Personal digital assistant and data recovery method

• US 7,631,215 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Company Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikehara, Kiyoshi, Kitagawa, Kenji, Morimoto, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): GUYTON, PHILIP A
• Application Number:
  US11/301,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 714/5, 714/15, 455/419
• US Class Current: 714/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

A personal digital assistant comprises a loss detector to detect a lost state and a value information retainer for retaining a value assessment index, which are numerical values indicating data values. When a lost state is detected by the loss detector, a data recovery sequence is determined based on the data values and data is transmitted to another terminal. In determining the recovery sequence, electrical energy required for data transmission is calculated using a power consumption table and the remaining battery power level measured by a remaining battery power level meter is referenced.

Claims

1. A battery-driven personal digital assistant which wirelessly communicates with other terminals, comprising:

a memory means for storing data;

a loss detection means for detecting whether the personal digital assistant is in a lost state;

a value information retention means for retaining a value assessment index indicating values of data stored in the memory means;

a recovery sequence determination means for determining a recovery sequence of data stored in the memory means based on the value assessment index retained in the value information retention means when the lost state is detected by the loss detection means;

a transmission means for transmitting data stored in the memory means to another terminal based on the recovery sequence determined by the recovery sequence determination means;

a remaining battery power level measurement means for measuring remaining battery power level; and

a consumption power retention means for retaining consumption power required for data transmission;

wherein the recovery sequence determination means determines the recovery sequence of data stored in the memory means based on the remaining battery power level measured by the remaining battery power level measurement means, the consumption power retained in the consumption power retention means and the value assessment index retained in the value information retention means.

2. The personal digital assistant according to claim 1, wherein the recovery sequence determination means by solving a knapsack problem, which sets in order, the remaining battery power level measured by the remaining battery measurement means as a capacity, the power consumption retained in the power consumption retention means as a weight and the value assessment index for data retained in the value information retention means as the value.

3. The personal digital assistant according to claim 2, wherein the recovery sequence determination means determines whether a difference between the remaining battery power level measured by the remaining battery power level measurement means and an estimated remaining battery power level obtained from the power consumption retained in the power consumption retention means exceeds a specified value for each data transmission, and when the difference between the remaining battery power level measured by the remaining battery power level measurement means and the estimated remaining battery power level obtained from the power consumption retained in the power consumption retention means exceeds a specified value the recovery sequence is recalculated.

4. The personal digital assistant according to claim 1, wherein the recovery sequence determination means determines an order of data recovery by using in descending order from highest to lowest unit price of the value assessment index per electrical energy required for recovery which is transmittable within a range of the remaining battery power level measured by the remaining battery power level measurement means.

5. The personal digital assistant according to claim 1, further comprising:

a value information setting means which sets the value assessment index for data stored in the memory means based on user instructions.

6. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, wherein the value information setting means sets an entered numerical value relating to selected data as the value assessment index.

7. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, further comprising:

a data priority sequence list in which an order of ordered data is replaceable based on the value assessment index;

wherein the value information setting means sets the value assessment index for data based on the order of replaced data to the data priority sequence list.

8. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, wherein the value information setting means arithmetically calculates an operation index of a totaled value for each type of operation by a number of times of operation in relation to data contrasted with data respectively that is already to be recovered, wherein the operation index of selected data is multiplied by an average of the value assessment index per every operation index and set as a default value prior to input.

9. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, wherein when data has a pecuniary value, the value information setting means calculates the value assessment index based on the pecuniary value.

10. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, wherein the value information setting means increases or decreases the value assessment index based on details of operations relative to data.

11. The personal digital assistant according to claim 10, wherein when transmitting data the value information setting means increases or decreases the value assessment index of data based on transmission destination.

12. The personal digital assistant according to claim 5, wherein the value information setting means updates the value assessment index based on a value of a subtracted value corresponding to cost required for transmission from the value assessment index.

13. The personal digital assistant according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data recovery preparation means for advance preparation of data for recovery which is to be recovered when a lost state is detected from data stored in the memory means based on the recovery sequence determined by the recovery sequence determination means; and

a data recovery retention means for retaining data for recovery;

wherein the transmission means transmits data for recovery stored in the data recovery retention means to another terminal when the lost state is detected.

14. The personal digital assistant according to claim 13, further comprising:

a compression means which compresses data for recovery with a predesignated compression ratio when data for recovery subject for transmission is compressible.

15. A data recovery method for recovering data within a personal digital assistant by wirelessly transmitting data to another terminal when in a lost state, comprising the steps of:

determining, at a recovery sequence determination means of the personal digital assistant, a data recovery sequence based on a value assessment index indicating data values when detected in the lost state; and

transmitting, from a transmission means of the personal digital assistant, data to another terminal based on the determined recovery sequence;

wherein the recovery sequence of data is determined based on remaining battery power level, power consumption required for data transmission and the value assessment index.

16. The data recovery method according to claim 15, wherein a knapsack problem is solved to set in order the remaining battery power level as capacity, the power consumption as a weight and the value assessment index as the value.

17. The data recovery method according to claim 16, wherein a determination is made as to whether a difference between the remaining battery power level and an estimated remaining battery power level obtained from the power consumption exceeds a specified value for each data transmission, and when the difference between the remaining battery power level and the estimated remaining battery power level obtained from the power consumption exceeds a specified value the recovery sequence is recalculated.

18. The data recovery method according to claim 15, wherein an order of data recovery is performed as a highest order of the value assessment index per electrical energy required for recovery which is transmittable within a range of the remaining battery power level.

19. The data recovery method according to claim 15, wherein the value assessment index is settable by entering a numerical value to selected data.

20. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein the personal digital assistant comprises a data priority sequence list in which an order of ordered data is replaceable based on the value replacement index, and wherein the value assessment index is set based on the order of replaced data to a data priority sequence list.

21. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein an operational index of the totaled value for each type of operation is arithmetically calculated by number of times of operation in relation to data contrasted with data respectively that is already to be recovered, wherein the operation index of selected data is multiplied by an average of the value assessment index per every operation index and set as a default value prior to input.

22. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein when data has a pecuniary value, the value assessment index is calculated based on the pecuniary value.

23. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein the value assessment index increases or decreases based on the details of operations relative to data.

24. The data recovery method according to claim 23, wherein when transmitting the value assessment index increases or decreases based on transmission destination.

25. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein the value assessment index is updated based on a value of a subtracted value corresponding to a cost required for transmission from the value assessment index.

26. The data recovery method according to claim 19, wherein data for recovery to be recovered from data is prepared in advance when a lost state is detected based on a determined recovery sequence, wherein upon detection of a lost state data for recovery will be transmitted to another terminal.

27. The data recovery method according to claim 26, wherein data for recovery is compressed with a predesignated compression ratio when data for recovery subject for transmission is compressible.