Secure file transfer using peer to peer wireless communication with authentication through social network connections

• US 10,554,747 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lochan, Gaurav, Xiao, William Shun, Ruben, Lindsey Kremer, Fusco, Annika Lenore
• Primary Examiner(s): Keller, Michael A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Thao D
• Application Number:
  US15/827,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20190166195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A computer system allows two devices operated by two users from a plurality of trusted users to establish a direct peer to peer wireless connection based on a social network connection. An online system uses social network connection information to determine trusted users for each of the client devices, and monitors the geographic locations of the client devices. Responsive to determining that the client devices are within a predetermined distance from each other and are trusted users for each other, the online system transmits connection information to the client devices, prompting the client devices to establish a direct peer to peer wireless connection through which content can be transmitted.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring, by an online system, at least a first geographic location corresponding to a first client device and a second geographic location corresponding to a second client device, the first and second client devices associated with respective first and second users connected within a social network;

receiving, by the online system, a first version information data from the first client device indicating a version of an application stored by the first client device, and a second version information data from the second client device indicating a version of the application stored by the second client device;

determining, by the online system, that the first client device and the second client device are located within a predetermined distance of each other, based upon the monitored first geographic location and second geographic location;

responsive to determining that the first client device and the second client device are located within a predetermined distance of each other, comparing, by the online system, the received first version information data and the second version information data to determine that the first client device has a newer version of the application compared to the second client device;

transmitting, by the online system, an inquiry message to the first client device, the inquiry message requesting an approval to share the newer version of the application;

receiving, by the online system, an approval message from the first client device, the approval message approving sharing of the newer version of the application in response to the inquiry message;

transmitting, by the online system, connection information to the first client device;

transmitting, by the online system, the connection information to the second client device, wherein the transmitted connection information is used by the first client device and the second client device to establish a point to point communication between the first and second client devices; and

wherein responsive to establishing the point to point communication between the first and second client devices, content is transmitted from the first client device to the second client device such that the application stored by the second client device can be updated to the new version of the first client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is within 2 m.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the approval message is received based upon a user input by a user of the first client device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the online system, a notification message to the second client device, the notification message indicating an availability of the newer version of the application; and

receiving, by the online system, a request message from the second client device, the request message requesting to update the application to the newer version.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting, by the online system, connection information to the first client device and the second client device in response to receiving the approval message from the first client device and the request message from the second client device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the online system, first geographic information from the first client device, and second geographic information from the second client device,

wherein the online system determines the first geographic location using the received first geographic information, and the second geographic location using the received second geographic information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the online system receives the first geographic information from the first client device and the second geographic information from the second client device periodically.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the connection information indicates identifiers corresponding to the first and second client devices, and an indication of content to be transmitted between the first and second client devices via the point to point communication.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the online system, connection information to the first client device and the second client device in response to receiving approval from the first client device approving sharing of the newer version of the application and in response to receiving a request from the second client device to update the application to the newer version.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code, the program code comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

monitor, by an online system, at least a first geographic location corresponding to a first client device and a second geographic location corresponding to a second client device, the first and second client devices associated with respective first and second users connected within a social network;

receive, by the online system, a first version information data from the first client device indicating a version of an application stored by the first client device, and a second version information data from the second client device indicating a version of the application stored by the second client device;

determine, by the online system, that the first client device and the second client device are located within a predetermined distance of each other, based upon the monitored first geographic location and second geographic location;

responsive to determining that the first client device and the second client device are located within a predetermined distance of each other, compare, by the online system, the received first version information data and the second version information data to determine that the first client device has a newer version of the application compared to the second client device;

transmit, by the online system, an inquiry message to the first client device, the inquiry message requesting an approval to share the newer version of the application;

receive, by the online system, an approval message from the first client device, the approval message approving sharing of the newer version of the application in response to the inquiry message;

transmit, by the online system, connection information to the first client device;

transmit, by the online system, the connection information to the second client device, wherein the transmitted connection information is used by the first client device and the second client device to establish a point to point communication between the first and second client devices; and

wherein responsive to establishing the point to point communication between the first and second client devices, content is transmitted from the first client device to the second client device such that the application stored by the second client device can be updated to the new version of the first client device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the predetermined distance is within 2 m.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the approval message is received based upon a user input by a user of the first client device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

transmit, by the online system, a notification message to the second client device, the notification message indicating an availability of the newer version of the application; and

receive, by the online system, a request message from the second client device, the request message requesting to update the application to the newer version.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

transmit, by the online system, connection information to the first client device and the second client device in response to receiving the approval message from the first client device and the request message from the second client device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive, by the online system, first geographic information from the first client device, and second geographic information from the second client device,

wherein the online system determines the first geographic location using the received first geographic information, and the second geographic location using the received second geographic information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the online system receives the first geographic information from the first client device and the second geographic information from the second client device periodically.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the connection information indicates identifiers corresponding to the first and second client devices, and an indication of content to be transmitted between the first and second client devices via the point to point communication.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

transmit, by the online system, connection information to the first client device and the second client device in response to receiving approval from the first client device approving sharing of the newer version of the application and in response to receiving a request from the second client device to update the application to the newer version.