Synchronization of data between an electronic computing mobile device and an electronic computing dockstation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9436484-B2
Application number	US-201113205779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2011
Priority date	Aug 9, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for synchronization of data between an electronic mobile device and an electronic computing dockstation. Embodiments include detecting, by the dockstation, completion of a docking procedure connecting the mobile device to the dockstation; identifying, by the dockstation, applications that are open on the mobile device; opening, by the dockstation, the identified applications on the dockstation; identifying, by the dockstation, files that are open on the mobile device; syncing, by the dockstation, the identified files with corresponding files within the dockstation, including updating an existing file within the dockstation; and opening on the dockstation, by the dockstation, the synced files with the open applications on the dockstation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for synchronization of data between an electronic mobile device and an electronic computing dockstation, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
detecting, by the dockstation executing only a first type of operating system, completion of a docking procedure connecting the mobile device to the dockstation, wherein the mobile device executes only a second type of operating system, wherein both the dockstation and the mobile device have the capability to operate as stand-alone computers;
identifying, by the dockstation, applications that are open on the mobile device;
opening, by the dockstation, the identified applications on the dockstation, wherein the applications on the mobile device are different versions of the corresponding applications on the dockstation;
identifying, by the dockstation, files that are open on the mobile device;
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified files with corresponding files within the dockstation, including updating an existing file within the dockstation; and
opening on the dockstation, by the dockstation, the synced corresponding files with the open applications on the dockstation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
identifying, by the dockstation, non-open files on the mobile device that have been modified since the last sync has occurred between the mobile device and the dockstation; and
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified non-open files with corresponding files within the dockstation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
detecting, by the dockstation, initiation of an undocking procedure that disconnects the mobile device from the dockstation;
in response to the detection of the initiation of the undocking procedure, identifying, by the dockstation, all applications open on the dockstation;
opening, by the dockstation, the identified applications on the mobile device;
identifying, by the dockstation, any files open on the dockstation;
pre-syncing, by the dockstation, the identified open files with corresponding files within a storage location;
syncing, by the dockstation, the pre-synced files within the storage location to corresponding files within the mobile device; and
opening on the mobile device, by the dockstation, the synced files on the mobile device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
identifying, by the dockstation, non-open files on the dockstation that have been modified since the last sync occurred between the mobile device and the dockstation; and
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified non-open files on the dockstation with corresponding files on the mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the storage location is within the dockstation.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the storage location is within a cloud storage device that is external to the dockstation and the mobile device.

7. A computer program product for synchronization of data between an electronic mobile device and an electronic computing dockstation, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable, when executed, of causing a computer to carry out the steps of:
detecting, by the dockstation executing only a first type of operating system, completion of a docking procedure connecting the mobile device to the dockstation, wherein the mobile device executes only a second type of operating system, wherein both the dockstation and the mobile device have the capability to operate as stand-alone computers;
identifying, by the dockstation, applications that are open on the mobile device;
opening, by the dockstation, the identified applications on the dockstation, wherein the applications on the mobile device are different versions of the corresponding applications on the dockstation;
identifying, by the dockstation, files that are open on the mobile device;
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified files with corresponding files within the dockstation, including updating an existing file within the dockstation; and
opening on the dockstation, by the dockstation, the synced corresponding files with the open applications on the dockstation.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
identifying, by the dockstation, non-open files on the mobile device that have been modified since the last sync has occurred between the mobile device and the dockstation; and
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified non-open files with corresponding files within the dockstation.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
detecting, by the dockstation, initiation of an undocking procedure that disconnects the mobile device from the dockstation;
in response to the detection of the initiation of the undocking procedure, identifying, by the dockstation, all applications open on the dockstation;
opening, by the dockstation, the identified applications on the mobile device;
identifying, by the dockstation, any files open on the dockstation;
pre-syncing, by the dockstation, the identified open files with corresponding files within a storage location;
syncing, by the dockstation, the pre-synced files within the storage location to corresponding files within the mobile device; and
opening on the mobile device, by the dockstation, the synced files on the mobile device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
identifying, by the dockstation, non-open files on the dockstation that have been modified since the last sync occurred between the mobile device and the dockstation; and
syncing, by the dockstation, the identified non-open files on the dockstation with corresponding files on the mobile device.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the storage location is within the dockstation.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the storage location is within a cloud storage device that is external to the dockstation and the mobile device.

Assignees

• Byrne William T
• Christopher Robert J
• Kangas Paul D
• Ranck Daniel M
• IBM

Inventors

• Byrne William T
• Christopher Robert J
• Kangas Paul D
• Ranck Daniel M

Classifications

• G06F16/178

  Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems · CPC title

• G06F9/445 Primary

  Program loading or initiating (bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F17/30174

  Physics · mapped topic