Systems and methods providing a drive interface for content delivery

• US 10,257,301 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiMedia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MiMedia, Inc.
• Inventors: Giordano, Christopher, Mackenzie, III, Gordon C., Reyes, Mel, Faulkner, Nick, Urbach, Jourdan
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US15/430,242
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Systems and methods which provide a drive interface for delivery of various content to consumers of the content are described. Embodiments provide access to content shared by a content provider using an interface emulating a disk drive local to the consumer. In operation the user accesses content shared by a content provider using a drive interface content delivery platform of embodiments herein as if the user were accessing content on a local drive. The drive interface of embodiments is branded in correspondence to the content or content provider. Drive interface content delivery platforms of embodiments employ a “push” type content delivery technique whereby content is actively delivered to the consumers under the control or at the initiation of the content provider. Embodiments may additionally provide push delivery of content through web based interfaces and application interfaces.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a content provider content delivery drive interface to a processor-based system of a content provider having one or more consumer content delivery drive interface associated therewith, wherein the content provider content delivery drive interface provides emulation of a drive local to the content provider processor-based system;

providing a consumer content delivery drive interface of the one or more consumer content delivery drive interface to a user device of a consumer of the content, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface provides emulation of a drive local to the user device, the emulation including local storage of content at the user device, and wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify a source of the content; and

providing pushed delivery of content from the content provider to the consumer by the content provider introducing the content to the content provider content delivery drive interface and the content being pushed to the consumer content delivery drive interface, wherein, based on available resources of the user device, the pushed delivery of the content provides one of the content and information for accessing the content to the consumer content delivery drive interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify the content provider as the source of the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having first characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the content being stored locally at the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having second characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the information for accessing the content being stored locally at the user device based the available resources of the user device, wherein the information for accessing the content comprises a file pointer that points to a remotely stored instance of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a venue associated with the consumer having been provided the consumer content delivery drive interface, wherein the pushed content comprises content associated with the venue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining content possessed by the consumer, wherein the pushed content comprises content determined not to be possessed by the consumer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing interaction between the content provider and the consumer via the content provider content delivery drive interface and the consumer content delivery drive interface, wherein the pushed content comprises content provided as a result of the interaction between the content provider and the consumer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content pushed from the content provider to the consumer comprises a plurality of media content files having media content related to the branding of the branded consumer content delivery drive, wherein the plurality of media content files comprise media content files of at least two of the media content file types consisting of digital photographs, digital video, digital sound, and digital documents.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a content control management interface adapted to instantiate control of the content as selected by the content provider when the content is accessed by the consumers; and

implementing consumer preferences with respect to either or both of delivery of the content to the user device or access to the content using the user device within parameters of the content control instantiated by the content provider.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control comprises:

digital rights management, sharing of the content by the consumer, control of a number of accesses by the consumer to the content, control of an amount of the content accessible to the consumer, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a network-based mass storage system in communication with the content provider content delivery drive interface and the consumer content delivery drive interface; and

communicating the content from the content provider content delivery drive interface to the network-based mass storage system for the pushed delivery to the consumer content delivery drive interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing, via the pushed delivery of the content, the content to the consumer content delivery drive interface comprises:

communicating the content from the network-based mass storage system to the consumer content delivery drive interface; and

storing the content locally at the user device for access via the consumer content delivery drive interface.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein providing, via the pushed delivery of the content, the information for accessing the content to the consumer content delivery drive interface comprises:

storing the content at the network-based mass storage system;

communicating a file pointer from the network-based mass storage system to the consumer content delivery drive interface; and

storing the file pointer locally at the user device for access to the content via the consumer content delivery drive interface and the file pointer.

14. A method comprising:

providing a consumer content delivery drive interface operable upon a user device of a consumer of content, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface provides emulation of a drive local to the user device, the emulation including local storage of content pushed to the user device under control of a content provider remote from the user device, and wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify a source of the content;

receiving pushed delivery of content at the user device under control of the content provider, wherein, based on available resources of the user device, the pushed delivery of the content provides one of the content and information for accessing the content to the consumer content delivery drive interface; and

providing access to the content by the consumer in accordance with one or more control selected by the content provider.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify the content provider as the source of the content.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having first characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the content being stored locally at the user device, and wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having second characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the information for accessing the content being stored locally at the user device, wherein the information for accessing the content comprises a file pointer that points to a remotely stored instance of the content.

17. A system comprising:

computer executable logic operable to provide a content provider content delivery drive interface at a processor-based system of a content provider, wherein the content provider content delivery drive interface provides emulation of a drive local to the content provider processor-based system;

computer executable logic operable to provide a consumer content delivery drive interface at a user device of a consumer of the content, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface provides emulation of a drive local to the user device, the emulation including local storage of content at the user device; and

a network-based mass storage system in communication with the content provider content delivery drive interface and the consumer content delivery drive interface, wherein the network-based mass storage system is operable to provide pushed delivery of content from the content provider to the consumer when the content provider introduces the content to the content provider content delivery drive interface, and wherein, based on available resources of the user device, the pushed delivery of the content provides one of the content and information for accessing the content to the consumer content delivery drive interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify the content provider as the source of the content.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the consumer content delivery drive interface is branded to identify a source of the content.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having first characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the content being stored locally at the user device, wherein, based on the available resources of the user device having second characteristics, the pushed delivery of the content results in the information for accessing the content being stored locally at the user device based the available resources of the user device, and wherein the information for accessing the content comprises a file pointer that points to a remotely stored instance of the content.