System and method of secure file sharing using P2P

• US 10,069,899 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GPVTL Canada, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Boris Kai-Tik, Baril, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda
• Application Number:
  US15/674,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method is provided for sharing a file. A first mobile device can generate a link and the link can enable a second mobile device to send a request to a permission server to access a file from a remote server. The permission server can determine a unique identifier of the second mobile device is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges to receive the file from the remote server. Additionally, the permission server can enable the second mobile device to download the file from the remote server, upon determining that the unique identifier is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges. Once the second mobile device with sufficient file sharing privileges downloads the file from the remote server, the first mobile device can receive a confirmation.

Claims

1. A method of sharing a file, the method performed by one or more processors of a sender mobile device and comprising:

generating a link, by a first mobile device, to enable a second mobile device to send a request to a permission server to access the file from a remote server;

determining, by the permission server, a unique identifier of the second mobile device is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges to receive the file from the remote server;

upon determining that the unique identifier is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges, enabling the second mobile device, by the permission server, to download the file from the remote server; and

receiving a confirmation, on the first mobile device, once the second mobile device with sufficient file sharing privileges downloads the file from the remote server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message including the link, by the first mobile device and to the second mobile device, the second mobile device being associated with unique identifier that is associated with a permission status that corresponds to a file sharing privilege.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the link to the file to be shared prior to sending the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the file is not stored on the sender mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the permission status of the second mobile device has not been determined by the first mobile device prior to sending the message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the message is sent to the second mobile device over a peer-to-peer network, and wherein the second mobile device communicates with the permission server and the remote server over a second network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discovering nearby mobile devices using a peer-to-peer network utilizing one of a Bluetooth, a NFC, or a WiFi protocol; and

receiving user input to select the second mobile device from the discovered nearby mobile devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the nearby mobile devices are displayed on a drop-down list on a user interface of a detection application, and wherein the second mobile device is selected from the drop-down list.

9. A method of accessing, on a first mobile device, a file that has been shared by a second mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first mobile device, a message from the second mobile device, the message including a link to enable the first mobile device to send a request to a permission server to access the file from a remote server of an enterprise entity;

in response to a user actuating the link to send the request, transmitting a unique identifier of the first mobile device to the permission server, wherein the permission server determines whether the unique identifier is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges to receive the file from the remote server;

upon determining by the permission server that the unique identifier is associated with sufficient file sharing privileges to receive a download of the file from the remote server; and

generating a confirmation to the second mobile device once the file is downloaded using the link.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the link is received via a peer-to-peer connection based on an application for sharing files executing on each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting the first mobile device to a discoverable mode to enable the second mobile device to discover the first mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

upon determination by the permission server that the second mobile device does not comprise sufficient privileges, displaying an error condition.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier comprises one of a MAC address, an IP address, or an email address.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the download of the file includes a privilege parameter that must be satisfied to access the file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the privilege parameter comprises a password or credential to access the file.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the privilege parameter comprises a pre-set limit on access or use of the file by the first mobile device.