Virtual storage system and method of sharing electronic documents within the virtual storage system

• US 10,303,778 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Strongbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Virtual Strongbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Daly, Jr., Ronald M, Giambalvo, Leonard, Smilie, Robert Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Duyen M
• Application Number:
  US13/752,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 709214, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A virtual storage system and a method of sharing electronic documents within a virtual storage system that includes at least one processor that processes a plurality of electronic documents received from an external system, receives from the user computing device, a request for sharing an electronic document of the plurality of electronic documents, and input information including download information and expiration information corresponding to the electronic document, as input by a user, and creates at least one share link corresponding to the electronic document based on the input information, for sharing the electronic document with a recipient. The virtual storage system further includes a plurality of redundant physical storage devices in data communication with the at least one processor each storing the electronic documents and the at least one share link created.

Claims

1. A virtual storage system in data communication with a user computing device through an external system via a communication network, the virtual storage system comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

process a plurality of electronic documents received from the external system in data communication with the user computer device and the virtual storage system and operatively situated between the user computing device and the virtual storage system,

receive from the user computing device, a request for sharing an electronic document of the plurality of electronic documents, and input information including download information and expiration information corresponding to the electronic document, as input by a user,

create at least one share link corresponding to the electronic document based on the input information entered into a graphical user interface, for sharing the electronic document with a recipient, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a data field to enter the download information that includes a number of times the electronic document is to be downloaded by the recipient, and another data field to enter the expiration information;

select, from a list of shared links in an active state, at least one shared link in an active state;

display the selected at least one shared link in an active state with the download information, the expiration information, and download activity corresponding to the selected at least one shared link;

modify at least one of the download information and the expiration information of the selected at least one shared link in an active state according to input by the user entered into the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises data fields to enter modified download information and modified expiration information; and

a plurality of redundant physical storage devices in data communication with the at least one processor and each configured to store the electronic documents and the at least one share link created;

wherein processing a plurality of electronic documents received from the external system comprises locking the plurality of electronic documents with encryption during retrieval from the external system, leaving ownership of the electronic documents within the virtual storage system with the user at all times.

2. The virtual storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a web interface configured to interface the virtual storage system with the external system and the user computing device, via at least one communication network.

3. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the external system comprises a web interface configured to interface the external system with the virtual storage system.

4. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the user computing device comprises a web application configured to interface the user computing device with the virtual storage system, via the external system.

5. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the external system is an online document retrieval and storage system.

6. The virtual storage system of claim 5, wherein the online document retrieval and storage system is a banking system.

7. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the expiration information comprises an expiration period for downloading the electronic document by the recipient.

8. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the at least one share link created is configured to be copied to a communication to the recipient or a communication is generated within the virtual storage system, for sending the at least one share link to the recipient.

9. The virtual storage system of claim 1, wherein the at least one share link created is configured to be removed by the user while in an active state.

10. A method implemented by computer system to effect the sharing of a plurality of electronic documents within a virtual storage system including at least one processor in data communication via a communication network with a user computing device, and a plurality of redundant storage devices, the method comprising:

accessing the virtual storage system via an external system, the user computing device being in data communication with the virtual storage system through the external system;

selecting and viewing an electronic document of the plurality of electronic documents, to be shared with a recipient;

receiving from the user computing device, a request for sharing the electronic document;

determining, via the user, download information corresponding to the electronic document to be shared;

determining, via the user, expiration information corresponding to the downloading of the electronic document to he shared;

creating at least one share link corresponding to the electronic document based on the download information and the expiration information, for sharing the electronic document with a recipient based on the input information entered into a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a data field to enter the download information that includes a number of times the electronic document is to be downloaded by the recipient, and another data field to enter the expiration information;

selecting, from a list of shared links in an active state, at least one shared link in an active state;

displaying the selected at least one shared link in an active state with the download information, the expiration information, and download activity corresponding to the selected at least one shared link;

modifying at least one of the download information and expiration information to the selected at least one shared link in an active state and according to input by the user entered into the graphical user interface,

wherein the graphical user interface further comprises data fields to enter modified download information and modified expiration information; and

storing, via the physical redundant storage devices, the electronic documents and the at least one share link created;

wherein the electronic documents received from the external system are locked with encryption during retrieval from the external system, leaving ownership of the electronic documents within the virtual storage system with the user at all times.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining download information comprises:

determining a number of times the electronic document is to be downloaded by the recipient.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining expiration information comprises:

determining an expiration period for downloading the electronic document by the recipient.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

copying the at least one share link to a communication to the recipient or generating a communication to the recipient within the virtual storage system, for sending the at least one share link to the recipient.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing the at least one share link by the user, while in an active state.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of sharing of a plurality of electronic documents within a virtual storage system including at least one processor in data communication via a communication network with a user computing device, and a plurality of redundant storage devices, the method comprising:

accessing the virtual storage system via an external system, the user computing device being in data communication with the virtual storage system through the external system;

selecting and viewing an electronic document of the plurality of electronic documents, to be shared with a recipient;

receiving from the user computing device, a request for sharing the electronic document;

determining, via the user, download information corresponding to the electronic document to be shared;

determining, via the user, expiration information corresponding to the downloading of the electronic document to be shared;

creating at least one share link corresponding to the electronic document based on the download information and the expiration information, for sharing the electronic document with a recipient based on the input information entered into a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a data field to enter the download information that includes a number of times the electronic document is to be downloaded by the recipient, and another data field to enter the expiration information;

selecting, from a list of shared links in an active state, at least one shared link in an active state;

displaying the selected at least one shared link in an active state with the download information, the expiration information, and download activity corresponding to the selected at least one shared link;

modifying at least one of the download information and expiration information to the selected at least one shared link in an active state and according to input by the user entered into the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises data fields to enter modified download information and modified expiration information; and

storing, via the physical redundant storage devices, the electronic documents and the at least one share link created;

wherein the electronic documents received from the external system are locked with encryption during retrieval from the external system, leaving ownership of the electronic documents within the virtual storage system with the user at all times.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining download information comprises:

determining a number of times the electronic document is to be downloaded by the recipient.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining expiration information comprises:

determining an expiration period for downloading the electronic document by the recipient.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

copying the at least one share link to a communication to the recipient or generating a communication to the recipient within the virtual storage system, for sending the at least one share link to the recipient;

or

removing the at least one share link by the user, while in an active state.