Method and apparatus for detecting insufficient memory for data extraction processes

• US 20070094345A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Scott, Brian, Susser, Martin, Chung, Pi-Yu, Hansen, Aaron, Rabbers, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1737 for reducing power consumption or coping with limited storage space, e.g. in mobile devices saving storage space on storage devices G06F3/0608; power saving in storage systems G06F3/0625
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A handheld device performs a data update process to synchronize locally stored data with data from another device, which may be stored in different formats. The handheld device gets the size of the data from the other device. The handheld device applies a scaling factor to the size. The handheld device compares the scaled size to the amount of free memory in the handheld device available for the data update process. The handheld device receives the update data if there is sufficient memory available. Otherwise, the handheld device does not receive the update data in order to conserve power in the handheld device. The handheld device can also perform an error routine to notify the user of the insufficient memory condition and to allow the user to make more memory available.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an identifier from a server;

comparing the received identifier with an identifier stored on a device, wherein the identifier received from the server identifies a version of a software application available for download to the device, and wherein the identifier stored on the device identifies a version of the software application stored in memory of the device;

receiving a value identifying a quantity of data contained in first metadata if the received identifier does not match the identifier stored on the device, wherein the first metadata relates to the software application available for download to the device;

scaling the received value by applying a scaling factor to the received value;

comparing the scaled value with a value identifying a quantity of memory available in the device to store new data;

receiving the first metadata if the scaled value is smaller than the value identifying the quantity of memory available for storing new data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an error routine if the scaled value is greater than the value identifying the quantity of memory available for storing new data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the error routine includes indicating to a user that insufficient memory is available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device receives the first metadata in a text message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the scaling factor to be used in scaling the received value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the scaling factor is predetermined experimentally.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the scaling factor is configurable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the scaling factor is dynamically determinable.

9. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an identifier from a server, wherein the identifier received from the server identifies a version of a software application available for download;

means for comparing the received identifier with an identifier stored on a device, wherein the identifier stored on the device identifies a version of the software application stored in memory of the device;

means for receiving a value identifying a quantity of data contained in first metadata when the received identifier does not match the identifier stored on the device, wherein the first metadata relates to the software application available for download to the device;

means for scaling the received value, wherein the means for scaling the received value comprises means for applying a scaling factor to the received value;

means for comparing the scaled value with a value identifying a quantity of memory in the device available to store new data;

means for receiving the first metadata if the scaled value is smaller than the value identifying the quantity of memory available for storing new data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for performing an error routine if the scaled value is greater than the value identifying the quantity of memory available to store new data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the error routine includes indicating to a user that insufficient memory is available.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the device receives the first metadata in a text message.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for determining the scaling factor to be used by the means for scaling.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scaling factor is predetermined experimentally.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scaling factor is configurable.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scaling factor is dynamically determinable.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a device cause the device to perform, the method comprising:

comparing an identifier with an identifier stored on the device, wherein the received identifier identifies a version of a software application available for download to the device, and wherein the identifier stored on the device identifies a version of the software application stored in memory of the device;

receiving a value identifying a quantity of data contained in first metadata if the received identifier does not match the identifier stored on the device;

scaling the received value by applying a scaling factor to the received value;

comparing the scaled value with a value identifying a quantity of memory available in the device to store new data;

receiving the first metadata if the scaled value is smaller than a the value identifying the quantity of memory available for storing new data.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises performing an error routine if the scaled value is greater than the value identifying the quantity of memory available for storing new data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the error routine includes indicating to a user that insufficient memory is available.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the device receives the first metadata of the server in a text message.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises determining the scaling factor to be used in scaling the received value.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the scaling factor is predetermined experimentally.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the scaling factor is configurable.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the scaling factor is dynamically determinable.

25-28. -28. (canceled)