Data transfer and synchronization system

• US 20090055464A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Stannard, Liam J., Cash, Donald W., Multer, David L., Ridgard, Leighton A., Onyon, Richard M., Garner, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing devices which can couple to the Internet, or any network. In one aspect a system for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system is provided. The system includes a first sync engine on the first system interfacing with data on the first system to provide difference information. A data store is coupled to the network and in communication with the first and second systems. A second sync engine is provided on the second system coupled to receive the difference information from the data store via the network, and interface with data on the second system to update said data on the second system with said difference information. Difference information is transmitted to the data store by the first sync engine and received from the data store from the second sync engine.

Claims

1-79. -79. (canceled)

80. A system implemented on a wireless telephone having at least one application data destination having a format, comprising:

a difference engine in the wireless telephone, the difference engine configured for receiving difference information associated with a change to the at least one application data destination; and

an application interface in the wireless telephone, the application interface configured for applying the difference information to the at least one application data destination.

81. The system of claim 80 wherein the difference information comprises a data file containing change transactions.

82. The system of claim 80 wherein the application interface receives change information in a universal data format.

83. The system of claim 80 further including a decryption routine configured for decrypting the difference information prior to input to the difference engine.

84. The system of claim 80 further including a compression routine configured for decompressing the difference information prior to input to the difference engine.

85. The system of claim 80 wherein the mobile telephone is configured to operatively couple to multiple networks.

86. The system of claim 80 further comprising a versioning module configured for determining a version of the difference information.

87. The system of claim 80 further including an event trigger configured for enabling receipt of the difference information.

88. A method for updating data files on a wireless telephone, comprising:

receiving difference information for a subset of the data files on the wireless telephone; and

applying the difference information to the subset of the data files on the wireless telephone.

89. The method of claim 88 wherein receiving difference information further comprises:

receiving a change log detailing changes to a second set of data files on a device; and

applying the changes to a data store containing data identical to the data files to generate changed data.

90. The method of claim 89 wherein receiving difference information further comprises generating changes to the data in a universal data format.

91. The method of claim 90 wherein applying the difference information further comprises:

converting the changes in the universal data format to an application specific format; and

updating the data with the changes to the data.

92. A system for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system, comprising:

a first sync engine on the first system interfacing with a first set of application data and a previous state of application data associated with the first system to generate a first change log;

a data store coupled to a network and in communication with the first and second systems storing at least one change log from the first sync engine; and

a second sync engine on the second system coupled to receive the first change log from the data store, and interfacing with a second set of application data on the second system to update the data on the second system with difference information in the first change log.

93. The system of claim 92 further including a third device having a third sync engine interfacing with a third set of application data and a previous state of application data associated with the third set of application data on the third device to generate a second change log.

94. The system of claim 93 wherein a data store stores the first and second log changes.

95. The system of claim 93 wherein the second sync engine is coupled to receive the first and second change logs from the data store and interfaces with the second set of application data on the second system to update data on the second system with the difference information in the first and second change logs.

96. The system of claim 94 where the first and second change logs contain the difference information for a particular user.

97. The system of claim 92 wherein the change log is transmitted to the data store at a first point in time, and received from the data store at a second, subsequent point in time.

98. The system of claim 92 wherein the second sync engine interfaces with the data on the second system to provide a third change log.

99. The system of claim 98 wherein the first sync engine couples to the data store to retrieve the third change log and interfaces with the data on the first system to update the data on the first system with the third change log.

100. The system of claim 92 further including a management server coupled to the network and in communication with the first sync engine, the second sync engine and the data store.

101. The system of claim 100 wherein the management server authorizes access of the difference information on the data store by the first and the second sync engines.

102. The system of claim 101 wherein the data comprises changes to a previous state of the data, and the difference information comprises the changes in an encoded, universal format.

103. The system of claim 92 wherein the first sync engine and the second sync engine each comprise:

an application data interface; and

a difference transaction generator.

