Portable database system

• US 20040073567A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelon, Frederick Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An improved method of storing databases in a portable computer is provided to reduce and optimize storage space required while ensuring accessibility to user-required data. An improved method of interchanging data records between a master computer and a portable computer is also provided. In the present invention, attributes are assigned to data records and data fields to indicate relevance of the record or field to a user in different circumstances. Only the data records and data fields relevant to a user'"'"'s current circumstance are downloaded to the portable computer. A change in circumstance of a user is tracked by a change in attribute, which triggers replacement or interchange of existing data records with data records that are relevant to the user'"'"'s current circumstance.

Claims

1. A method of storing a portable database containing a first plurality of data records assigned with a first attribute from a first series of attributes, comprising:

determining a current attribute from the first series of attributes; and

updating the portable database if the current attribute differs from the first attribute.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

removing the first plurality of data records; and

downloading a second plurality of data records assigned with the current attribute into the portable database.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

based on a second attribute from a second series of attributes assigned to each of the second plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the second plurality of data records.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

based on a third attribute from a third series of attributes assigned to each data field of the second plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the data fields of the second plurality of data records.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the first series of attributes is one of time-based, location-based and context-based.

6. A computer system comprising a portable database and a master database, the portable database containing a first plurality of data records assigned with a first attribute from a first series of attributes, wherein the data records are selectively downloaded into the portable database by a method comprising:

determining a current attribute from the first series of attributes; and

updating the portable database if the current attribute differs from the first attribute.

7. The computer system recited in claim 6, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

removing the first plurality of data records; and

downloading a second plurality of data records assigned with the current attribute into the portable database.

8. The computer system recited in claim 7, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

based on a second attribute from a second series of attributes assigned to each of the second plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the second plurality of data records.

9. The computer system recited in claim 8, wherein updating the portable database further comprising:

based on a third attribute from a third series of attributes assigned to each data field of the second plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the data fields of the second plurality of data records.

10. The computer system recited in claim 9, wherein the first series of attributes is one of time-based, location-based and context-based.

11. An improved method of interchanging data records between a master computer and a portable computer comprising:

assigning a first attribute from a first series of attributes to a first plurality of data records in the master computer;

determining the first attribute as a current attribute;

identifying current relevant data records as the first plurality of data records in the master computer; and

downloading the first plurality of data records from the master computer to the portable computer.

12. The improved method of interchanging data records as in claim 11 further comprising:

identifying data records in the first plurality of data records which have been modified at the portable computer; and

uploading the modified data records in the first plurality of data records to the master computer.

13. The improved method of interchanging data records as in claim 11 further comprising:

assigning a second attribute from the first series of attributes to a second plurality of data records in the master computer;

determining the second attribute as a different current attribute;

based on the different current attribute, identifying current relevant data records as the second plurality of data records in the master computer; and

downloading the second plurality of data records from the master computer to the portable computer for replacing the first plurality of data records.

14. The improved method of interchanging data records as in claim 11, wherein downloading the first plurality of data records further comprising:

based on a second series of attributes assigned to the first plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the first plurality of data records.

15. The improved method of interchanging data records as in claim 14, wherein downloading the first plurality of data records further comprising:

based on a third series of attributes assigned to data fields of the first plurality of data records, downloading a selection of the data fields of the selection of the first plurality of data records.