Starfish Software, Inc.

Satori Labs, Inc.

Roy W Feague

Philippe Richard Kahn

Eric O Bodnar

Gwoho H Liu

Jennifer J Lee

David E Jorgensen

Stephen J Fricke

Gary R Snyder

Kristina A Ross

J Phillip Rose

Chris LaRue

Jeff Gray

An integrated personal information management system is described. In one embodiment, for example, an integrated personal information management system is described that comprises: a receptacle holding at least one paper page that is capable of receiving pen strokes from a digital pen; a digital pen for recording pen strokes when a user writes on a particular paper page; a page identifier for identifying the particular paper page on which the user is writing; and a handheld personal information device in communication with the digital pen and page identifier for processing the recorded pen strokes associated with the particular paper page and displaying the processing results on a display screen.

Integrated personal information management system

Methods for synchronizing PIM data between a wireless telephone and a synchronization server. A communication in interface is established between the telephone and the server, using a wireless network and the Internet. The telephone initiates the synchronization by placing a data call to the server and logging on to the server. A sync client within the telephone sends recent changes to its dataset to the server and requests an acknowledgement of these changes. In an acknowledgement message, the server specifies which changes were actually received. Based on this acknowledgment, the client continues resending changes until it receives confirmation that the server has received all of its changes. The server performs conflict and duplicate resolution between the changes received from the client and other changes of which the server is aware, and enters into its dataset those changes that survive the resolutions. The client also requests that the server send changes that have been made to the server's dataset. The server identifies all changes that should be sent to the client and that have survived the conflict and duplicate resolutions. The server then sends its changes to the client, requests acknowledgement, and resends changes until it confirms that the client has received all of the changes. The client enters the changes from the server into its dataset without any further conflict or duplicate resolution. The client then logs off of the server and ends the data call.

System and methods for synchronizing data between multiple datasets

A portable computing device or &ldquo;information appliance&rdquo; having terse user input (e.g., limit set of keys) is provided with an improved user interface. A six-key embodiment is described that provides a &ldquo;super-key&rdquo; light entry and editing input system for ultra-portable devices, thus making it well suited for use with credit card-sized devices. In a preferred six-button embodiment, a credit card-sized device is modified to include an additional input button, an EDIT key. In user operation, pressing the EDIT key brings up a context sensitive pop-up menu, thus invoking the super-key feature. Customized user input controls, such as a Text Input Control (e.g., letter and number strips), are provided at appropriate times, for facilitating input. Underlying the super-key input is a heuristic sub-system that remembers and anticipates user input. In this fashion, the system can present in-context options for each application running on the target device, and present appropriate options during different phases of the execution of a variety of tasks. By remembering what the user has previously inputted and by using context-sensitive menus and adaptive &ldquo;quick&rdquo; lists, the system can anticipate what the user needs to do at any given time and can guide the user through a step-by-step process to complete each task, thus facilitating the tasks that users most often perform. By including adaptive techniques or built-in intelligence that allows the device to be faster and easier to use with each user session, the target device may anticipate the tasks users need to perform in specific situations and thus make those tasks increasingly easier.

User interface methodology supporting light data entry for microprocessor device having limited user input

A methodology providing &ldquo;synchronization process negotiation&rdquo; is described. Synchronization process negotiation is the methodology of negotiating between two or more devices exactly what synchronization process (protocol) is to be employed to effect synchronization of the devices. The methodology, which is adaptable to existing synchronization protocols, takes into account the actual synchronization capabilities or built-in support (if any) of each device whose data is to be synchronized (e.g., by a synchronization engine). The methodology may be implemented by adapting a given synchronization protocol (which itself may be one of a variety of types) to include a &ldquo;negotiation phase&rdquo; at the beginning of the synchronization, during which the devices involved will exchange information about the capabilities of one or more devices. The individual attributes for a client are communicated as synchronization parameters in attribute/value pair form. Once this negotiation phase has been completed, the synchronization can then proceed in a manner that is most efficient for the features available.

Synchronization process negotiation for computing devices

A portable computing device or 'information appliance' having terse user input (e.g., limit set of keys) is provided with an improved user interface. A six-key embodiment is described that provides a 'super-key' light entry and editing input system for ultra-portable devices, thus making it well suited for use with credit card-sized devices. In a preferred six-button embodiment, a credit card-sized device is modified to include an additional input button, an EDIT key. In user operation, pressing the EDIT key brings up a context sensitive pop-up menu, thus invoking the super-key feature. Customized user input controls, such as a Text Input Control (e.g., letter and number strips), are provided at appropriate times, for facilitating input. Underlying the super-key input is a heuristic sub-system that remembers and anticipates user input. In this fashion, the system can present in-context options for each application running on the target device, and present appropriate options during different phases of the execution of a variety of tasks. By remembering what the user has previously inputted and by using context-sensitive menus and adaptive 'quick' lists, the system can anticipate what the user needs to do at any given time and can guide the user through a step-by-step process to complete each task, thus facilitating the tasks that users most often perform. By including adaptive techniques or built-in intelligence that allows the device to be faster and easier to use with each user session, the target device may anticipate the tasks users need to perform in specific situations and thus make those tasks increasingly easier.

Growing community of inventors

Scotts Valley, CA, United States of America

Roy W Feague