Middleware filter agent between server and PDA

• US 9,294,441 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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: Xue, Xin, Sato, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van
• Application Number:
  US13/718,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• 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 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A content server provides content to a first network device during a data synchronization between the two devices. A middleware filter selectively filters content provided by the content server such that selected content is provided to the first network device. The middleware filter is included within a second network device coupled between the content server and the first network device. The second network device acts as a proxy for the first network device to receive the content provided by the content server. The content is provided from the content server according to a subscription service between the content server and the first network device. The first network device is preferably a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the second network device is preferably a personal computer. Alternatively, the content server is coupled to the first network device, without the second network device coupled in between. In the alternative case, the middleware filter is included within the content server, and the content is selectively provided from the middleware filter, on the content server, to the first network device.

Claims

1. A network of devices to filter synchronized data, the network of devices comprising:

a. a content server to store content;

b. a first network device; and

c. a middleware filter coupled to the first network device and to the content server such that during a data synchronization, the content is received by the middleware filter from the content server according to the data synchronization, and the middleware filter is programmed to selectively filter the content resulting in filtered content and send only the filtered content to the first network device, wherein the middleware filter selectively filters in response to meta data within the content and one or more attributes of the first network device, wherein the meta data comprises a data type of the content, wherein the middleware filter performs an authorization before sending the content to the first network device.

2. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the middleware filter reads the meta data of the content received from the content server and sends the content to the first network device if the data type of the read meta data matches an authorized data type associated with the first network device.

3. The network of devices of claim 2 wherein the middleware filter stores the authorized data type of the first network device.

4. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the meta data includes an authorized network device type.

5. The network of devices of claim 4 wherein the middleware filter reads the meta data of the content received from the content server and sends the content to the first network device if the authorized network device type of the read meta data matches a network device type associated with the first network device.

6. The network of devices of claim 5 wherein the middleware filter stores the network device type of the first network device.

7. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the meta data is added to the content by the content server.

8. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the meta data includes data synchronization information corresponding to the data synchronization.

9. The network of devices of claim 8 further comprising a display coupled to the middleware filter to display the data synchronization information.

10. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data synchronization is a one-way data synchronization.

11. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data synchronization is a bi-directional data synchronization.

12. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the middleware filter is within a second network device and further wherein the second network device comprises a personal computer.

13. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the first network device comprises a personal digital assistant.

14. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the content server comprises a web server.

15. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the middleware filter is within a second network device and further wherein the second network device comprises a server.

16. The network of devices of claim 1 further comprising a second network device coupled in between the content server and the first network device, wherein the second network device includes the middleware filter.

17. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the content server includes the middleware filter.

18. A network of devices to filter synchronized data, the network of devices comprising:

a. a content server to store content;

b. handheld device; and

c. a personal computer coupled to the handheld device and to the content server, wherein the personal computer includes a middleware filter programmed such that during a data synchronization, content received by the personal computer from the content server according to the data synchronization is selectively filtered according to the middleware filter, resulting in filtered content, wherein only the filtered content is sent to the handheld device by the personal computer, wherein the middleware filter selectively filters in response to meta data within the content and one or more attributes of the handheld device, wherein the meta data comprises a data type of the content, wherein the middleware filter performs an authorization before sending the content to the handheld device.

19. A content server comprising:

a. a memory for storing content and an application, the application configured for providing the content to a device through an intermediary device coupled to the content server, the intermediary device comprising a middleware filter, wherein the content is selectively filtered in response to meta data within the content and one or more attributes of the device, wherein only the filtered content is sent to the device, wherein the meta data comprises a data type of the content and further wherein the middleware filter performs an authorization before sending the content to the device; and

b. a processor for processing the application.

20. An intermediary device comprising:

a. a communication module configured for communicating with an end user device and a content server; and

b. a memory for storing a middleware filter such that during a data synchronization, content received from the content server according to the data synchronization is selectively filtered according to the middleware filter, resulting in filtered content, wherein only the filtered content is sent to the end user device by the intermediary device, wherein the middleware filter selectively filters in response to meta data within the content and one or more attributes of the end user device, wherein the meta data comprises a data type of the content, wherein the middleware filter performs an authorization before sending the content to the end user device.

21. An end user device comprising:

a. a memory for receiving content, wherein the content is selectively filtered in response to meta data within the content and one or more physical attributes of the end user device, wherein the meta data comprises a data type of the content, wherein the memory is further for storing a filter such that during a data synchronization, content received from a content server according to the data synchronization is selectively filtered according to the filter, resulting in filtered content, wherein the filter selectively filters in response to the meta data within the content and the one or more physical attributes of the end user device; and

b. an output mechanism for presenting the filtered content, wherein an authorization is performed before sending the content to the end user device.