TECHNIQUES FOR DATABASE UPDATES

• US 20080167025A1
• Filed: 01/07/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: WILLIAMSON, RICHARD JOHN
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Techniques for updating databases stored on mobile devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a client device having a memory to store a name database having an associated version for use by an application running on the client device; and

a host device configured to communicate with the client device, the host device configured to update the name database by utilizing a remote current database, wherein the host device is configured to communicate with the client device via both wired and wireless communications operations and the host device is further configured to determine whether the name database stored on the client device should be updated by comparing the version associated with the name database and the version associated with the current name database and to communicate updates to the name database, if any, via the wired communications operations if available and via the wireless communications operations during periods of inactivity if the wired communications operations are not available.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the name database includes a listing of geographical locations.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the name database includes stock names.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the host device comprises a computer system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the client device comprises a cellular-enabled mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications operations comply with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications operations comply with a Bluetooth standard.

8. A method comprising:

determining whether a primary wireless connection exits to allow communication with a client device having a database with an associated version;

periodically determining the version associated with the database with a host device;

determining automatically, in response to detecting a secondary connection between the host device and client device, the version associated with the database;

comparing the version associated with the database on the client device with a version of a most recent database available from a remote device in response to determining the version associated with the database on the client device; and

updating the database on the client device if the version associated with the database on the client device is not the version of the database available from the remote device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein periodically determining the version associated with the database with the host device comprises periodically sending a query from the host device to the client device to determine the version during periods of wireless network activity.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the primary wireless connection comprises a wireless connection according to a first wireless protocol and the secondary connection comprises a wireless connection according to a second wireless protocol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the bandwidth provided by the first wireless protocol is greater than the bandwidth provided by the second wireless protocol.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first wireless protocol conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard and the second wireless protocol conforms to a Bluetooth standard.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the primary wireless connection comprises a wireless connection according to a first wireless protocol and the secondary connection comprises a wired connection according to a second protocol.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the database includes a listing of names corresponding to geographical locations.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the database includes a listing of names corresponding to stock symbols.

16. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that,when executed, cause one or more processors to:

determine whether a primary wireless connection exists to allow communication with a client device having a database with an associated version;

periodically determine the version associated with the database with a host device;

determine automatically, in response to detecting a secondary connection between the host device and client device, the version associated with the database;

compare the version associated with the database on the client device with a version of a most recent database available from a remote device in response to determining the version associated with the database on the client device; and

update the database on the client device if the version associated with the database on the client device is not the version of the database available from the remote device.

17. The article of claim 16 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to periodically determine the version associated with the database with the host device comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to periodically send a query from the host device to the client device to determine the version during periods of wireless network inactivity.

18. The article of claim 16 wherein the primary wireless connection comprises a wireless connection according to a first wireless protocol and the secondary connection comprises a wireless connection according to a second wireless protocol.

19. The article of claim 18 wherein the bandwidth provided by the first wireless protocol is greater than the bandwidth provided by the second wireless protocol.

20. The article of claim 18 wherein the first wireless protocol conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard and the second wireless protocol conforms to a Bluetooth standard.

21. The article of claim 16 wherein the primary wireless connection comprises a wireless connection according to a first wireless protocol and the secondary connection comprises a wired connection according to a second protocol.

22. The article of claim 16 wherein the database includes a listing of names corresponding to geographical locations.

23. The article of claim 16 wherein the database includes a listing of names corresponding to stock symbols.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether a primary wireless connection exists to allow communication with a client device having a database with an associated version;

means for periodically determining the version associated with the database with a host device;

means for determining automatically, in response to detecting a secondary connection between the host device and client device, the version associated with the database;

means for comparing the version associated with the database on the client device with a version of a most recent database available from a remote device in response to determining the version associated with the database on the client device; and

means for updating the database on the client device if the version associated with the database on the client device is not the version of the database available from the remote device.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a query from a host device to request a version identifier corresponding to a database stored on a client device;

responding to the query with the version identifier and a location identifier corresponding to a source of a most recent database to which the version of the database stored on the client device is compared;

receiving an update to the database stored on the client device if the version identifier indicates that the database stored on the client device does not match the most recent database.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the location identifier corresponding to the source of the most recent database comprises one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs) for the host device to utilize to determine whether the database stored on the client device matches the most recent database.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the database stored on the client device includes a listing of names corresponding to geographical locations.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the database stored on the client device includes a listing of names corresponding to stock symbols.

29. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive a query from a host device to request a version identifier corresponding to a database stored on a client device;

respond to the query with the version identifier and a location identifier corresponding to a source of a most recent database to which the version of the database stored on the client device is compared;

receive an update to the database stored on the client device if the version identifier indicates that the database stored on the client device does not match the most recent database.

30. The article of claim 29 wherein the location identifier corresponding to the source of the most recent database comprises one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs) for the host device to utilize to determine whether the database stored on the client device matches the most recent database.

31. The article of claim 29 wherein the database stored on the client device includes a listing of names corresponding to geographical locations.

32. The article of claim 29 wherein the database stored on the client device includes a listing of names corresponding to stock symbols.

33. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a query from a host device to request a version identifier corresponding to a database stored on a client device;

means for responding to the query with the version identifier and a location identifier corresponding to a source of a most recent database to which the version of the database stored on the client device is compared;

means for receiving an update to the database stored on the client device if the version identifier indicates that the database stored on the client device does not match the most recent database.

34. A mobile apparatus comprising:

a database to store information; and

a client agent coupled with the database, the client agent to respond to a query from a host device to request a version identifier corresponding to the database with the version identifier and a location identifier corresponding to a source of a most recent database to which the version of the database stored on the mobile device is compared, and in response to receiving update information from the host device, causing the database to be updated.

35. The mobile apparatus of claim 34 wherein the location identifier corresponding to the source of the most recent database comprises one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs) for the host device to utilize to determine whether the database stored on the mobile device matches the most recent database.

36. The mobile apparatus of claim 34 wherein the database stored on the mobile device includes a listing of names corresponding to geographical locations.

37. The mobile apparatus of claim 34 wherein the database stored on the mobile device includes a listing of names corresponding to stock symbols.

38. A host device comprising:

a first wireless network interface;

a secondary interface configured to allow communications with a mobile device;

an update agent to configured to communicate with the mobile device to update a name database on the mobile device by determining whether the name database stored on the mobile device should be updated by comparing a version associated with the name database and a version associated with a current name database and to communicate updates to the name database on the mobile, if any, via the secondary interface if available and via the first wireless interface during periods of inactivity if the secondary interface is not available.

39. The host device of claim 38 wherein the name database includes a listing of geographical locations.

40. The host device of claim 38 wherein the name database includes stock names.

41. The host device of claim 38 wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular-enabled mobile device.

42. The host device of claim 38 wherein the first wireless interface complies with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

43. The host device of claim 38 wherein the secondary interface comprises a wireless interface that complies with a Bluetooth standard.

44. The host device of claim 38 wherein the secondary interface comprises a wired interface that complies with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard.

45. An interface coupled between a host device and a client device, the interface to carry a database version corresponding to a database stored on the client device and location information to the host device, the version and the location information to be used by the host device to determine whether the database stored on the client device is a most recent version of the database, and if the version of the database stored on the client device is not the most recent version of the database to transmit the most recent version of the database form the host device to the client device.

46. The interface of claim 45 wherein the database includes a listing of geographical location names.

47. The interface of claim 45 wherein the name database includes stock names.

48. The interface of claim 45 wherein the client device comprises a cellular-enabled mobile device.

49. The interface of claim 45 wherein communication over the interface complies with a Bluetooth standard.

50. The interface of claim 45 wherein communication over the interface complies with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard.

51. An application agent resident on a client device having a database with an associated version identifier and one or more location identifiers corresponding to an indication of a most recent version of the database, the application agent to utilize the database to provide to a user of the client device, the application agent further to provide the version identifier and the one or more location identifiers to a host device and, to receive the most recent version of the database from the host device if the database resident on the client device is not the most recent version of the database.

52. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the database includes a listing of geographical location names.

53. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the name database includes stock names.

54. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the version identifier and the one or more location identifies are communicated to the host device over a wireless interface that complies with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

55. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the version identifier and the one or more location identifies are communicated to the host device over a wireless interface that complies with a Bluetooth standard.

56. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the version identifier and the one or more location identifies are communicated to the host device over a wired interface that complies with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard.

57. The application agent of claim 51 wherein the one or more location identifiers comprise one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs).