Secure and seamless offline file transfer through peer to peer wireless communication

• US 10,652,323 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• 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, Radhakrishnan, Bhavana Vattompadath
• Primary Examiner(s): Moreau, Austin J
• Application Number:
  US15/827,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20190166191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A computer system allows two devices operated by two users from a plurality of trusted users to establish a direct peer to peer limited range wireless connection based on a social network connection between the users. The first client device associated with a first user receives a list of the plurality of trusted users from the computer system. The first client device receives a limited range signal broadcast by a second client device. The first client device determines that the second client device is associated with a second user from the plurality of trusted users based on the list and the limited range signal. Responsive to determining that the second client device is associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, the first client device establishes a direct peer to peer wireless connection. The first client device transmits content to the second client device via the peer to peer wireless connection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from an online system by a first client device associated with a first user, a list of a plurality of trusted users that are trusted by the first user, wherein the list is generated based upon social network connection information associated with the first user;

receiving, by the first client device, a limited range signal broadcast by a second client device;

determining, by the first client device, that the second client device is associated with a second user from the plurality of trusted users based on the list and the limited range signal;

responsive to determining that the second client device is associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, providing connection information from the first device to the second device for establishing a limited range connection according to a limited range communication protocol;

establishing, between the first client device and the second client device, the limited range connection according to the limited range communication protocol if the first user matches a trusted user of a second list stored on the second client device based upon the connection information provided by the first device, the second list indicating a second plurality of trusted users that are users trusted by the second user, the second list generated based upon social network connection information associated with the second user; and

transmitting, by the first client device to the second client device, content via the limited range connection responsive to the establishing of the limited range connection.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trusted users each have a connection with the first user in a social network, the trusted users connected to the first user in a social graph in which users are represented as nodes and connections are represented as edges.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content stored by the first client device is transmitted to the second client device, responsive to determining that a version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than a version of the content stored by the second client device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the list further comprises version information associated with the second client device, and wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device is based upon the list.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device is based upon a version indication associated with the content stored by the second client device included in the limited range signal broadcast by the second client device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device comprises receiving, through the established limited range connection, a version indication associated with the content stored by the second client device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the limited range signal broadcast by the second client device comprises an identifier indicative of the second user, and wherein the second client device is determined to be associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, responsive to confirming that the identifier is included in the list.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from the online system by the first client device, another list of the plurality of trusted users a predetermined time period after receiving the list of the plurality of trusted users, said another list including another identifier indicative of the second user different from the identifier.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein establishing the limited range connection comprises:

establishing a connection point conforming to the limited range communication protocol;

displaying, by the first client device, connection information to access the network; and

establishing the limited range connection, responsive to receiving, by the first client device, the connection information from the second client device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein establishing the limited range connection comprises:

establishing a connection point conforming to the limited range communication protocol;

transmitting, by the first client device, connection information to access the network to the second client device through a text message, social network service message application or a push notification; and

establishing the limited range connection, responsive to receiving, by the first client device, the connection information from the second client device.

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

receive from an online system, at a first client device associated with a first user, a list of a plurality of trusted users that are trusted by the first user, wherein the list is generated based upon social network connection information associated with the first user;

receive a limited range signal broadcast by a second client device;

determine that the second client device is associated with a second user from the plurality of trusted users based on the list and the limited range signal;

responsive to determining that the second client device is associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, provide connection information from the first device to the second device for establishing a limited range connection according to a limited range communication protocol;

establish, between the first client device and the second client device, the limited range connection according to the limited range communication protocol if the first user matches a trusted user of a second list stored on the second client device based upon the connection information provided by the first device, the second list indicating a second plurality of trusted users that are users trusted by the second user, the second list generated based upon social network connection information associated with the second user; and

transmit to the second client device, content via the limited range connection responsive to the establishing of the limited range connection.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of trusted users each have a connection with the first user in a social network.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program code further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit content stored by the first client device to the second client device, responsive to determining that a version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than a version of the content stored by the second client device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the list further comprises version information associated with the second client device, and wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device is based upon the list.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device is based upon a version indication associated with the content stored by the second client device included in the limited range signal broadcast by the second client device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the version of the content stored by the first client device is newer than the version of the content stored by the second client device comprises receiving, through the established limited range connection, a version indication associated with the content stored by the second client device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the limited range signal broadcast by the second client device comprises an identifier indicative of the second user, and wherein the second client device is determined to be associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, responsive to confirming that the identifier is included in the list.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to:

receive, from the online system by the first client device, another list of the plurality of trusted users a predetermined time period after receiving the list of the plurality of trusted users, said another list including another identifier indicative of the second user different from the identifier.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program code further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to establish the limited range connection by:

establishing a connection point conforming to the limited range communication protocol;

displaying, by the first client device, connection information to access the network; and

establishing the limited range connection, responsive to receiving, by the first client device, the connection information from the second client device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program code further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to establish the limited range connection comprises:

establishing a connection point conforming to the limited range communication protocol;

transmitting, by the first client device, connection information to access the network to the second client device through a text message, social network service message application or a push notification; and

establishing the limited range connection, responsive to receiving, by the first client device, the connection information from the second client device.