Systems and methods for synchronizing content and information on multiple computing devices

Abstract

A method for synchronizing content between a first electronic device and a second electronic device in response to an input signal, includes: (a) receiving a first synchronization signal from the first computing device that is based on the input signal being received in the first electronic device; (b) mapping the first synchronization signal to a second synchronization signal based on mapping information accessible to the second electronic device, wherein the second synchronization signal includes information not represented by the first synchronization signal; and (c) transmitting the second synchronization signal to the second electronic device for processing, wherein (i) the input signal comprises one or more sensors; (ii) the first electronic device comprises a controller that interprets the input signal to provide the first synchronization signal, and (iii) the second electronic device comprises an actuator and wherein the second synchronization signal corresponds to a command for actuation in the second electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a synchronization server, a method for synchronizing content between a first computing device and a second computing device, the method comprising:
 receiving a first synchronization signal from the first computing device that is based on an event in the first computing device;   mapping the first synchronization signal to a second synchronization signal based on mapping information in the synchronization server, wherein the second synchronization signal includes information supplied by the synchronization server; and   transmitting the second synchronization signal to the second computing device for processing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a synchronization trigger signal from the first computing device before transmitting the second synchronization signal to the second computing device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the synchronization trigger signal results from user input received over a user interface on the first computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first synchronization signal includes a link to a first resource and the second synchronization signal includes a link to a mobile resource. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in response to the second synchronization signal, the second computing device provides a resource identifier for an application download website. 
     
     
         6 . In a system including a first computing device and a second computing device, a method in the second computing device for synchronizing content between the first and second computing devices, comprising:
 running a synchronization application;   receiving a first synchronization signal from the first computing device that is based on an event in the first computing device;   in the synchronization application, mapping the first synchronization signal to a second synchronization signal based on information stored in the synchronization application; and   processing the second synchronization signal.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first computing device transmits the first synchronization signal to the second computing device in response to receiving a synchronization trigger signal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the synchronization trigger signal results from user input received into a user interface on the first computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first synchronization signal includes a link to a first resource and the second synchronization signal includes a link to a mobile resource. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising receiving the mapping information into the synchronization application prior to mapping the first synchronization signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the event comprises detection of one or more of: predetermined content, a sensor signal, a user action, access to a peripheral device, and execution of predetermined program instructions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined content comprises a web page served by a predetermined server for processing in the first computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined server comprises a synchronization-enabled web server. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor signal comprises a signal generated by one or more of: a positioning system, a navigation system receiver, an image processing device, a network activity, and a communication module in the first computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the peripheral device comprises one or more of: a display panel, a storage system, and a data communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined program instructions comprise one or more of: a browser plug-in or extension and a client-site script executing in a web browser and a service program running in the background. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the synchronization comprises a synchronization application running on the first computing device or the second computing device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting if the second computing device is on-line and wherein, if the second computing device is not on-line, sending the second synchronization signal using a push mechanism. 
     
     
         19 . A synchronization server synchronizing content between a first computing device and a second computing device, the synchronizing server comprising:
 a network interface; and   a database including information mapping between a first synchronization signal of the first computing device and a second synchronization signal of the second computing device, wherein the second synchronization signal includes information retrieved from the database, and wherein the synchronization server is configured to (i) receive over the network interface the first synchronization signal from the first computing device in conjunction with an event in the first computing device, (ii) retrieve the second synchronization signal from the database, and (iii) transmits over the network interface the second synchronization signal to the second computing device for processing.   
     
     
         20 . The synchronization server of  claim 19 , wherein the synchronization server is further configured to receive a synchronization trigger signal from the first computing device before transmitting the second synchronization signal to the second computing device. 
     
     
         21 . The synchronization server of  claim 20 , wherein the synchronization trigger signal results from input received into a user interface on the first computing device. 
     
     
         22 . The synchronization server of  claim 19 , wherein the second synchronization signal is sent to a synchronization application running on the first computing device or the second computing device. 
     
     
         23 . The synchronization server of  claim 19  wherein the first synchronization signal includes a link to a first resource and the second synchronization signal includes a link to a mobile resource. 
     
     
         24 . The synchronization server of  claim 19 , wherein the event comprises detection of one or more of: predetermined content, a sensor signal, a user action, access to a peripheral device, and execution of predetermined program instructions. 
     
     
         25 . The synchronization server of  claim 24 , wherein the sensor signal comprises a signal generated by one or more of: a positioning system, a navigation system receiver, an image processing device, a network activity, and a communication module in the first computing device. 
     
     
         26 . The synchronization server of  claim 24 , wherein the peripheral device comprises one or more of: a display panel, a storage system, and a data communication device. 
     
     
         27 . The synchronization server of  claim 19 , wherein the synchronization server comprises a synchronization application running on the first computing device or the second computing device and wherein the network interface is a virtual network interface. 
     
     
         28 . In a system comprising a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the second computing device synchronizes content between itself and the first computing devices, the second computing device comprising: (a) a network interface for receiving a first synchronization signal from the first computing device in conjunction with a triggering event; and (b) a synchronization application which (i) maps the first synchronization signal to a second synchronization signal based on information in the synchronization application, wherein the second synchronization signal includes information supplied by the synchronization application; and (ii) processes the second synchronization signal. 
     
     
         29 . The second computing device of  claim 28 , wherein the first computing device transmits the first synchronization signal to the second computing device in response to receiving a synchronization trigger signal. 
     
     
         30 . The second computing device of  claim 29 , wherein the synchronization trigger signal results from input received at a user interface on the first computing device. 
     
     
         31 . The second computing device of  claim 28 , wherein the first synchronization signal includes a link to a first resource and the second synchronization signal includes a link to a mobile resource. 
     
     
         32 . The second computing device of  claim 28 , wherein the first synchronization signal includes location information and wherein, in response to the second synchronization signal, the second computing device provides directions from a current location of the second computing device to a location associated with the location information. 
     
     
         33 . The second computing device of  claim 28  wherein the second computing device is configured to, when it comes on-line, receive the first synchronization signal from a push server. 
     
     
         34 . The second computing device of  claim 28 , wherein the event comprises detection of one or more of: predetermined content, a sensor signal, a user action, access to a peripheral device, and execution of predetermined program instructions. 
     
     
         35 . The second computing device of  claim 34 , wherein the sensor signal comprises a signal generated by one or more of: a positioning system, a navigation system receiver, an image processing device, a network activity, and a communication module in the first computing device. 
     
     
         36 . The second computing device of  claim 34 , wherein the peripheral device comprises one or more of a display panel, a storage system, and a data communication device. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the second synchronization signal at the second computing device comprising causing data to be transferred from the second computing device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein processing the second synchronization signal at the second computing device comprising causing data to be transferred from the second computing device. 
     
     
         39 . The synchronization server of  claim 19 , wherein processing the second synchronization signal at the second computing device comprising causing data to be transferred from the second computing device. 
     
     
         40 . The second computing device of  claim 28 , wherein processing the second synchronization signal at the second computing device comprising causing data to be transferred from the second computing device.