Interactive database systems and methods for environments with high concentrations of mobile users

• US 20060173752A1
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing LLC
• Original Assignee: Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing Company
• Inventors: Rice, James P. Jr., Bowlus, Charles C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A database system usable in a high user concentration environment includes a central database containing content relating to associated users. Software is configured for loading onto associated portable computers carried by the users. The software when executed on one of the associated portable computers performs a method including: (i) downloading from the central database a selected sub-set of the content before the associated portable computer enters the high user concentration environment; (ii) generating modifications or additions to the downloaded sub-set of the content; and (iii) at least while the associated portable computer is within the high user concentration environment, occasionally wirelessly connecting with the central database to upload at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and to download other modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content.

Claims

1. A database system for use in a high user concentration environment, the database system comprising:

a central database containing content relating to associated users; and

software configured for loading onto associated portable computers carried by the users, the software when executed on one of the associated portable computers performing a method including;

(i) downloading from the central database a selected sub-set of the content before the associated portable computer enters the high user concentration environment, (ii) generating modifications or additions to the downloaded sub-set of the content, and (iii) at least while the associated portable computer is within the high user concentration environment, occasionally wirelessly connecting with the central database to upload at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and to download other modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content.

2. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the high user concentration environment is a trade show,

the users are buyers and sellers attending the trade show, and

the selected sub-set of the content includes content selected from a group consisting of;

(i) information about selected buyers wherein the user carrying the associated portable computer is a seller, and (ii) information about selected sellers wherein the user carrying the associated portable computer is a buyer.

3. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected sub-set of content includes a form associated with a user other than the user carrying the associated portable computer, and the generating operation (ii) includes populating the form with information pertaining to the user carrying the associated portable computer, which information was pre-loaded onto the associated portable computer prior to the populating.

4. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless connecting operation (iii) downloads modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content previously uploaded to the central database by other associated portable computers.

5. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the downloading operation (i) and the wireless connecting operation (iii) each include:

connecting the associated portable computer with the central database via the Internet.

6. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the generating operation (ii) generates public information and private information, and

the wireless connecting operation (iii) uploads only public information.

7. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method performed by execution of the software on one of the associated portable computers further includes:

(iv) connecting with a remote database associated with the user carrying the associated portable computer, the remote database being different from the central database, and

(v) uploading at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the associated remote database.

8. The database system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the generating operation (ii) includes:

downloading modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of the content from the connected remote database.

9. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless connecting operation (iii) includes:

polling for a wireless connection at preselected time intervals.

10. The database system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method performed by execution of the software on one of the associated portable computers further includes:

(iv) integrating local information stored on the associated portable computer with the selected sub-set of the content; and

(v) providing the user carrying the associated portable computer with access to both the local information and the sub-set of the content;

wherein the generating operation (ii) enables modifying or adding to the local information, but the wireless connecting operation (iii) does not upload local information to the central database.

11. A database management method for use in a high user concentration environment, the method comprising:

prior to entering the high user concentration environment, downloading a selected sub-set of content of a central database to a portable computer;

generating modifications or additions to the downloaded sub-set of the content at the portable computer; and

at least while the portable computer is within the high user concentration environment, occasionally wirelessly connecting the portable computer with the central database to upload at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the central database and to download other modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content from the central database to the portable computer.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the high user concentration environment is a trade show at which transactions for the purchase and sale of products are conducted, and the downloading prior to entering the high user concentration environment includes:

downloading information about products of interest and about corresponding vendors of said products.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the high user concentration environment is a trade show at which transactions for the purchase and sale of products are conducted, and the downloading prior to entering the high user concentration environment includes:

downloading information about potential buyers of products offered for sale by a seller represented by a person carrying the portable computer in the high user concentration environment.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the downloaded information about potential buyers includes purchase forms, the method further including:

populating a downloaded purchase form with information relating to the seller represented by the person carrying the portable computer.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, further including:

wirelessly sending the populated purchase form to a remote computer associated with the seller.

16. A storage medium storing software configured for loading onto associated portable computers, an instance of the software executing on one of the associated portable computers performing a database method including (i) downloading from an associated central database containing content relating to the associated users a selected sub-set of the content, (ii) generating modifications or additions to the downloaded sub-set of the content, and (iii) at least while the associated portable computer is within a high user concentration environment, occasionally wirelessly connecting with the associated central database to upload at least some of the generated modifications or additions to the associated central database and to download other modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content.

17. The storage medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein:

the high user concentration environment is a trade show,

the users are buyers and sellers attending the trade show, and

the selected sub-set of the content includes content selected from a group consisting of;

(i) information about selected buyers wherein the user carrying the associated portable computer is a seller, and (ii) information about selected sellers wherein the user carrying the associated portable computer is a buyer.

18. The storage medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein the selected sub-set of content includes a form associated with a user other than the user carrying the associated portable computer, and the generating operation (ii) includes populating the form with information pertaining to the user carrying the associated portable computer, which information was pre-loaded onto the associated portable computer prior to the populating.

19. The storage medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein the wireless connecting operation (iii) downloads modifications or additions to the selected sub-set of content previously uploaded to the central database by other associated portable computers.