The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1997
Virginia C. Hyde, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Deepak Alur, Milpitas, CA (US);
Cynthia F. Beckett, Livermore, CA (US);
Mats Jansson, Redwood City, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing bi-directional data transfer operations over a global computer network are provided. This is accomplished by extracting data from a database stored on a first computer system connected to the global network, transmitting the data extracted from the database to a second computer system connected to the global computer network, receiving on the first computer system data transmitted from the second computer system, and merging the data received from the second computer system into the database stored on the first computer system. These operations are performed in a substantially contemporaneous manner. Unlike prior art techniques, in which data transfers are performed in batch off-line, embodiments of the invention allow for secure data transfer operations to be performed on-line in real-time. In addition, since a global computer network is utilized, there is no need to maintain a dedicated communication line between the first and the second computer systems, but rather a single network connection can be used by the first and the second computer system to communicate with any number of computer systems connected to the global computer network.