Data synchronization between multiple devices

• US 7,809,682 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lebel, Jerome, Paterson, Toby
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reyes; Mariela D
• Application Number:
  US10/852,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/612, 707/621, 707/624, 707/625
• US Class Current: 707/625
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method of data synchronization between multiple devices by, in one embodiment, classifying one device to be a primary device and other devices to be subsidiary devices. Synchronization is performed, in one embodiment, by updating the primary device with data from the subsidiary devices, and then updating each subsidiary device using data from the updated primary device. The exemplary data synchronization according to the present invention can accommodate for absent devices, avoid redundant synchronization operations, accommodate for data truncation or translation and preserve synchronization of relationships. The devices may be any one of computers, handheld devices (e.g. a Palm device), personal digital assistants, music devices, and mobile telephones. The data to be synchronized may include any data, and even applications can be synchronized.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing subsidiary device data on a synchronization device, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncation rules corresponding to one or more truncated records, a variable schema categorizing the subsidiary device data by relationships, and a static description of one or more device capabilities, and wherein the subsidiary device data is stored in a truth table that includes a copy of records associated with a plurality of subsidiary devices;

negotiating, using one or more processors, a synchronization mode for each subsidiary device using an associated device conduit that includes synchronization software, such that;

when a device conduit is able to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a fast synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a fast synchronization, the device conduit transmits only the record deltas from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and

when a device conduit is unable to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a slow synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a slow synchronization, the device conduit transmits all records from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and wherein the synchronization device identifies record deltas by comparing each transmitted record to a record stored in the truth table;

serially and individually synchronizing each record delta from each subsidiary device with a corresponding record stored in the truth table, wherein synchronizing includes optimizing a set of record deltas associated with a subsidiary device by discarding all but the last record delta received; and

transmitting the last record delta from the synchronization device to each device conduit, wherein each device conduit uses the schema, the static description, and the one or more translation rules to translate any truncated records, and wherein each device conduit uses the last record delta to update an associated subsidiary device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device, and wherein a record delta includes changes to one or more fields of a record since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resolving conflicts between each record delta and the subsidiary device data stored in the truth table using one or more rules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsidiary device data further includes one or more truncated records, and wherein the one or more truncation rules correspond to the one or more truncated records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship data correspond to relationships between the one or more records associated with a subsidiary device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes the type of records the device can synchronize, and a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncated records.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

storing subsidiary device data on a synchronization device, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncation rules corresponding to one or more truncated records, a variable schema categorizing the subsidiary device data by relationships, and a static description of one or more device capabilities, and wherein the subsidiary device data is stored in a truth table that includes a copy of records associated with a plurality of subsidiary devices;

negotiating a synchronization mode for each subsidiary device using an associated device conduit that includes synchronization software, such that;

when a device conduit is able to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a fast synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a fast synchronization, the device conduit transmits only the record deltas from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and

when a device conduit is unable to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a slow synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a slow synchronization, the device conduit transmits all records from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and wherein the synchronization device identifies record deltas by comparing each transmitted record to a record stored in the truth table;

serially and individually synchronizing each record delta from each subsidiary device with a corresponding record stored in the truth table, wherein synchronizing includes optimizing a set of record deltas associated with a subsidiary device by discarding all but the last record delta received; and

transmitting the last record delta from the synchronization device to each device conduit, wherein each device conduit uses the schema, the static description, and the one or more translation rules to translate any truncated records, and wherein each device conduit uses the last record delta to update an associated subsidiary device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device, and wherein a record delta includes changes to one or more fields of a record since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

resolving conflicts between each record delta and the subsidiary device data stored in the truth table using one or more rules.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the subsidiary device data further includes one or more truncated records, and wherein the one or more truncation rules correspond to the one or more truncated records.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the relationship data corresponds to relationships between the one or more records associated with a subsidiary device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes the type of records the device can synchronize, and a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncated records.

15. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

store subsidiary device data on a synchronization device, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncation rules corresponding to one or more truncated records, a variable schema categorizing the subsidiary device data by relationships, and a static description of one or more device capabilities, and wherein the subsidiary device data is stored in a truth table that includes a copy of records associated with a plurality of subsidiary devices;

negotiate a synchronization mode for each subsidiary device using an associated device conduit that includes synchronization software, such that;

when a device conduit is able to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a fast synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a fast synchronization, the device conduit transmits only the record deltas from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and

when a device conduit is unable to identify record deltas since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device, a slow synchronization mode is negotiated for the subsidiary device, wherein during a slow synchronization, the device conduit transmits all records from the subsidiary device to the synchronization device, and wherein the synchronization device identifies record deltas by comparing each transmitted record to a record stored in the truth table;

serially and individually synchronize each record delta from each subsidiary device with a corresponding record stored in the truth table, wherein synchronizing includes optimizing a set of record deltas associated with a subsidiary device by discarding all but the last record delta received; and

transmit the last record delta from the synchronization device to each device conduit, wherein each device conduit uses the schema, the static description, and the one or more translation rules to translate any truncated records, and wherein each device conduit uses the last record delta to update an associated subsidiary device.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device, and wherein a record delta includes changes to one or more fields of a record since a last synchronization of a subsidiary device.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

resolve conflicts between each record delta and the subsidiary device data stored in the truth table using one or more rules.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the subsidiary device data further includes one or more truncated records, and wherein the one or more truncation rules correspond to the one or more truncated records.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the relationship data corresponding to relationships between the one or more records associated with a subsidiary device.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein the static description of one or more device capabilities includes the type of records the device can synchronize, and a list of one or more fields for each record type supported by the subsidiary device.

21. The computer-program product of claim 20, wherein the subsidiary device data includes one or more truncated records.