Information management system for remote computing platforms

• US 20040162829A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Iceberg International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iceberg International Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, Douglas A., Dybvik, Kirk W., Gabos, John S.
• Application Number:
  US10/745,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

A computing system for managing information between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform is disclosed. The server computing environment distributes information relevant to a user to the remote computing platform. The remote computing platform is configured to allow the user to automatically access the information distributed from the server computing environment. For example, in one aspect, the computing system comprises a server application and a server database resident on the server computing environment and a first client application resident on the remote computing platform. The server application is configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in the server database and is capable of communicating with and distributing information to the remote computing platform. The client application resident on the remote computing platform is configured to create an association between the information distributed from the server database and one or more corresponding events stored on an application database resident on the remote computing platform. The client application is further configured to display each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association created by the client application.

Claims

1. A computing system for managing event information between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform, the system comprising:

(a) a server application resident on the server computing environment configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in a server database, the server application being capable of communicating with the remote computing platform and transferring the information from the server database to the remote computing platform; and

(b) a client application resident on the remote computing platform, the client application being configured to create an association between the information transferred from the server database and one or more corresponding events stored on an application database resident on the remote computing platform, the client application further being configured to display each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association created by the client application.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the information on the server database includes information relevant to the user received from one or more third-party computing systems.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the remote computing system is configured to access content information resident on the server computing system using the association created by the client application.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the information transferred from the server database to the remote computing platform includes one or more events and content information corresponding to each of the events.

5. The computing system of claim 4, wherein each of the events transferred from the server database are transferred to a staging database resident on the remote computing platform and the content information corresponding to each of the events is transferred to a content database resident on the remote computing platform.

6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein the client application processes the events transferred to the staging database into the application database and creates a record on an associative database for linking each event processed by the client application with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the record created on the associative database includes a unique identifier corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

8. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the server application processes the events transferred from the server database into the application database and creates a record on an associative database for linking each event processed by the server application with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

9. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the user can automatically access the content information corresponding to a selected calendar event using the association created by the client application.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the content information is requested and retrieved directly to the client application when the user requests access to the content information using the association created by the client application.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the client application is configured to launch a second client application to provide access to the content information when the user requests access to the information using the association created by the client application.

12. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the information from the server database is transferred to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

13. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user can access and update the information stored on the server database when the remote computing platform is on-line.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the client application is further configured to allow the user to request additional information from the server database that is relevant to the information being accessed by the user.

15. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user can access and update the information transferred from the server database when the remote computing platform is off-line.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the client application is further configured to allow the user to request additional information from the server database that is relevant to the information transferred from the server database, wherein further the additional information from the server database is transferred to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

17. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the server application updates the information transferred from the server database when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

18. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the remote computing platform is a hand-held computer.

19. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the remote computing platform is a wireless communications device.

20. A computing system for managing calendar events between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform, the system comprising:

(a) a server application resident on the server computing environment configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in a server database, the server application being capable of communicating with the remote computing platform and transferring the information from the server database to the remote computing platform, the server application further being configured to process predetermined calendar events stored in an application database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(b) a client application resident on the remote computing platform, the client application being configured to create an association between the information transferred from the server database and one or more corresponding calendar events stored on the application database resident on the remote computing platform, the client application further being configured to display each of the calendar events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association created by the client application.

21. A computing system for communicating with a server computing environment, the system comprising:

(a) a portable computing platform, the portable computing platform having a processor and a memory in data communication with the processor;

(b) an application database stored in the memory, the application database for storing one or more events; and

(c) a client application resident on the portable computing platform, the client application being programmed to receive information relevant to a user from the server computing environment, the client application being configured to create an association between the information received from the server computing environment and one or more corresponding events stored on the application database, the client application further being configured to display each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server computing environment using the association created by the client application.

22. A method for managing information between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform, the server computing environment having a server application configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in a server database, the method comprising:

(a) distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform;

(b) creating an association between the information transferred from the server database and one or more corresponding events stored on an application database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(c) displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the information on the server database includes information relevant to the user received from one or more third-party computing systems.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of displaying each of the events stored on the application database includes displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access content information resident on the server computing environment.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes:

(a) distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the steps of distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform and distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) distributing each of the events to a staging database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing the content information to a content database resident on the remote computing platform.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

(a) processing the events transferred to the staging database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the record created on the associative database includes a unique identifier corresponding to the content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) processing the events from the server database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is on-line.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is off-line.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes requesting and retrieving the content information directly to the client application resident on the remote computing platform when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes launching a second client application with the content information when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes distributing the information to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized With the server application.

38. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

(a) requesting additional information from the server database that is relevant to the information transferred from the server database; and

(b) distributing the additional information from the server database to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

39. A computer storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for managing information between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform, the server computing environment having a server application configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in a server database, the computer process comprising:

(a) distributing the information from the server database to a client application resident on the remote computing platform;

(b) creating an association between the information transferred from the server database and one or more corresponding events stored on an application database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(c) displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association.

40. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the information on the server database includes information relevant to the user received from one or more third-party computing systems.

41. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the step of displaying each of the events stored on the application database includes displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access content information resident on the server computing environment.

42. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes:

(a) distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform.

43. The storage medium of claim 42, wherein the steps of distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform and distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) distributing each of the events to a staging database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing the content information to a content database resident on the remote computing platform.

44. The storage medium of claim 43 further comprising:

(a) processing the events transferred to the staging database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database.

45. The storage medium of claim 44, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

46. The storage medium of claim 45, wherein the record created on the associative database includes a unique identifier corresponding to the content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

47. The storage medium of claim 42, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) processing the events from the server database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

48. The storage medium of claim 47, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

49. The storage medium of claim 42 further comprising accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association.

50. The storage medium of claim 49 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is on-line.

51. The storage medium of claim 49 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is off-line.

52. The storage medium of claim 49, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes requesting and retrieving the content information directly to the client application resident on the remote computing platform when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

53. The storage medium of claim 49, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes launching a second client application with the content information when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

54. The storage medium of claim 39, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes distributing the information to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

55. The storage medium of claim 39 further comprising:

(a) requesting additional information from the server database that is relevant to the information transferred from the server database; and

(b) distributing the additional information from the server database to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

56. A propagated signal on a carrier detectable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for managing information between a server computing environment and a remote computing platform, the server computing environment having a server application configured to manage and arrange information relevant to a user stored in a server database, the computer process comprising:

(a) distributing the information from the server database to a client application resident on the remote computing platform;

(b) creating an association between the information transferred from the server database and one or more corresponding events stored on an application database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(c) displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access the information transferred from the server database using the association.

57. The signal of claim 56, wherein the information on the server database includes information relevant to the user received from one or more third-party computing systems.

58. The signal of claim 56, wherein the step of displaying each of the events stored on the application database includes displaying each of the events stored on the application database such that the user can automatically access content information resident on the server computing environment.

59. The signal of claim 56, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes:

(a) distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform.

60. The signal of claim 59, wherein the steps of distributing one or more events from the server database to the remote computing platform and distributing content information corresponding to each of the events from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) distributing each of the events to a staging database resident on the remote computing platform; and

(b) distributing the content information to a content database resident on the remote computing platform.

61. The signal of claim 60 further comprising:

(a) processing the events transferred to the staging database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database.

62. The signal of claim 61, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

63. The signal of claim 62, wherein the record created on the associative database includes a unique identifier corresponding to the content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

64. The signal of claim 59, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform further includes:

(a) processing the events from the server database into the application database; and

(b) linking each event with the corresponding content information transferred to the content database resident on the remote computing platform.

65. The signal of claim 64, wherein the step of linking each event includes creating a record on an associative database.

66. The signal of claim 59 further comprising accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association.

67. The signal of claim 66 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is on-line.

68. The signal of claim 66 further comprising updating the content information corresponding to a selected event using the association when the remote computing platform is off-line.

69. The signal of claim 66, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes requesting and retrieving the content information directly to the client application resident on the remote computing platform when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

70. The signal of claim 66, wherein the step of accessing the content information corresponding to a selected event includes launching a second client application with the content information when the user requests access to the content information using the association.

71. The signal of claim 56, wherein the step of distributing the information from the server database to the remote computing platform includes distributing the information to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.

72. The signal of claim 56 further comprising:

(a) requesting additional information from the server database that is relevant to the information transferred from the server database; and

(b) distributing the additional information from the server database to the remote computing platform when the remote computing platform is being synchronized with the server application.