Mail server based application record synchronization

• US 20050055386A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Tosey, Joseph Peter Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A solution is provided wherein standard mail servers may be used to assist the synchronization of application data across multiple devices. This allows the synchronization of application data without requiring contemporaneous operation of the synchronization partner devices. This may be accomplished by generating a record for each change to a database on a first device. Upon synchronization of the first device with the mail server, the changes since the last synchronization may be uploaded to the mail server and stored in a mailbox for a user associated with the device. If a second device associated with the user then attempts to synchronize with the mail server, the records may be downloaded and the corresponding changes implemented in the database on the second device.

Claims

1. A method for managing the synchronization of an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device using a mail server, comprising:

receiving information from the first device regarding changes made to the application database on the first device since a last synchronization;

storing said information in a mail folder corresponding to a user associated with the first device and the second device; and

forwarding said information from said mail folder to the second device upon receipt of a synchronization request from the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information includes a record for each change made to the application database since said last synchronization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said record for each change includes a location and identity of attachment documents associated with the change-action-queue record.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting said information from said mail folder after said forwarding.

9. A method for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

generating a record each time said application database is changed on the first device, said record containing information regarding said change;

uploading each of said records generated since a last synchronization to a mail server;

storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said uploading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the first device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said downloading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the second device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said record for each change includes a location and identity of attachment documents associated with the change-action-queue record.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

18. A method for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

generating a list of records of each change to said application database on the first device since a last synchronization, each record containing information regarding said corresponding change;

uploading each of said records to a mail server;

storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said uploading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the first device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said downloading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the second device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said record for each change includes a location and identity of attachment documents associated with the change-action-queue record.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

27. An apparatus for managing the synchronization of an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device using a mail server, comprising:

a memory;

a first device database change information receiver;

a first device database change information mail folder storer coupled to said first device database change information receiver and to said memory; and

a first device database change information second device forwarder coupled to said memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a first device database change information deleter coupled to said first device database change information second device forwarder.

29. An apparatus for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

a first device application database change record generator;

a mail server change record uploader coupled to said first device application database change record generator;

a memory;

a change record mailbox storer coupled to said memory;

a change record second device downloader coupled to said memory; and

a second device application database modifier coupled to said change record second device downloader.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a change record deleter coupled to said change record second device downloader and to said memory.

31. An apparatus for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

a first device application database change record list generator;

a mail server change record uploader coupled to said first device application database change record list generator;

a memory;

a change record mailbox storer coupled to said memory;

a change record second device downloader coupled to said memory; and

a second device application database modifier coupled to said change record second device downloader.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a change record deleter coupled to said change record second device downloader and to said memory.

33. An apparatus for managing the synchronization of an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device using a mail server, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving information from the first device regarding changes made to the application database on the first device since a last synchronization;

means for storing said information in a mail folder corresponding to a user associated with the first device and the second device; and

means for forwarding said information from said mail folder to the second device upon receipt of a synchronization request from the second device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said information includes a record for each change made to the application database since said last synchronization.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

39. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

means for deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for deleting said information from said mail folder after said forwarding.

41. An apparatus for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a record each time said application database is changed on the first device, said record containing information regarding said change;

means for uploading each of said records generated since a last synchronization to a mail server;

means for storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

means for downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

means for modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said uploading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the first device.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said downloading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the second device.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

46. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said record for each change includes a location and identity of attachment documents associated with the change-action-queue record.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

means for deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

51. An apparatus for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a list of records of each change to said application database on the first device since a last synchronization, each record containing information regarding said corresponding change;

means for uploading each of said records to a mail server;

means for storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

means for downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

means for modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said uploading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the first device.

53. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said downloading occurs in response to a request for synchronization on the second device.

54. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the device where the change took place.

55. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the record is synchronized with the mail server.

56. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said record for each change includes an identification of the record.

57. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said record for each change includes a time stamp indicating the time the corresponding change to the database was made.

58. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said record for each change includes a location and identity of attachment documents associated with the change-action-queue record.

59. The apparatus of claim 51, further comprising:

means for deleting said records from said mailbox after said downloading.

60. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for managing the synchronization of an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device using a mail server, comprising:

receiving information from the first device regarding changes made to the application database on the first device since a last synchronization;

storing said information in a mail folder corresponding to a user associated with the first device and the second device; and

forwarding said information from said mail folder to the second device upon receipt of a synchronization request from the second device.

61. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

generating a record each time said application database is changed on the first device, said record containing information regarding said change;

uploading each of said records generated since a last synchronization to a mail server;

storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.

62. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for synchronizing an application database located on a first device with an application database located on a second device, comprising:

generating a list of records of each change to said application database on the first device since a last synchronization, each record containing information regarding said corresponding change;

uploading each of said records to a mail server;

storing each of said records in a mailbox for a user associated with the first device and the second device;

downloading each of said records from said mailbox to the second device; and

modifying said application database located on the second device with changes indicated by each of said downloaded records.