Universal data aggregation

• US 20070027930A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Ariel, Ido, Alvarado, Billy, Gent, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system for aggregating and managing PIM data from multiple sources is provided. By aggregating various sources of data, the present system allow for the bridging of networked communities and organizations. Limitations of data aggregation as a result of proprietary and/or protocol concerns are overcome through the development of trusted relationships amongst users of the data aggregation and management system.

Claims

1. A data aggregation system comprising:

a data aggregation server configured to aggregate data from a plurality of users, the data aggregation server comprising at least one module configured to acquire data; and

a mobile device coupled to the data aggregation server, the mobile device configured to access the data acquired by the at least one module.

2. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the data aggregation server is integrated into a service provider network.

3. The data aggregation system of claim 1, further comprising a computing device coupled to the server.

4. The data aggregation system of claim 3, wherein the computing device maintains personal information management (PIM) data.

5. The data aggregation system of claim 3, wherein the computing device is also coupled to the mobile device.

6. The data aggregation system of claim 3, wherein the computing device is a personal computer.

7. The data aggregation system of claim 3, wherein the computing device is an enterprise server.

8. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregation of data by the data aggregation server comprises a push operation initiated by one of the plurality of users.

9. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregation of data by the data aggregation server comprises a pull operation initiated by the mobile device.

10. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises PIM data originating at the mobile device.

11. The data aggregation system of claim 4, wherein the aggregated data comprises PIM data originating at the computing device.

12. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises calendar data.

13. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises contact data.

14. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises presence data.

15. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises location data.

16. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data comprises non-PIM data.

17. The data aggregation system of claim 1, wherein the data aggregation server further comprises a groups module configured to identify a common characteristic in the data aggregated from the plurality of users.

18. The data aggregation system of claim 17, wherein the groups module generates a group of users in accordance with the common characteristic in the data aggregated from the plurality of users.

19. A method of aggregating data comprising:

querying availability of data sources in an integrated data environment;

acquiring data from the data sources in the integrated data environment;

querying availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment;

in response to a determination of the availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment, providing proxied credentials to access the data sources outside the integrated data environment;

acquiring data from the data sources outside the integrated data environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data sources outside the integrated data environment comprise a first user data source and a second user data source.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first user provides credentials to access the first user data source and the second user provides credentials to access the second user data source prior to querying the availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first user data source and second user data source are a common source of data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the common source of data comprises a personal computer, an enterprise server, a mobile device, an instant messenger network, or an Internet portal.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first user data source and second user data source are different sources of data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the aggregated data is shared between the first user and the second user as a result of the aggregation of data from the different sources of data.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein querying the availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment comprises the use of a communications protocol native to the data source outside the integrated data environment.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a computing device to execute a method for aggregating data, the instructions comprising:

querying availability of data sources in an integrated data environment;

acquiring data from the data sources in the integrated data environment;

querying availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment;

in response to a determination of the availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment, providing proxied credentials to access the data sources outside the integrated data environment;

acquiring data from the data sources outside the integrated data environment.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein querying the availability of data sources outside the integrated data environment comprises the use of a communications protocol native to the data source outside the integrated data environment.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions for sharing aggregated data between a first user and a second user as a result of the aggregation of data from at least two sources of data outside the integrated data environment.