Architecture for management of digital files across distributed network

• US 10,067,942 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topia Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Topia Technology
• Inventors: Manzano, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Channavajjala, Srirama
• Application Number:
  US14/860,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A system includes a first application executable on a first electronic device. The system further includes a second application executable on a second electronic device in communication with the first electronic device. The second electronic device is configured to store a first electronic file. Subsequent to a user modifying the first electronic file, the second application is operable to automatically transfer the modified first electronic file, or a copy thereof, to the first electronic device. The system further includes a third application executable on a third electronic device in communication with the first electronic device. The third electronic device is configured to store a second electronic file. Subsequent to the user modifying the second electronic file, the third application is operable to automatically transfer the modified second electronic file, or a copy thereof, to the first electronic device. The first application is operable to automatically transfer the modified first electronic file or copy to the third electronic device, and automatically transfer the modified second electronic file or copy to the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first electronic device, associated with a user, configured to;

receive, via a first application at the first electronic device, a copy of a modified first electronic file from a second application at a second electronic device associated with the user, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is automatically received from the second application responsive to the user modifying a content of the first electronic file;

determine whether the first electronic device is in communication with a third electronic device;

automatically send, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to a third application at the third electronic device responsive to the determination that the first electronic device is in communication with the third electronic device and responsive to receiving the modified first electronic file copy from the second electronic device;

receive, via the first application, a copy of a modified second electronic file from the third application at the third electronic device associated with the user, wherein the modified second electronic file copy is automatically received from the third application responsive to the user modifying a content of the second electronic file;

determine whether the first electronic device is in communication with the second electronic device; and

automatically send, via the first application, the modified second electronic file copy to the second application at the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the first electronic device is in communication with the second electronic device and responsive to receiving the modified second electronic file copy from the third electronic device,

wherein, responsive to sending the modified first electronic file copy to the third electronic device, an older version of the first electronic file stored on the third electronic device is automatically caused to be replaced with the modified first electronic file copy such that the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the third electronic device in lieu of the older version of the first electronic file, and

wherein, responsive to sending the modified second electronic file copy to the second electronic device, an older version of the second electronic file stored on the second electronic device is automatically caused to be replaced with the modified second electronic file copy such that the modified second electronic file copy is stored on the second electronic device in lieu of the older version of the second electronic file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second application or the third application comprises a runtime environment for mobile-agent objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is configured to:

store, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to a memory device associated with the first electronic device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device in lieu of an older version of the first electronic file copy that was stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device responsive to a determination that the first electronic device is not in communication with the third electronic device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first electronic device is configured to:

responsive to resuming communication with the third electronic device, automatically transfer, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to the third electronic device to cause the older version of the first electronic file stored on the third electronic device to be replaced with the modified first electronic file copy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second application is operable to create a first mobile object, and wherein the first mobile object is operable to create a proxy object at the first electronic device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first mobile object is operable to provide the modified first electronic file copy to the proxy object.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the proxy object is operable to store the modified first electronic file copy on a memory device associated with the first electronic device.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first application at a first electronic device, a copy of a modified first electronic file from a second application at a second electronic device associated with a user, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is automatically received from the second application responsive to the user modifying a content of the first electronic file;

determining whether the first electronic device is in communication with a third electronic device;

automatically sending, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to a third application at the third electronic device responsive to the determination that the first electronic device is in communication with the third electronic device and responsive to receiving the modified first electronic file copy from the second electronic device;

receiving, via the first application, a copy of a modified second electronic file from the third application at the third electronic device associated with the user, wherein the modified second electronic file copy is automatically received from the third application responsive to the user modifying a content of the second electronic file;

determining whether the first electronic device is in communication with the second electronic device; and

automatically sending, via the first application, the modified second electronic file copy to the second application at the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the first electronic device is in communication with the second electronic device and responsive to receiving the modified second electronic file copy from the third electronic device,

wherein, responsive to sending the modified first electronic file copy to the third electronic device, an older version of the first electronic file stored on the third electronic device is automatically caused to be replaced with the modified first electronic file copy such that the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the third electronic device in lieu of the older version of the first electronic file, and

wherein, responsive to sending the modified second electronic file copy to the second electronic device, an older version of the second electronic file stored on the second electronic device is automatically caused to be replaced with the modified second electronic file copy such that the modified second electronic file copy is stored on the second electronic device in lieu of the older version of the second electronic file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the second application or the third application comprises a runtime environment for mobile-agent objects.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to a memory device associated with the first electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device in lieu of an older version of the first electronic file copy that was stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified first electronic file copy is stored on the memory device associated with the first electronic device responsive to a determination that the first electronic device is not in communication with the third electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

responsive to resuming communication with the third electronic device, automatically transferring, via the first application, the modified first electronic file copy to the third electronic device to cause the older version of the first electronic file stored on the third electronic device to be replaced with the modified first electronic file copy.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the second application is operable to create a first mobile object, and wherein the first mobile object is operable to create a proxy object at the first electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first mobile object is operable to provide the modified first electronic file copy to the proxy object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the proxy object is operable to store the modified first electronic file copy on a memory device associated with the first electronic device.