Methods and systems for synchronization of mobile devices with a remote database

• US 6,636,873 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2000
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Carini, Robert L., Merchant, Meenaz, Cassinera, Adalberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Gwen
• Application Number:
  US09/550,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/10, 707/8, 707/9, 707/203, 707/3, 707/101, 700/95, 700/91, 709/228, 709/101, 709/213, 709/248, 709/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A computer system for synchronizing a mobile device with a remote enterprise database includes a replication database. The replication database is mapped to and maintained as a subset image of the remote enterprise database through a bi-directional replication process. A mobile device gateway server is coupled to the replication database. The mobile device gateway includes a concentrator, which is configured to selectively receive replication data from the replication database, transform the received replication data into a format native to the mobile device and to selectively send the received and transformed replication data to the mobile device. The concentrator is also configured to receive mobile device data, transform and to send the received mobile device data to the replication database. The mobile device gateway server acts as a middle tier between one or more enterprise databases and one or more mobile devices or any network-enabled thin client.

Claims

1. A computer system embodied on one or more computer-readable media for synchronizing each of a plurality of mobile devices with a remote enterprise database, comprising:

a replication database, the replication database being mapped to the remote enterprise database over a computer network, the replication database maintaining and storing a subset image of the remote enterprise database through a bi-directional replication process, the subset image including a plurality of snapshots, each of the plurality of snapshots being associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices, each snapshot including a latest data from the remote enterprise database to be sent to its associated mobile device over the computer network, the latest data from the remote enterprise database including any updates to data from the remote enterprise database previously accessed by the associated mobile device, as of a last time the associated mobile device connected to the replication database;

a mobile device gateway server, the mobile device gateway server being coupled to the replication database, and including a concentrator, the concentrator being configured to selectively receive at least the subset image from the replication database, transform each snapshot of the received subset image into a format native to its associated mobile device and to selectively send each transformed snapshot to its associated mobile device, the concentrator also being configured to receive mobile device data from the plurality of mobile devices, to transform and to send the received mobile device data to the replication database to update the replication database.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the replication database is incorporated within the mobile device gateway server.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the replication database is external to the mobile device gateway server and coupled thereto by the computer network.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further including a plurality of mobile device gateway servers, each of the plurality maintaining a subset image of the enterprise database through the bi-directional replication process.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of mobile device gateway servers are distributed over a geographical area.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of mobile device gateway servers is geographically distributed according to a volume of data to be handled thereby.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device gateway server is further configured to filter the replication data prior to transforming and sending the subset image to the plurality of mobile devices.

9. The computer system of claim 1, the mobile device gateway server is configured to selectively limit data sent to the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes a TCP/IP computer network.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device gateway server is configured to store and apply at least one conflict resolution rule to resolve conflicts in the subset image, the mobile device data and data stored on the enterprise database.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the replication database is configured to share the subset image among a the plurality of mobile devices and to send the shared subset image to the plurality of mobile devices.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the concentrator is configured to communicate with the plurality of mobile devices over at least one of a wireless channel, a wired channel, a serial interface and a TCP/IP interface.

14. A computer-implemented method of synchronizing each of a plurality of mobile computing devices to a remote enterprise database, comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a connection over a computer network between one of the plurality of mobile computing devices and a mobile device gateway server, the mobile device gateway server being coupled to a replication database that is mapped to the enterprise database, the replication database maintaining and storing a subset image of the remote enterprise database through a bi-directional replication process, the subset image including a plurality of snapshots, each of the plurality of snapshots being associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices, each snapshot including a latest data from the remote enterprise database to be sent to its associated mobile device over the computer network, the latest data from the remote enterprise database including any updates to data from the remote enterprise database previously accessed by the associated mobile device, as of a last time the associated mobile device connected to the replication database, the mobile device gateway server including a concentrator configured to interface with the mobile computing device over the computer network;

b) selectively sending at least the snapshot associated with the mobile device with which the connection was established from the replication database to the concentrator;

c) selectively sending at least the associated snapshot from the concentrator to the mobile computing device with which the connection was established over the computer network;

d) selectively sending mobile device data from the mobile computing device with which the connection was established to the concentrator over the computer network, and

e) sending the mobile device data to the replication database.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step a) is carried out by establishing a TCP/IP network connection between the associated mobile computing device and the mobile device gateway server.

16. The method of claim 14, further including the step of sharing at least one snapshot among a plurality of mobile computing devices and sending the shared snapshot to each of the plurality of mobile computing devices.

17. The method of claim 15, further including the step of evaluating at least one conflict resolution rule when a conflict arises between the subset image and the mobile computing device data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of steps b) and c) includes the step of filtering the subset image to reduce an amount of data that is sent to the associated mobile computing device.

20. A computer network, comprising:

an enterprise database;

a plurality of mobile computing devices;

a replication database distinct and remote from the enterprise database, the replication database being mapped to the enterprise database, the replication database maintaining and storing a subset image of the remote enterprise database through a bi-directional replication process, the subset image including a plurality of snapshots, each of the plurality of snapshots being associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices, each snapshot including a latest data from the remote enterprise database to be sent to its associated mobile device over the computer network, the latest data from the remote enterprise database including any updates to data from the remote enterprise database previously accessed by the associated mobile device, as of a last time the associated mobile device connected to the replication database;

a mobile device gateway server, the mobile device gateway server being coupled to the replication database, and including a concentrator, the concentrator being configured to selectively receive the subset image from the replication database, transform each snapshot of the received subset image into a format native to its associated mobile device and to selectively send each transformed snapshot to its associated mobile device, the concentrator also being configured to receive mobile device data from the plurality of mobile devices, transform and to send the received mobile device data to the replication database.

21. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the replication database is configured to share a selected snapshot among a the plurality of mobile devices and to send the shared snapshot to the plurality of mobile devices.

22. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the concentrator is configured to communicate with the plurality of mobile devices over at least one of a wireless channel, a wired channel, a serial interface and a TCP/IP interface.

23. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the computer network includes a TCP/IP computer network.

24. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the mobile device gateway server is configured to store and apply at least one conflict resolution rule to resolve conflicts in the subset image, the mobile device data and data stored on the enterprise database.

25. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are wireless devices.

26. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the computer network implements the TCP/IP protocol.

27. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the replication database is incorporated within the mobile device gateway server.

28. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the replication database is external to the mobile device gateway server.

29. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the Internet couples the enterprise database, the mobile device and the mobile device gateway server together.

30. The computer network of claim 20, further including a plurality of mobile device gateway servers, each of the plurality maintaining at least one subset image of the enterprise database through the bi-directional replication process.

31. The computer network of claim 30, wherein the plurality of mobile device gateway servers are distributed over a geographical area.

32. The computer network of claim 31, wherein each of the plurality of mobile device gateway servers is geographically distributed according to a volume of data to be handled thereby.

33. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the mobile device gateway server is further configured to filter the subset image prior to transforming and sending the subset image to the plurality of mobile devices.

34. The computer network of claim 20, the mobile device gateway server is configured to selectively limit the data sent to the plurality of mobile devices.

35. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the mobile device gateway server is configured to be accessible over the computer network to enable a selection of the subset image to be sent to the plurality of mobile devices.