Centralized management of digital files in a permissions based environment

• US 20060075071A1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joseph G. Gillette
• Original Assignee: Joseph G. Gillette
• Inventors: Gillette, Joseph G.
• Application Number:
  US10/946,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A centralized file management method, apparatus and article of manufacture for use in a permissions based environment. A network file transfer method can include the steps of, responsive to the activation of a browse control in a file transfer user interface, displaying a file hierarchy for locally accessible files. At least one file can be selected from the hierarchy and the displaying and selecting steps can be repeated for additional activations of the browse control. Finally, subsequent to the repeating step, each of the selected files can be uploaded to a centralized data store over a computer communications network. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the method can include compressing at least two of the selected files into a compressed file, recording a file hierarchy for the at least two selected files, aggregating the file hierarchy and the compressed file, and, uploading the aggregation to the centralized data store along with the selected files.

Claims

1. A network file transfer method comprising the steps of:

responsive to the activation of a browse control in a file transfer user interface, displaying a file hierarchy for locally accessible files;

selecting at least one file from said hierarchy;

repeating said displaying and selecting steps for additional activations of said browse control; and

,

subsequent to said repeating step, uploading each of said selected files to a centralized data store over a computer communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of rendering said browse control based upon a markup language definition for said browse control.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

compressing at least two of said selected files into a compressed file;

recording a file hierarchy for said at least two selected files;

aggregating said file hierarchy and said compressed file; and

,

uploading said aggregation to said centralized data store along with said selected files.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of designating different target paths for different ones said selected files.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of designating different permissions for different ones of said selected files.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of designating different search keywords for different ones of said selected files.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of specifying whether said compressed file is to be automatically expanded when downloaded from said centralized data store.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of rendering a user specific content alert in said file transfer user interface responsive to detecting a state change in said centralized data store.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

associating said content alert with a content marker; and

,

rendering said content market adjacent to a file associated with said state change.

10. A distributable file transfer user interface article of manufacture comprising:

a file navigation display region;

a file listing display region; and

,

a content alert configured to alert viewers to state changes to content which can be accessed through said display regions.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, further comprising at least one content marker associated with said content alert and positioned adjacent to content associated with a state change.

12. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for network file transfers, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform the steps of:

responsive to the activation of a browse control in a file transfer user interface, displaying a file hierarchy for locally accessible files;

selecting at least one file from said hierarchy;

repeating said displaying and selecting steps for additional activations of said browse control; and

,

subsequent to said repeating step, uploading each of said selected files to a centralized data store over a computer communications network.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of rendering said browse control based upon a markup language definition for said browse control.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional steps of:

compressing at least two of said selected files into a compressed file;

recording a file hierarchy for said at least two selected files;

aggregating said file hierarchy and said compressed file; and

,

uploading said aggregation to said centralized data store along with said selected files.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of designating different target paths for different ones said selected files.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of designating different permissions for different ones of said selected files.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of designating different search keywords for different ones of said selected files.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 14, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of specifying whether said compressed file is to be automatically expanded when downloaded from said centralized data store.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional step of rendering a user specific content alert in said file transfer user interface responsive to detecting a state change in said centralized data store.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising an additional set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the additional steps of:

associating said content alert with a content marker; and

,

rendering said content market adjacent to a file associated with said state change.