Personal digital server (PDS)

• US 10,484,469 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodstock Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Woodstock Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Hoffman, James, Friskel, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Abedin, Shanto
• Application Number:
  US15/607,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 709202, 709205, 709213, 709217, 726 26- 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/908 Software or content usage protection

Abstract

Personal Digital Server (“PDS”) is a unique computer application for the storage, updating, management and sharing of all types of digital media files, including audio, video, images and documents, irrespective of their format. PDS provides users with a single location to store and access, both locally and remotely, all of their digital media. It also provides the user total control of the overall management of these assets.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of updating a list of files stored by a computer acting as a peer-to-peer server computer, the list of files identifying content of each directory of a list of directories wherein the files are located, and other directories, and of notifying other computers of the availability of additional content, the method comprising:

(a) for each directory listed in the list of directories on the peer-to-peer server computer where the files are located, the peer-to-peer server computer automatically scanning the listed directory to identify a file available for sharing with at least some of the peer-to-peer client computers, said available file not previously listed in the list of files for the listed directory, the list of files being stored on the peer-to-peer server computer;

(b) the peer-to-peer server computer automatically updating the list of files, for the listed directory, with indicia of the file identified in part (a); and

(c) in response to part (b), the peer-to-peer server computer automatically notifying a plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers of the availability of additional content, as available for sharing with the plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers that have access to the peer-to-peer server computer, wherein;

(i) the additional content includes the file identified in part (a), as to a first of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which first computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer, including the file identified in part (a), the available files being identified in the list of files for the listed directory, and

(ii) the additional content does not include the file identified in part (a), as to a second of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which second computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer and identified in the list of files for the listed directory, but not having authorization to access the file identified in part (a).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directories are checked in an order starting with a directory with the highest likelihood of finding a file not listed in the list of files.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein part (c) of the method comprises communicating the updated list of files to said plurality of peer-to-peer client computers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each user'"'"'s access to the subset of files is authorized by a global unique identifier associated with that user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the updated list of files communicated to each of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers contains indicia of the subset of files to which the associated user has authorization to access.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the peer-to-peer server computer performs part (a) of the method in response to a request by one of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers for an updated list of files.

7. A computer acting as a peer-to-peer server computer, connected to a computerized file storage and programmed to update a list of stored files in the storage, the list of files identifying content of each directory of a list of directories wherein the files are located, and other directories, and to notify other computers of the availability of additional content, the peer-to-peer server computer programmed to perform a method comprising:

(a) for each directory listed in the list of directories on the peer-to-peer server computer where the files are located, the peer-to-peer server computer automatically scanning the listed directory to identify a file available for sharing with at least some of the peer-to-peer client computers, said available file not previously listed in the list of files for the listed directory, the list of files being stored by the computerized file storage connected to the peer-to-peer server computer;

(b) the peer-to-peer server computer automatically updating the list of files, for the listed directory, with indicia of the file identified in part (a); and

(c) in response to part (b), the peer-to-peer server computer automatically notifying a plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers of the availability of additional content, as available for sharing with the plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers that have access to the peer-to-peer server computer, wherein;

(i) the additional content includes the file identified in part (a), as to a first of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which first computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer, including the file identified in part (a), the available files being identified in the list of files for the listed directory, and

(ii) the additional content does not include the file identified in part (a), as to a second of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which second computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer and identified in the list of files for the listed directory, but not having authorization to access the file identified in part (a).

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the peer-to-peer server computer is programmed to check the directories in an order starting with a directory with the highest likelihood of finding a file not listed in the list of files.

9. The computer of claim 7, wherein the peer-to-peer server computer is programmed to perform part (c) of the method by communicating the updated list of files to said plurality of peer-to-peer client computers.

10. The computer of claim 9, wherein each user'"'"'s access to the subset of files is authorized by a global unique identifier associated with that user.

11. The computer of claim 9, wherein the updated list of files communicated to each of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers contains indicia of the subset of files to which the associated user has authorization to access.

12. The computer of claim 9, wherein the peer-to-peer server computer is programmed to perform part (a) of the method in response to a request by one of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers for an updated list of files.

13. An article comprising a tangible medium that is not a transitory propagating signal encoding computer-readable instructions that, when applied to a computer acting as a peer-to-peer server computer, connected to a computerized file storage, instruct the peer-to-peer server computer to perform a method of updating a list of stored files in the storage, the list of files identifying content of each directory of a list of directories wherein the files are located, and other directories, and to notify other computers of the availability of additional content, the method comprising:

(a) for each directory listed in the list of directories on the peer-to-peer server computer where the files are located, the peer-to-peer server computer automatically scanning the listed directory to identify a file available for sharing with at least some of the peer-to-peer client computers, said available file not previously listed in the list of files for the listed directory, the list of files being stored by the computerized file storage connected to the peer-to-peer server computer;

(b) the peer-to-peer server computer automatically updating the list of files, for the listed directory, with indicia of the file identified in part (a); and

(c) in response to part (b), the peer-to-peer server computer automatically notifying a plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers of the availability of additional content, as available for sharing with the plurality of the peer-to-peer client computers that have access to the peer-to-peer server computer, wherein;

(i) the additional content includes the file identified in part (a), as to a first of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which first computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer, including the file identified in part (a), the available files being identified in the list of files for the listed directory, and

(ii) the additional content does not include the file identified in part (a), as to a second of the plurality of the notified peer-to-peer client computers, which second computer is associated with a user having authorization to access a subset of files stored on the peer-to-peer server computer and identified in the list of files for the listed directory, but not having authorization to access the file identified in part (a).

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions instruct the peer-to-peer server computer to check the directories in an order starting with a directory with the highest likelihood of finding a file not listed in the list of files.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions instruct the peer-to-peer server computer to perform part (c) of the method by communicating the updated list of files to said plurality of peer-to-peer client computers.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein each user'"'"'s access to the subset of files is authorized by a global unique identifier associated with that user.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the updated list of files communicated to each of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers contains indicia of the subset of files to which the associated user has authorization to access.

18. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions instruct the peer-to-peer server computer to perform part (a) of the method in response to a request by one of the plurality of peer-to-peer client computers for an updated list of files.