Method and system for conducting client-to-server or peer-to-peer or mixed mode data synchronization
OwnerDan Kikinisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for synchronizing data between at least 2 separate appliances connected to a communications network includes one appliance of the at least 2 separate appliances for initiating synchronization, a data record containing editable and non-editable fields, and a software program for separating individual ones of editable fields and non-editable fields from the record and packaging them for transmission over the network to one or more of the other appliances.
Claims22
A system for synchronizing data between at least 2 separate appliances connected to a communications network comprising:
- one appliance of the at least 2 separate appliances for initiating synchronization;
- a data record containing editable and non-editable fields;
- and
- a software program for separating individual ones of editable fields and non-editable fields from the record and packaging them for transmission over the network to one or more of the other appliances.
A data record for facilitating data synchronization comprising:
- a plurality of editable and non-editable data fields;
- a unique identifier associated with one of the non-editable fields identifying the source of the data record;
- and
- a unique identifier associated with one of the non-editable fields identifying one or more sources who have edited the data record.
A transmittable synchronization package for synchronizing data between at least two appliances connected to a communication network comprising:
- at least one editable data field containing data for synchronization or a pointer to data for synchronization;
- and
- at least one non-editable data field for identifying a record, a source of the synchronization package, and a revision number for the changed data.
A software application for facilitating data synchronization between at least 2 appliances connected to a communications network comprising:
- a portion thereof for representing an item in the form of a record, the record containing editable and non-editable fields;
- a portion thereof for separating individual ones of the editable and non-editable fields from the record into a transmittable update package and for transmitting the package over the network;
- and
- a portion thereof for receiving the transmitted package and applying that package to a version of the original record.
A method for synchronizing data between two or more appliances connected to a communications network comprising acts of:
- (a) editing an item or performing a task related to an item on a sending appliance;
- (b) updating a local record of the item and retaining the change data from the record;
- (c) packaging the change data and the record and source identification data for transmission as a record update;
- (d) transmitting the package to the other appliance or appliances designated to receive synchronization;
- (e) receiving the package at the other appliance or appliances;
- (f) updating the local copy of the original record on that appliance or appliances according to the package contents;
- and
- (g) applying the change data from the new record to the item or items to be changed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.