile device with an object on the other server.

29. A mobile device having a data store and computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, comprising:

formatting a synchronization message having portions including;

a version ID portion; and

a commands portion, the commands portion including information that defines changes to be made to a server to cause data on the server system to be synchronized with data on the data store; and

transmitting the formatted message to the server.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the synchronization message further includes:

if an error occurred while the mobile device was updating the data store, a response portion that indicates that the update was not successful.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the synchronization message further includes:

if the mobile device requests information, an information response portion that contains the requested information.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein the commands portion includes a fetch portion, having an object ID, indicating that the server should send an object associated with the object ID to the mobile device.

33. The device of claim 30, wherein the commands portion includes a window size that indicates a maximum number of objects for the server to send.

34. A server having a data store and computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, comprising:

receiving an update synchronization message having portions including;

another version ID portion; and

another commands portion, including information that defines changes to be made on the server to cause the data store to be synchronized with data on a mobile device; and

sending a response synchronization message having portions including;

a version ID portion; and

a commands portion, including information that defines changes to be made on the mobile device to cause the data store to be synchronized with data on the mobile device; and

if an error occurred while processing the update synchronization message, a response portion that indicates that synchronization was not successful.

35. The server of claim 34, further comprising

a parser for parsing the update synchronization message;

and

a generator for generating the response synchronization message.

36. The server of claim 35, wherein the update synchronization message and the response synchronization message each are encoded using a markup language.

37. The server of claim 36, wherein the markup language is an extensible markup language.