Method for data synchronization with mobile wireless devices

• US 8,745,208 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dacosta, Behram Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Umar
• Application Number:
  US12/877,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 370/428, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing non-interactive communications with wireless networks for a mobile wireless device such as a telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop, or other mobile device configured for performing data transfers over a wireless network. By way of example, the invention allows a user to send and receive email as well as web updates and other data updates in physical areas and locations of limited signal coverage exists without the user periodically activating the device for updating data. The invention preferably comprises programming configured for awakening the processor in response to time thresholds or the detection of sufficient signal levels from available wireless networks and wireless network devices. The programming establishes a connection with appropriate wireless network devices and communicates selected data, for example data selected by the user, such as emails (to be sent/received), web sites to be refreshed, and other forms of non-interactive data.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured for providing mobile wireless data access to a network, comprising:

a computer processor;

a wireless transceiver configured for establishing wireless data connectivity with a network;

a data repository configured for storing data to be sent or retrieved from the network;

a plurality of update parameters stored within the data repository;

wherein said update parameters are set by a user when said apparatus is in normal operating mode to establish target non-interactive data within a plurality of potential targets within a selected range of data associated with an application being executed on said processor;

wherein said non-interactive target data comprises data to be sent or received from said data repository when said apparatus is in a shut-down mode; and

programming executable on said processor for;

automatically establishing, without user interaction, wireless connectivity;

automatically communicating with the network, without user interaction, a selected range of data to, or from, said data repository; and

automatically updating the selected range of data based on one or more of the update parameters.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is selected from the group of mobile wireless devices consisting essentially of:

personal digital assistants, satellite communication links, laptop computers, cellular telephones, interactive watches, package carrier tablets and vehicular data systems.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said selected range of data is selected from the group of data consisting of:

electronic mail to be sent, electronic mail awaiting download from the network, and web sites whose content is to be refreshed.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless data network comprises a wireless peer network, a local network, a wide area network, or the Internet.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said automatic establishing, communicating and updating is performed upon awakening the apparatus from a sleep mode, or low-power mode.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said apparatus is returned to said sleep or low-power mode, therein deactivating said wireless transceiver, after communication and updating of the selected range of data has been performed.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said apparatus is awakened from sleep or low-power mode in response to reaching a time threshold, detecting favorable wireless signal conditions, or a combination of both.

38. An apparatus as recited in claim 1:

wherein the target non-interactive data comprises a plurality of content targets; and

wherein the plurality of content targets are prioritized in hierarchical order for transmission according to said hierarchical order.

8. An apparatus configured for providing mobile wireless data access to a network, comprising:

a transceiver configured for establishing wireless data connectivity with a network;

a computer configured for controlling said transceiver for communicating data to or from the network;

a memory coupled to said computer configured for storing data to be sent or retrieved from the network;

wherein said computer is configured with a sleep mode-in which reduced functionality is provided at reduced power consumption levels; and

programming configured for execution on said computer for;

setting of update parameters by a user when said apparatus is in a normal operating mode to establish target non-interactive data within a plurality of potential targets within a selected range of data associated with an application being executed on said processor;

wherein said non-interactive target data comprises data to be sent or received from said memory when said apparatus is in a shut-down mode which is not user interactive;

awakening from a sleep mode;

establishing, without user interaction, wireless connectivity with the network for wireless data access;

communicating with the network, without user interaction, a selected range of data to, or from, said memory; and

updating the selected range of data based on one or more of the update parameters stored in said memory.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said apparatus is selected from the group of mobile wireless devices consisting essentially of:

personal digital assistants, satellite communication links, laptop computers, cellular telephones, interactive watches, package carrier tablets and vehicular data systems.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said selected range of data is selected from the group of data consisting of:

electronic mail to be sent, electronic mail awaiting download from the network, and web sites whose content is to be refreshed.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said wireless data network comprises a wireless peer network coupling said apparatus directly to another apparatus.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said wireless data network comprises a local or wide area network having at least one wireless communication node.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said wireless data network comprises the Internet.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said sleep mode is entered manually or automatically when limited user interaction with the apparatus is expected.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising programming configured for awakening the apparatus from a sleep mode, in response to detecting a time threshold, event threshold, or a combination of time and event thresholds and updating the selected range of data based on one or more of the update parameters.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said apparatus is returned to said sleep mode, therein deactivating said wireless transceiver, after communication and updating of the selected range of data has been performed.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said time threshold comprises at least one predetermined time, or one or more periodic intervals.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said event threshold comprises detecting the presence of sufficient signal strength with a wireless network that is capable of supporting wireless data communication from the apparatus.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said event threshold further comprises determining which wireless network to establish connectivity if multiple wireless networks can support wireless data communication from the apparatus.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising a user interface configured for supporting user interaction with the apparatus.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein said user interface is configured for establishing the data to be communicated with the network when the computer is awakened.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said user interface is configured for establishing a time threshold, event threshold, or a combination threshold for awakening of said computer.

39. An apparatus as recited in claim 8:

wherein the target non-interactive data comprises a plurality of content targets; and

wherein the plurality of content targets are prioritized in hierarchical order for transmission according to said hierarchical order.

