Application data synchronization in telecommunications system

• US 20040215669A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sahinoja, Mikko Juhani, Mettala, Riku Mikko, Piispanen, Jussi
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A method of arranging data synchronization of at least one application in a networked system, which comprises at least one terminal, at least one synchronization server, a first database in the terminal, and a second database. In the method, a configuration message is formed which comprises data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising settings of at least the second database. The configuration message is transmitted from the synchronization server to the terminal. A synchronization connection is arranged between the terminal and the synchronization server to perform the synchronization. The synchronization is initialized using the arranged synchronization connection and at least part of said data, data of the first database and the second database being synchronized using at least part of said data.

Claims

1. A method of arranging data synchronization of at least one application in a networked system comprising at least one terminal, at least one synchronization server, a first database in the terminal, and a second database, wherein a synchronization connection is arranged between the terminal and the synchronization server to perform synchronization, the method comprising:

forming a configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising settings of at least the second database;

transmitting said configuration message from the synchronization server to the terminal;

initializing the synchronization using the arranged synchronization connection and at least part of said data, and

synchronizing data of at least the first database and the second database using at least part of said data.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the settings of said at least second database comprise at least the name of the second database, the data on the content types supported, and an address, such a URI indicator, and

at least said address is transmitted in the initialization of the synchronization session preceding the data synchronization from the terminal to the synchronization server as a response to the need to synchronize data of the second database.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said data further comprises user text, and

the user text is displayed to the user of the terminal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said data further comprises settings defining the timing of the synchronization, and

the formation of the synchronization connection and the initialization of the synchronization is started from the terminal at the moment of time according to said settings.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said configuration message comprises at least one field which defines whether said data is new, replacing previous data or complementary.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said configuration message is an XML document in a binary or text format.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said configuration message is transmitted using one or more of the following protocols:

SMS, OBEX, HTTP, or WAP.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission between the synchronization server and the wireless terminal is based on the WAP protocol stack;

and the initialization of the synchronization session and the synchronization is based on the SyncML synchronization protocol performed on top of the WAP protocol stack.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said data comprises settings of a plurality of databases;

and

data of at least the first database and said plurality of databases is synchronized using at least part of said data.

10. A telecommunications system comprising at least one terminal, at least one synchronization server, a first database in the terminal, and a second database, in which system:

the synchronization server is configured to form a configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising settings of at least the second database;

the synchronization server is configured to transmit said configuration message to the terminal;

the terminal and the synchronization server are configured to establish a synchronization connection between the terminal and the synchronization server for the performance of the synchronization,

the terminal and the synchronization server are configured to initialize the synchronization using the configured synchronization connection and at least part of said data; and

the synchronization server is configured to synchronize data of at least the first database and the second database using at least part of said data.

11. A telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein said data comprises at least one of the following:

settings relating to the timing of the start of the synchronization;

the name and address of at least the second database, and the data on the content types supported by it;

user text, which is displayed to the user in the terminal;

information on the synchronization server.

12. A synchronization server comprising means for synchronizing the application data of at least the first database and the second database of the terminal, wherein said synchronization server is further configured

to form a configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising settings of at least the second database;

to transmit said configuration message from the synchronization server to the terminal;

to initialize synchronization, using an arranged synchronization connection and at least part of said data transmitted by the terminal during the initialization, and

to synchronize data of at least the first database and the second database using at least part of said data.

13. A synchronization server according to claim 12, wherein said data comprises at least one of the following:

settings relating to the timing of the start of the synchronization;

the name and address of at least the second database, and the data on the content types supported by it;

user text to be displayed to the user;

data of the synchronization server.

14. A telecommunications device comprising means for arranging application data synchronization of the first database in the telecommunications device with at least one synchronization server and the second database, whereby said telecommunications device is configured

to receive at least one configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization from the synchronization server, said data comprising settings of at least the second database;

to store said data in its memory;

to establish a synchronization connection between the telecommunications device and the synchronization server to perform the synchronization; and

to initialize synchronization with the synchronization server using at least part of said data.

15. A telecommunications device according to claim 14, wherein said data further comprises settings defining the timing of the synchronization;

and

the telecommunications device is configured to start the formation of the synchronization connection and the initialization of the synchronization at the moment of time according to said settings.

16. A telecommunications device according to claim 14, wherein said data further comprises user text;

and

the telecommunications device is configured to display the user text to the user of the telecommunications system.

17. A telecommunications device according to claim 14, wherein said settings of at least the second database comprise at least the name of the database, the data on the content types supported, and an address, such as a URI indicator;

and

the telecommunications device is configured to transmit in the initialization of the synchronization at least said address to the synchronization server as a response to the need to synchronize data of said database.

18. A telecommunications device according to claim 14, wherein the telecommunications device is wireless and supports the WAP protocol and the SyncML synchronization protocol performed on top of the WAP protocol;

the telecommunications device is configured to communicate with the synchronization server using the WAP protocol; and

the client agent of the telecommunications device is configured to communicate with the server agent of the synchronization server in accordance with the SyncML synchronization protocol.

19. A computer program, which can be loaded into the internal memory of the telecommunications device comprising at least the first database and comprises code to be executed in the telecommunications device, which code causes the telecommunications device to:

receive at least one configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising at least settings of the second database;

store said data in its memory;

arrange a synchronization connection between the telecommunications device and the synchronization server to perform the synchronization; and

initialize synchronization with the synchronization server using at least part of said data.

20. A computer-readable data storage medium, wherein said data storage medium comprises a computer program which can be loaded into the internal memory of the telecommunications device comprising at least the first database and comprises code to be executed in the telecommunications device, which code causes the telecommunications device to:

receive at least one configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, said data comprising at least settings of the second database;

store said data in its memory;

arrange a synchronization connection between the telecommunications device and the synchronization server to perform the synchronization; and

initialize synchronization with the synchronization server using at least part of said data.

21. A computer program which can be loaded into the internal memory of the computer functioning as the synchronization server, wherein said computer program comprises code to be executed in the synchronization server, which code causes the synchronization server to:

form a configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, which said data comprises settings of at least the second database;

transmit said configuration message from the synchronization server to at least one terminal;

initialize synchronization using the configured synchronization connection and at least part of said data transmitted by the terminal during the initialization; and

synchronize data of at least the first database and the second database using at least part of said data.

22. A computer-readable data storage medium, wherein

said data storage medium comprises a computer program which can be loaded into the internal memory of the computer functioning as the synchronization server, wherein said computer program comprises code to be executed in the synchronization server, which code causes the synchronization server to:

form a configuration message comprising data required for the application data synchronization, which said data comprises settings of at least the second database;

transmit said configuration message from the synchronization server to at least one terminal;

initialize synchronization using the configured synchronization connection and at least part of said data transmitted by the terminal during the initialization; and

synchronize data of at least the first database and the second database using at least part of said data.