104. The system of claim 92 wherein the first system includes a processing device and a data storage apparatus, and the previous state of data is provided on the data storage apparatus.

105. The system of claim 92 wherein the previous state of data is provided on a storage device in communication with the first system.

106. A method of synchronizing data between a first device and a second device, comprising:

receiving at least one change log from a first sync engine on the first device reflecting changes to a first set of data on the first device between the first set of data and a data store reflecting a previous state of data on the first device;

storing the at least one change log in a data storage server coupled to the network and in communication with the first device and the second device; and

providing the at least one change log to a second sync engine on the second device coupled to receive the change log from the data store, and interfacing with a second set of data on the second device to update the second set of data on the second device with difference information in the change log.

107. The method of claim 106 wherein receiving occurs at a first point in time, and providing occurs at a second, subsequent point in time.

108. The method of claim 106 wherein providing is performed in response to a call from the second device for at least one change log.

109. The method of claim 106 wherein receiving includes receiving at least a first and a second change log from at least a respective first and second device, each change log including changes for a respective first and second user.

110. The method of claim 106 wherein receiving includes receiving a plurality of change logs.

111. The method of claim 110 wherein providing includes providing at least one of the plurality of change logs to the second device.

112. The method of claim 111 wherein each of the plurality of change logs includes changes for a user.

113. The method of claim 111 wherein the plurality of change logs includes changes for at least two users, each change log containing changes for one of the at least two users.

114. A method of transmitting changes between a first device and a second device on a network, comprising:

providing to a first device, code operable to extract a change log of differences between at least a first data file on the first device and a first data store associated with the first device;

storing ones of the change logs on a data storage device coupled to the network, the change logs being segregated by user; and

providing, to a second device, code operable to apply the change log from the first device, and code operable to extract a second change log of differences between a second data file on the second device and a second data store associated with the second device.

115. The method of claim 114 wherein the first change transactions are transmitted to the first data store by the first device at a first point in time and received from the second data store by the second device at a second, subsequent point in time.

116. The method of claim 114 wherein the first differencing code receives second change transactions from the first data store to and interfaces with at least the first data file on to update the data with said second change log.

117. The method of claim 114 further comprising receiving a plurality of change logs from the code on the first device and the second device, each change log reflecting changes to data for a user on one of the devices, the changes being between application data on the first device and a data store reflecting a previous state of data on the first device.

118. The method of claim 117 further comprising providing one or more of the plurality of change logs for the user to a requesting one of the devices including code interfacing with data on the first device to update data on the first device with difference information in the change log.

119. A method of performing a pull synchronization on a mobile telephone, comprising:

operatively coupling the mobile telephone with a device when the synchronization is triggered;

authenticating a user identification;

initiating a management server lock;

determining whether a new version of data exists on the device;

retrieving difference information from the device; and

applying the difference information on the mobile telephone.

120. The method of claim 119 wherein a trigger event triggers a synchronization request.

121. The method of claim 120 wherein the synchronization request is confirmed.

122. The method of claim 119 wherein authenticating the user identification occurs at a management server.

123. The method of claim 119 wherein the management server lock prevents conflicting device engines from coupling to same data at the same time.

124. The method of claim 119 further comprising resolving conflicts between a first version of data on the mobile phone and a second version of data on the device.

125. The method of claim 119 wherein applying the difference information includes at least one of updating an item, updating an application, updating a device and updating a network.

126. A method of performing a push synchronization on a mobile telephone, comprising:

determining if a synchronization event occurred;

determining if difference information exists;

operatively coupling the mobile telephone to a device;

authenticating a user;

initiating a management server lock;

uploading the difference information;

releasing the management server lock; and

terminating the coupling of the mobile telephone to the device.

127. The method of claim 126 wherein authenticating the user occurs at a management server.

128. The method of claim 126 wherein the management server lock prevents conflicting device engines from coupling to same data at the same time.

129. The method of claim 126 wherein the device is a storage server.

130. The method of claim 126 wherein the difference information includes at least one of an item information, an application information, a device information and a network information.