23. An apparatus configured for providing mobile wireless data access to a network, comprising:

a transceiver configured for establishing wireless data connectivity with a peer network, local-area network, wide-area network, or Internet;

a computer configured for controlling said transceiver for communicating data to, or from, the network;

a memory coupled to said computer configured for storing data to be sent or retrieved from the network;

wherein said computer is configured with a sleep mode, or low-power operating mode, in which reduced functionality is provided at reduced power consumption levels; and

programming configured for execution on said computer for;

setting of update parameters by a user when said apparatus is in a normal operating mode to establish target non-interactive data within a plurality of potential targets within a selected range of data associated with an application being executed on said processor;

wherein said non-interactive target data comprises data to be sent or received from said memory when said apparatus is in a shut-down mode which is not user interactive;

awakening from a sleep mode, or low-power mode, in response to a time threshold, a detection of sufficient wireless signal intensity from a network, or a combination of both;

establishing, without additional user interaction, wireless connectivity with the network for wireless data access;

communicating with the network, without additional user interaction, a selected range of data to, or from, said memory including electronic mail to be sent, electronic mail to be downloaded, and web data to be updated, updated; and

returning to a sleep or low power mode, therein deactivating said wireless transceiver, after said communication is completed or the wireless connectivity is lost.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said apparatus is selected from the group of mobile wireless devices consisting essentially of:

personal digital assistants, satellite communication links, laptop computers, cellular telephones, interactive watches, package carrier tablets and vehicular data systems.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said range of data can be selected from the group of data consisting essentially of:

electronic mail to be sent, electronic mail awaiting download from the network, queries to be posted, responses to be collected, data to update, update data and web sites whose content is to be refreshed.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 23:

wherein said sleep mode, or low-power mode, is entered manually in response to user input, device closure, or device reconfiguration; and

wherein said sleep mode, or low-power mode, is entered automatically in response to detecting limited user interaction with the apparatus.

40. An apparatus as recited in claim 23:

wherein the target non-interactive data comprises a plurality of content targets; and

wherein the plurality of content targets are prioritized in hierarchical order for transmission according to said hierarchical order.

27. A mobile electronics device configured for communicating data wirelessly with a network and incorporating a computer processor, memory, and programming for interactive data exchange with the network, comprising:

a circuit configured for controlling a sleep mode, or low-power operating mode, in the computer processor of the device which reduces user interactive functionality at reduced power consumption levels; and

programming configured for execution on said computer for;

setting of update parameters by a user when said apparatus is in a normal operating mode to establish target non-interactive data within a plurality of potential targets within a selected range of data associated with an application being executed on said processor;

wherein said non-interactive target data comprises data to be sent or received from said memory when said apparatus is in a shut-down mode which is not user interactive;

awakening from a sleep mode, or low-power mode;

establishing, without user interaction, wireless connectivity with the network for wireless data access;

communicating with the network, without user interaction, a selected range of data to, or from, said memory;

updating the selected range of data based on one or more of the update parameters stored in said memory when said apparatus periodically awakens from sleep mode; and

returning to said sleep mode, or said low-power mode.

28. The device as recited in claim 27, wherein said electronics device is selected from the group of mobile wireless devices consisting essentially of:

personal digital assistants, satellite communication links, laptop computers, cellular telephones, interactive watches, package carrier tablets and vehicular data systems.

29. The device as recited in claim 27, wherein said selected range of data can be selected from the group of data consisting essentially of:

electronic mail to be sent, electronic mail awaiting download from the network, queries to be posted, responses to be collected, data to update, update data and web sites whose content is to be refreshed.

30. The device as recited in claim 27, wherein said wireless data network comprises a wireless peer network coupling said apparatus directly to another apparatus, a local or wide area network having at least one wireless communication node, or the Internet.

31. The device as recited in claim 27, wherein said apparatus is awakened from sleep or low-power mode in response to reaching a time threshold, detecting favorable wireless signal conditions, or a combination of both.

41. A device as recited in claim 27:

wherein the target non-interactive data comprises a plurality of content targets; and

wherein the plurality of content targets are prioritized in hierarchical order for transmission according to said hierarchical order.

32. A method of non-interactive wireless access of network data by a mobile network enabled device, comprising:

(a) selecting, on a mobile network enabled device, at least one access trigger to initiate a network access and non-interactive data to be communicated and user setting of update parameters when said apparatus is in normal operating mode to establish target non-interactive data within a plurality of potential targets within a selected range of data associated with an application being executed on said processor, wherein said non-interactive target data comprises data to be sent or received from said memory when said apparatus is in a sleep or low power mode which is not user interactive;

(b) entering a sleep mode, or low-power operating mode, on the network enabled device;

(c) awakening the mobile network enabled device in response to detection of said access trigger;

(d) establishing connectivity over the network for communicating non-interactive data between said network enabled device and the network being accessed;

(e) updating said selected non-interactive data on said network enabled device utilizing said network connectivity; and

(f) returning to said sleep mode, or low-power operating mode.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

detecting beacons prior to establishing said connectivity over the network;

said beacons indicating wireless connectivity; and

comparing said indicated wireless connectivity against the at least one update parameter to determine the type of connectivity to be established.

34. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising maintaining a history of non-interactive data communications with the network.

35. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising updating remote systems with data collected by the mobile network enabled device.

36. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

an update list detailing a data range and depths to be updated;

wherein updating said selected non-interactive data comprises updating the non-interactive data according to the at least one update parameter land the update list.

37. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said access trigger comprises a time threshold and/or is performed in response to detecting signal strength of received beacons which indicate that wireless connectivity should exist, while parameters of the beacons indicate which forms of wireless connectivity can be established.

42. A method as recited in claim 32:

wherein the target non-interactive data comprises a plurality of content targets; and

wherein the plurality of content targets are prioritized in hierarchical order for transmission according to said hierarchical order.