A difference information
receiver, a difference information
transmitter and a difference information
synchronizer which cooperate in a
system or device to update data in the device with data received from other systems, or provide data for other systems to use in updating themselves are disclosed. A difference
receiver in a device having at least one application data destination having a format includes a difference engine receiving difference information associated with a change to said at least one application data destination; and an application interface, applying said difference information to said at least one data destination. A method for updating data files in a
system is also disclosed. The method may include the steps of: receiving difference information for a subset of said data files; and applying said difference information to said subset of said data files. In particular said step of receiving may comprise: receiving a change log detailing changes to data files on another
system; and applying said changes to a
data store containing data identical to said data files to generate changed data. A difference
transmitter comprises an application in a system having a
data source in a source format. The application may include an application interface, extracting data from said
data source; and a difference engine receiving said data and outputting difference information associated with changes to said
data source. A method for updating a data source in a system is also disclosed. The method may include the steps of extracting difference information from at least a subset of said data source; and outputting difference information for at least the subset of said data source. The step of extracting may comprise determining whether changes have been made to the subset of data source in the system; and generating a change log detailing changes to the subset of data source on another system. A difference
synchronizer includes an extraction routine for extracting a first set of difference information resulting from changes to the data files; a differencing
transmitter for transmitting said first set of difference information to an output; a differencing
receiver for receiving a second set of difference information from an input; and a reconstruction routine for applying the second set of difference information to the data files. In a particular embodiment, the invention comprises a device engine including an
application object; an
application object store; and a
delta module.