METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SYNCHRONIZATION CONFIGURATION FILES

• US 20120330891A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LANDRY, Paul Edward, SCHMIDERER, Michel Theodor
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing synchronization configuration files at a computing device is provided. It is determined that at least one configuration file has expired, the at least one configuration file associated with a second computing device and comprising data for synchronizing the second computing device with the computing device. A location of the at least one configuration file is then determined. The at least one configuration file is then deleted at the location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a time between a last synchronization of a synchronization data at a computing device and a present time has exceeded a threshold value, the synchronization data for synchronizing a second computing device with the computing device and, in response;

deleting the synchronization data; and

thereafter,

detecting that the second computing device is in communication with the computing device; and

, in response;

determining that the second computing device is a new computing device to be synchronized with the computing device;

receiving and storing new data from the second computing device;

storing new synchronization data for synchronizing the second computing device with the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the synchronization data; and

deleting the synchronization data at the location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the synchronization data is stored in a memory of the computing device, in association with an identifier of the second computing device, and the determining the location of the synchronization data comprises determining the identifier and finding the location using the identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the identifier comprises looking up the identifier in a list of other computing devices which have previously been synchronized with the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization data is associated with the second computing device via an identifier of the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein deleting the synchronization data is further contingent on receiving an indication that synchronization between the computing device and the second computing device is no longer required.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization data is indicative of at least one file to be downloaded from the computing device to the second computing device when the second computing device is in communication with the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one file comprises a multimedia file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization data is stored in association with a multimedia application at the computing device.

10. A computing device comprising:

a processor, a memory storing synchronization data for synchronizing a second computing device with the computing device and a communication interface, the processor enabled to;

determine that a time between a last synchronization of the synchronization data and a present time has exceeded a threshold value, and, in response;

delete the synchronization data at the memory; and

thereafter,

detect that the second computing device is in communication with the computing device via the communication interface; and

, in response;

determine that the second computing device is a new computing device to be synchronized with the computing device;

receive and store new data from the second computing device;

storing new synchronization data for synchronizing the second computing device with the computing device.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further enabled to:

determine a location of the synchronization data; and

deleting the synchronization data at the location.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the synchronization data is stored in the memory in association with an identifier of the second computing device, and the processor is further enabled to determine the location of the synchronization data by determining the identifier and finding the location using the identifier.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further enabled to determine the identifier by looking up the identifier in a list of other computing devices which have previously been synchronized with the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the synchronization data is associated with the second computing device via an identifier of the second computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein deleting the synchronization data is further contingent on receiving an indication that synchronization between the computing device and the second computing device is no longer required.

16. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the synchronization data is indicative of at least one file to be downloaded from the computing device to the second computing device when the second computing device is in communication with the computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the at least one file comprises a multimedia file.

18. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the synchronization data is stored in association with a multimedia application at the computing device.

19. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

determining that a time between a last synchronization of a synchronization data at a computing device and a present time has exceeded a threshold value, the synchronization data for synchronizing a second computing device with the computing device and, in response;

deleting the synchronization data; and

thereafter,

detecting that the second computing device is in communication with the computing device; and

, in response;

determining that the second computing device is a new computing device to be synchronized with the computing device;

receiving and storing new data from the second computing device;

storing new synchronization data for synchronizing the second computing device with the computing device.