System and method for maintaining on a handheld electronic device information that is substantially current and is readily available to a user
View Patent ↗An improved system and method for managing data on a handheld electronic device includes a server that periodically pushes data to a particular handheld electronic device, with the data being stored on the handheld electronic device by way of a routine running in the background whereby such reception and storage is generally transparent to a user. The data can be any type of data and may be data that is desired by the user or that fits a profile or preference of the user. The profile can, for instance, be predetermined and/or can be customized by the user and/or can reflect a preference of the user. The data pushed to the handheld electronic device can also be related in some fashion to a geographic disposition of the handheld electronic device. Such pushing of data and storage is managed by a routine running in the background of the handheld electronic device. The routine enables current data to be maintained on the handheld electronic device for ready access by a user.
1. A method of managing data on an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving on the electronic device a first signal representative of at least a portion of a first set of data;
storing on the electronic device a second set of data derived from the first signal;
responsive to a predetermined event:
altering at least a portion of the first set of data to form an updated first set of data;
receiving on the electronic device a second signal representative of at least a portion of the updated first set of data;
storing on the electronic device an updated second set of data derived from the second signal; and
employing a profile associated with the electronic device to configure at least one of the updated first set of data and the updated second set of data to comply with the profile.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing a routine that is adapted to operate substantially transparently to a user of the electronic device to store on the electronic device the second set of data and the updated second set of data.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises an input apparatus having a number of input members, and further comprising, responsive to an actuation of a predetermined input member, outputting at least a portion of the updated second set of data.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising replacing the second set of data with the updated second set of data.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises an input apparatus having a number of input members, and further comprising:
responsive to an actuation of a predetermined input member, outputting a number of shortcuts, at least some of the shortcuts each being adapted to provide a shortcut function to a corresponding portion of the updated second set of data; and
responsive to a selection of a shortcut of the number of shortcuts, displaying the corresponding portion of the updated second set of data that corresponds with the shortcut.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a first geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, sending to the electronic device as the first signal a signal that is representative of data that at least partially corresponds with the first geographic disposition.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising sending to the electronic device as the first signal a signal that is representative of data that is specific to the first geographic disposition and is selected in accordance with the profile.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a second geographic disposition of the electronic device, making a determination that the second geographic disposition is different than the first geographic disposition and, employing the determination as the predetermined event.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making a determination that the first set of data has undergone a change, and employing as the predetermined event the determination that the first set of data has undergone a change.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a first geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, causing the first set of data to include data that at least partially corresponds with the first geographic disposition;
determining a second geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, altering the first set of data to include data that at least partially corresponds with the second geographic disposition; and
employing the altering of the first set of data in the making of the determination that the first set of data has undergone a change.
11. An electronic device comprising:
an input apparatus;
an output apparatus; and
a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein one or more routines which, when executed on the processor, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:
receiving on the electronic device a first signal representative of at least a portion of a first set of data;
storing on the electronic device a second set of data derived from the first signal;
responsive to a predetermined event:
altering at least a portion of the first set of data to form an updated first set of data;
receiving on the electronic device a second signal representative of at least a portion of the updated first set of data;
storing on the electronic device an updated second set of data derived from the second signal; and
employing a profile associated with the electronic device to configure at least one of the updated first set of data and the updated second set of data to comply with the profile.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the operations further comprise executing a routine that is adapted to operate substantially transparently to a user of the electronic device to store on the electronic device the second set of data and the updated second set of data.
13. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the input apparatus comprises a number of input members, and wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to an actuation of a predetermined input member, outputting at least a portion of the updated second set of data.
14. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise replacing the second set of data with the updated second set of data.
15. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the input apparatus comprises a number of input members, and wherein the operations further comprise:
responsive to an actuation of a predetermined input member, outputting a number of shortcuts, at least some of the shortcuts each being adapted to provide a shortcut function to a corresponding portion of the updated second set of data; and
responsive to a selection of a shortcut of the number of shortcuts, displaying the corresponding portion of the updated second set of data that corresponds with the shortcut.
16. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the operations further comprise determining a first geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, sending to the electronic device as the first signal a signal that is representative of data that at least partially corresponds with the first geographic disposition.
17. The electronic device of claim 16 wherein the operations further comprise sending to the electronic device as the first signal a signal that is representative of data that is specific to the first geographic disposition and is selected in accordance with the profile.
18. The electronic device of claim 16 wherein the operations further comprise determining a second geographic disposition of the electronic device, making a determination that the second geographic disposition is different than the first geographic disposition and, employing the determination as the predetermined event.
19. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the operations further comprise making a determination that the first set of data has undergone a change, and employing as the predetermined event the determination that the first set of data has undergone a change.
20. The electronic device of claim 19 wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a first geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, causing the first set of data to include data that at least partially corresponds with the first geographic disposition;
determining a second geographic disposition of the electronic device and, responsive thereto, altering the first set of data to include data that at least partially corresponds with the second geographic disposition; and
employing the altering of the first set of data in the making of the determination that the first set of data has undergone a change.