Selective Application Synchronization for Mobile Data Consistency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile communications, synchronizing data between a mobile device and an external computer with mirrored databases can lead to confusion and inconsistencies due to overlapping applications, such as calendar or contacts management, if both databases are not properly managed and updated efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A mobile communication device and system that allows users to select a preferred application for synchronization, restricting access to other applications and using either wireless or wired communication paths to synchronize data with an external computer, ensuring data consistency and preventing user access to multiple, overlapping databases simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If both applications are allowed to access and synchronize with the remote application simultaneously, then user flexibility and application choice are improved, but data consistency and synchronization reliability deteriorate due to overlapping database updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a preference management mechanism as an intermediary layer between multiple applications and the remote application. This mediator receives user preferences, determines which application should synchronize data, and routes synchronization requests accordingly, preventing conflicting updates while maintaining user flexibility in application selection
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by establishing user preferences before synchronization conflicts occur. The preference setting is stored and consulted beforehand to determine which application should access the remote application, preventing data inconsistency before it happens rather than resolving it after conflicts arise
2Ease of operation
If multiple applications can synchronize data simultaneously, then user convenience and access flexibility are improved, but synchronization time and data update efficiency worsen due to conflicts and coordination overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The preference management mechanism acts as an efficient intermediary that quickly determines which application should synchronize, eliminating the need for complex real-time coordination between multiple applications. This mediator layer streamlines the synchronization process by making straightforward routing decisions based on pre-stored preferences
Solution Approach 2:
By establishing user preferences in advance, the system eliminates the need for runtime decision-making and coordination overhead. The pre-configured preferences enable immediate, efficient synchronization routing without wasting time on conflict resolution or coordination protocols
3Reliability
If access to multiple applications is restricted to a single preferred application, then data consistency and synchronization reliability are improved, but user flexibility and application accessibility worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by allowing the preference management mechanism to serve multiple applications while maintaining single-point synchronization. The same synchronization infrastructure supports multiple applications, but the preference system ensures only the selected application actively synchronizes at any time, combining reliability with broad application support
Solution Approach 2:
The preference management intermediary maintains synchronization reliability by controlling access to the remote application, while simultaneously preserving user flexibility by allowing preference changes between different applications. The mediator abstracts the restriction from the user experience, presenting flexible application choice while enforcing reliable single-point synchronization in the background
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and apparatus for synchronizing data between a mobile communication device (116) and an external computer (104-1) across one of a plurality of communication paths (402, 422). A first application (404) resident on the mobile communication device (116) is operable to synchronize with the external computer (104-1) via a first communication path (402). A second application (406) resident on the mobile communication device is operable to synchronize with the external computer (104-1) via a second communication path (422). A related remote application (416) is resident on the external computer (104-1). A preferred application is selected by the user from the first and second applications (404, 406). The mobile communication device (116) synchronizes data associated with the preferred application with data associated with the related remote application (116) via the communication path associated with the preferred application.