Method and apparatus for synchronizing contact and calendar information between a handset and a computing device

• US 8,798,607 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kaplan, Diego, Nolen, Larry P., Wine, Jonathan, Pham, Thinh V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US11/773,167
• Time in Patent Office: 2,590 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/418, 455/419, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.4
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for synchronizing contact and calendar information between a handset and a computer. For example, one method as disclosed herein allows the handset to import contact and calendar information from the computing device or to export the contact and the calendar information to the computing device. The computing device can be a PC or a new handset, for example. The importation and the exportation of the contact and calendar information includes a conversion process that occurs within the handset that transforms the contact and calendar information into a format suitable for the destination of the data.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing contact or calendar information between a handset and a computing device comprising:

receiving exported contact or calendar information from a network server;

storing, in a directory location selected by a user, the contact or the calendar information in a directory of a media card formatted memory, the directory including;

a root,

a contact node below the root, the contact node being a parent node of a first replace all node, a first add node, and a first update node, and

a calendar node below the root, the calendar node being a parent node of a second replace all node, a second add node, and a second update node;

detecting a synchronization condition;

converting the contact or the calendar information to a format compatible with the handset; and

processing the contact or the calendar information in the selected directory location to synchronize the contact or the calendar information with existing contact or calendar information stored in a persistent memory in the handset, wherein the contact information in the first replace all node replaces the contact information of the handset and the calendar information in the second replace all node replaces the calendar information of the handset, the contact information in the first add node is added to the contact information of the handset and the calendar information in the second add node is added to the calendar information of the handset, and the contact information in the first update node updates the contact information of the handset and the calendar information in the second update node updates the calendar information of the handset.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information from a comma separated value (CSV) file format to a format suitable for the handset.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information from a virtual card (VCARD) file format to a format suitable for the handset.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information from a virtual calendar (VCAL) format to a format suitable for the handset.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the synchronization condition occurs upon reset of the handset.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the synchronization condition occurs upon receiving a selection in a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the synchronization condition occurs upon start-up of the handset.

8. A method for synchronizing contact or calendar information between a handset and a computing device comprising:

accessing contact or calendar information in a persistent memory of the handset;

converting the contact or the calendar information from a format suitable for the handset to a common format;

storing, in a directory location selected by a user, the contact or the calendar information in a directory on a media card, the directory including;

a root,

a contact node below the root, the contact node being a parent node of a first replace all node, a first add node, and a first update node, and

a calendar node below the root, the calendar node being a parent node of a second replace all node, a second add node, and a second update node;

receiving a selection of a remote location for the contact or the calendar information; and

storing the contact or the calendar information to the remote location, wherein the contact information in the first replace all node replaces contact information of the remote location and the calendar information in the second replace all node replaces calendar information of the remote location, the contact information in the first add node is added to contact information of the remote location and the calendar information in the second add node is added to calendar information of the remote location, and the contact information in the first update node updates contact information of the remote location and the calendar information in the second update node updates calendar information of the remote location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of accessing further comprises:

executing a program stored in the directory; and

sending a command.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the command is a diag command or an AT command.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information to a comma separated value (CSV) file format.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information to a virtual card (VCARD) file format.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of converting the contact or the calendar information further comprises converting the contact or calendar information to a virtual calendar (VCAL) format.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising creating the directory.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of creating a directory further comprises:

creating a directory for calendar information; and

creating a directory for contact information.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the synchronization condition occurs upon reset of the handset or start-up of the handset.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the synchronization condition occurs upon receiving a selection in a user interface.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein the remote location is a network server.

19. A method for synchronizing contact or calendar information between a handset and a new handset comprising:

accessing the contact or the calendar information in a persistent memory of the handset;

converting the contact or the calendar information from a format suitable for the handset to a common format;

storing, in a directory location selected by a user, the contact or the calendar information in a directory of a media card memory, the directory including;

a root,

a contact node below the root, the contact node being a parent node of a first replace all node, a first add node, and a first update node, and

a calendar node below the root, the calendar node being a parent node of a second replace all node, a second add node, and a second update node;

transferring the media card memory to a new handset;

detecting a synchronization condition on the new handset;

converting the contact or the calendar information on the media card to a format suitable for the new handset; and

storing the contact or the calendar information to a persistent memory in the new handset, wherein the contact information in the first replace all node replaces contact information of the new handset and the calendar information in the second replace all node replaces calendar information of the new handset, the contact information in the first add node is added to contact information of the remote location new handset and the calendar information in the second add node is added to calendar information of the new handset, and the contact information in the first update node updates contact information of the new handset and the calendar information in the second update node updates calendar information of the new handset.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising deleting the contact or the calendar information from the media card memory after storing the contact or the calendar information to the persistent memory.