Priority based synchronization of data in a personal area network

• US 20050147130A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shultz, Travis T., Banginwar, Rajesh P., Cronin, Thomas M., Shimoda, Marion H., Hurwitz, Roger A.
• Application Number:
  US10/743,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20050147130A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation

Abstract

Priority-based data synchronization may be used to achieve improved flexibility and functionality.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at least one synchronization priority assignment for each of at least two synchronization tasks of a synchronization session between a first device and a second device; and

executing said at least two synchronization tasks in order from a highest to a lowest synchronization priority.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one synchronization priority assignment is based on at least one of:

an explicit factor;

an implicit factor;

a specified priority;

an application usage based priority; and

an application usage based priority assigned based on determining a frequency of use of an application associated with each of said at least two synchronization tasks.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating said synchronization session when said first device and said second device are within range of one another.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether one of said at least two synchronization tasks completely executed, and

placing said one of said at least two synchronization tasks into a queue of at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks remaining to be executed, if said one of said at least two synchronization tasks is determined not to have been completely executed.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a state of synchronization in the event of said first device and said second device falling outside range of one another, and

continuing said synchronization session executing at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks in said order of priority upon said first device and said second device returning within range of one another.

6. A system, comprising:

a first device having first data adapted to be in communication with a second device having second data;

at least two synchronization tasks adapted to synchronize said first data with said second data, each of said at least two synchronization tasks having at least one synchronization priority;

a synchronization policy manager adapted to assign said at least one synchronization priority to each of said at least two synchronization tasks, said synchronization policy manager comprising a synchronization task database adapted to store said at least two synchronization tasks, and a queue of said at least two synchronization tasks in order of said at least one synchronization priority; and

a synchronization session manager adapted to execute said at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks in order of said at least one synchronization priority of said queue.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said synchronization policy manager comprises:

an assignment of synchronization priority based on at least one of;

an explicit factor and an implicit factor.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said explicit factor comprises a specified priority.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said implicit factor comprises an application usage based priority.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said application usage based priority comprises an assignment based on frequency of use of an application associated with said at least two synchronization tasks.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said first device and said second device comprises at least one of:

a computing device;

a communications device;

a personal computer (PC);

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a handheld PC;

a notebook PC;

a subnotebook PC;

a laptop PC;

a tablet PC;

a server;

a workstation; and

a phone.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said first device and said second device comprise a wireless device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said wireless device comprises at least one of:

an Infrared Data Association (IrDA)-compliant wireless device;

a short-range radio frequency technology wireless device;

a Bluetooth-compliant wireless device;

an IEEE 802.11 standard-compliant wireless local area network (LAN) device;

a shared wireless access protocol (SWAP)-compliant wireless device;

a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi)-compliant wireless device; and

an ultrawideband (UWB) wireless device.

14. The system according to claim 6, wherein said synchronization policy manager comprises a prompt adapted to receive said at least one synchronization priority from at least one of said first device and said second device.

15. The system according to claim 6, wherein said synchronization session manager is adapted to initiate a synchronization session when said first device and said second device are within range of one another.

16. The system according to claim 6, wherein said synchronization session manager is adapted to execute said at least two synchronization tasks while said first device and said second device remain within range of one another.

17. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a detector adapted to determine whether said one of said at least two synchronization tasks completely executed, and to place said one of said at least two synchronization tasks into said queue if said at least two synchronization tasks did not completely execute.

18. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a state manager adapted to maintain a state of synchronization in the event of said first device and said second device falling outside range of one another, and to cause said synchronization session manager to again execute at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks remaining at said state of synchronization upon said first device and said second device returning within range of one another.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein said synchronization policy manager is adapted to assign at least one synchronization priority based on a frequency of use by a user of an application associated with each of said at least two synchronization tasks.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks comprises at least one subtask having a sub-priority.

21. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, cause said computing platform to perform operations comprising a method of:

receiving at least one synchronization priority assignment for each of at least two synchronization tasks of a synchronization session between a first device and a second device; and

executing said at least two synchronization tasks in order from a highest to a lowest synchronization priority.

22. The machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein said one synchronization priority assignment is based on at least one of:

an explicit factor and an implicit factor.

23. The machine-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein said explicit factor comprises a specified priority.

24. The machine-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein said implicit factor comprises an application usage based priority.

25. The machine-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein said application usage based priority is assigned based on determining a frequency of use of an application associated with each of said at least two synchronization tasks.

26. The machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein said receiving comprises:

receiving said at least one synchronization priority assignment at at least one of said first device and said second device.

27. The machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating said synchronization session when said first device and said second device are within range of one another.

28. The machine-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein said executing comprises:

executing at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks while said first device and said second device remain within range of one another.

29. The machine-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether one of said at least two synchronization tasks completely executed, and

placing said one of said at least two synchronization tasks into a queue of at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks remaining to be executed, if said one of said at least two synchronization tasks is determined not to have been completely executed.

30. The machine-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

maintaining a state of synchronization in the event of said first device and said second device falling outside range of one another, and

continuing said synchronization session executing at least one of said at least two synchronization tasks in said order of priority upon said first device and said second device returning within range of one another.