Collaborative phone-based file exchange

• US 10,511,654 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Karlson, Amy Kathleen, Robertson, George G., Meyers, Brian R., Smith, Gregory, Czerwinski, Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US15/681,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A collaborative phone-based file exchange technique that wirelessly synchronizes a user'"'"'s work context with his or her mobile phone and makes this context readily available and sharable in collaborative situations. When the user is away from their desk, collaboration with others is possible by sharing/downloading between the mobile phone and a paired PC, which may be a colleague'"'"'s computer or a meeting room workstation/computer. When the user returns to their office, any recently downloaded files are automatically synchronized back to their office PC.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for handing off application data between a first computing device and a second computing device, comprising:

while a user is performing a task with a first application on the first computing device, determining whether a service that maintains a trusted pairing relationship between the first computing device and the second computing device is enabled on the first computing device and on the second computing device;

whenever the service is enabled on both the first computing device and the second computing device,

pairing the first computing device, having the first application, with the second computing device, the second computing device having a second application compatible with the first application;

transferring application data associated with the first application from the first computing device to the second application on the second computing device;

while the user is performing a task with the second application on the second computing device when the service is enabled on both the first computing device and the second computing device, transferring application data associated with the second application from the second computing device to the first application on the first computing device.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the service is identified with a unique identifier to allow the first computing device and the second computing device to identify and access the service.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device must be within a prescribed range of each other for the application data transfer to occur.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein multiple instances of application data can be transferred and displayed on a display of the second computing device simultaneously.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the application data is an email message and wherein the compatible applications are email applications.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the application data is an electronic document and wherein the compatible applications are productivity applications.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the application data is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and wherein the compatible applications are browser applications.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the application data is a contact and wherein the compatible applications are contact management applications.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device is a mobile computing device.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein determining whether the service that maintains a trusted pairing relationship between the first computing device and the second computing device is enabled on the first computing device and on the second computing device, further comprises using a configuration file.

11. A computer-implemented process for handing off application data between a mobile computing device and a first computing device using a second computing device, comprising:

determining whether a share/download service is enabled on the mobile computing device, wherein the share/download service allows multiple concurrent users to share application data on the second computing device;

if the share/download service is enabled on the mobile computing device, sending to a first application associated with the mobile computing device, from the second computing device, application data associated with a second application on the second computing device, said second application being compatible with the first application;

determining whether a sync/upload service that enables a trusted pairing relationship between the mobile computing device and the first computing device is enabled on the mobile computing device and on the first computing device;

whenever the sync/upload service is enabled on both the mobile computing device and the first computing device, pairing the mobile computing device with the first computing device and transferring the application data from the mobile computing device to a third application on the first computing device, wherein the third application is compatible with the first application.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein the first computing device connects to the mobile computing device via a limited range wireless network.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 12, wherein the limited range wireless network is a Bluetooth network.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, further comprising:

launching the third application on the first computing device after transfer of the application data from the mobile computing device to the first computing device; and

displaying the transferred application data on the first computing device.

15. A computer-implemented process for handing off a task between a first computing device and a second computing device, comprising:

a user beginning to perform a task with a first application on the first computing device;

determining whether a service that maintains a trusted pairing relationship between the first computing device and the second computing device is enabled on the first computing device and on the second computing device;

whenever the service is enabled on both the first computing device and the second computing device,

transferring the task from the first application on the first computing device to a second application on the second computing device, wherein the second application is compatible with the first application; and

the user continuing to perform the task with the second application on the second computing device.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 15 wherein multiple tasks are transferred to the second application on the second computing device.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 16 further comprising the user continuing to perform the multiple transferred tasks on the second computing device.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 15 wherein the first computing device pairs to the second computing device via a limited range wireless network.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 15 wherein determining whether the service that maintains a trusted pairing relationship is enabled on the first computing device and on the second computing device, further comprises the service using a configuration file on the first computing device and the second computing device.

20. A computer-implemented process for synchronizing files between a mobile computing device and a first computing device, comprising:

determining whether a file sharing download service is enabled on the mobile computing device, wherein the file sharing download service allows multiple concurrent users to share files on a second computing device on which sharing is enabled;

if the file sharing download service is enabled on the mobile computing device, receiving file modifications, deletions and additions for files on the mobile computing device from the second computing device;

determining whether a sync service that maintains a trusted synced relationship between the mobile computing device and the first computing device is enabled on the mobile computing device and on the first computing device;

if the sync service is enabled on both the mobile computing device and the first computing device, automatically synchronizing the files on the mobile computing device with the files on the first computing device.

21. The computer-implemented process of claim 20 wherein the download shared files service on the second computing device supports concurrent access by the multiple users to the shared files on the second computer.