Method and apparatus for a centralized facility for administering and performing connectivity and information management tasks for a mobile user
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsSteven J. Mastrianni, Ajay Mohindra, Dennis G. Shea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, includes a module for selectively adding, deleting, and editing a location object, and a module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object. The location object represents all location-specific information for the portable device and includes an information object including information management tasks that must be performed for a specific location for the portable device to connect to a remote network.
Claims37
A method for creating a new location in a software system for a portable device to allow said device to connect to a physically remote network, said method comprising:
- presenting a user of said portable device with a series of user input interfaces to allow the user to configure a new location with all of the relevant configuration information for said new location, the information specified by the user being stored under a user-specified name;
- when an information synchronization is initiated either by an automatic process or by the user, determining whether the portable device is connected to the network;
- if the computer is not connected, then establishing a network connection using a dial-up modem or a local area network (LAN);
- and
- after the connection has been established, synchronizing file data, sending and receiving electronic mail and caching web pages as specified by the user for a current default location.
A system for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- a first unit for selectively performing at least one of adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- a second unit for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object,
- wherein said second unit comprises a connection manager for providing connectivity functionality to establish a network connection using any a modem, a token-ring card and an Ethernet card,
- wherein said connection manager includes a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable a user to initiate synchronization, and
- wherein said connection manager presents the user with a Connect button, a Synchronize button, a Location Manager button, an Exit and Close button, a Details button, and a View Log button.
A system for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- a first unit for selectively performing at least one of adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- a second unit for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object, and
- wherein said second unit comprises a synchronization manager, said synchronization manager including:
- a mail sub-module for sending and receiving electronic mail;
- a file sub-module for synchronizing file data;
- and
- a Web page sub-module for retrieving and storing Web pages for off-line browsing by a user of said portable device,
- wherein said mail sub-module retrieves mail selectively using a mail exchange protocol.
A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- a first module for selectively performing any of adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- a second module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on said location object,
- wherein said second module comprises a synchronization manager, said synchronization manager including:
- a mail sub-module for sending and receiving electronic mail.
A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- a first module for selectively performing any of adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- a second module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on said location object,
- wherein said second module comprises a synchronization manager, said synchronization manager including:
- a mail sub-module for sending and receiving electronic mail;
- a file sub-module for synchronizing file data;
- and
- a Web page sub-module for retrieving and storing Web pages for off-line browsing by a user of said portable device.
A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for computer-implemented administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- selectively adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- based on a user input, causing said portable device to selectively initiate a request for any of a connection, a disconnection, and an information synchronization, based on the location object,
- wherein said request is followed by any one of sending and receiving electronic mail, synchronizing file data, and retrieving and storing Web pages for off-line browsing by a user of said portable device.
A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for computer-implemented administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- presenting a user of said portable device with a series of user input interfaces to allow the user to configure a new location with all of the relevant configuration information for said new location, the information specified by the user being stored under a user-specified name,
- wherein said user input interfaces comprise a Connect button, a Synchronize button, a Location Manager button, an Exit and Close button, a Details button, and a View Log button.
A method of administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, comprising:
- selectively performing at least one of adding, deleting, and editing a location object;
- and
- selectively initiating, by a user of said portable device, a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization based on the location object,
- wherein said selectively initiating by the user includes at least one of sending and receiving electronic mail, synchronizing file data, and retrieving and storing Web pages for off-line browsing by a user of said portable device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.