Synchronization methods and systems

• US 7,660,831 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Freedman, Gordon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus; Jean M
• Application Number:
  US11/650,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,129 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/6, 707/204, 707/205, 707/203
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Widget synchronization architectures, methods, systems, and computer readable media are described. One exemplary embodiment includes a first software component which is configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class for one or more widgets from a first store of the data on a device, such as a first data processing system, and is configured to synchronize data for the first data class in the first store with data of the first data class in a second store on at least one of a host or another device, such as a second data processing system. The first software component is separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data. The first software component synchronizes the structured data through a second software component which interfaces with the host and the device.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions to synchronize first data on a device with second data on at least one of a host or another device comprising:

a first software component configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on a device and configured to synchronize the first data for the first data class in the first store with the second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

a second software component, wherein the first software component synchronizes the first data through the second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host or the another device through the software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

2. The medium as in claim 1 further comprising:

the second software component which, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, issues a message to the first software component to commit changes to the first store.

3. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

4. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions, said executable program instructions when executed by at least one processor causes a computer to synchronize first data on a device with second data on a least one of a host or another device comprising:

a first software component configured to cause retrieval and storage of data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the host and configured to synchronize the first data for the first data class in the first store with the second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

a second software component, wherein the first software component synchronizes the data through the second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host or the another device through the software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

5. The medium as in claim 4 further comprising:

the second software component which, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, issues a message to the first software component to commit changes to the first store.

6. The medium as in claim 4 wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

7. A machine implemented method to synchronize first data on a device with second data on a least one of a host or another device comprising:

retrieving and storing, through a first software component, first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component synchronizing the first data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for each record maintained on the host.

10. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method to synchronize first data on a device with second data on a least one of a host or another device comprising:

retrieving and storing, through a first software component, first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component synchronizing the first data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the first software component provides an identifier for each record to the host which is capable of being different than an identifier for each record maintained on the host.

13. A data processing system to synchronize first data on a device with second data on a least one of a host or another device comprising:

means for retrieving and storing, through a first software component, first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

means for synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component synchronizing the first data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

14. A machine implemented method to synchronize first data on a device with second data on a least one of a host or another device comprising:

causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the device, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with second data for the first data class in a second store, the first software component synchronizing the first data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

16. The method as in claim 14 wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

17. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method to synchronize first data on a host with second data on a device comprising:

causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of the first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the host, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with the second data for the first data class, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.

18. The medium as in claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving a message at the first software component to commit changes to the first store if synchronizing of the first data class is successful.

19. The medium as in claim 17, wherein the first software component causes storage of an identifier, from the device, for each record received by the host, the identifier being capable of being different than an identifier for the each record maintained on the host.

20. A data processing system to synchronize first data on a host with second data on a device comprising:

means for causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of the first data for a first data class, which includes data for one or more widgets, from a first store of the data on the host, the first software component being separate from a widget application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to use the data; and

means for synchronizing the first data for the first data class in the first store with the second data for the first data class, the first software component synchronizing the data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages,

wherein the first software component is a data source and wherein the first software component sends a message specifying a next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a previous host anchor for a widget synchronization process and causes, if synchronizing of the first data class is successful, saving of the next device anchor for a widget synchronization process and a next host anchor for a widget synchronization process; and

wherein the first software component sends a version identifier for the first software component to the host and receives a version identifier for a data class handler software component on the host for the first data class, and wherein the first software component is updateable independently from the second software component.