File sharing using instant messaging applications

• US 20070162589A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Riddle, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A system and method for providing file sharing using an instant messaging application are described herein. In one embodiment, a communication channel is established via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network. In a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device is displayed. The file sharing window is associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enables the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a remotely stored file, the method comprising:

establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

displaying in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant messaging application is an instant chatting application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the file sharing window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local device to exchange instant chatting content with the remote device during an instant chatting session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening the file at the local device in response to activation from a user on the representation within the file sharing window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

copying the file from the remote device to the local device to create a copied file when a user attempts to open the file from the file sharing window; and

changing the representation of the file in the file sharing window into an alias of the copied file to allow the copied file to be directly opened from the local device via the alias in the file sharing window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the file is displayed when a user of the remote device posts the file in a remote file sharing window of the remote device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the file is posted by dragging and dropping the representation of the file into the remote file sharing window of the remote device.

8. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for providing access to a remotely stored file, the method comprising:

establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

displaying in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instant messaging application is an instant chatting application.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the file sharing window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local device to exchange instant chatting content with the remote device during an instant chatting session.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises opening the file at the local device in response to activation from a user on the representation within the file sharing window.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

copying the file from the remote device to the local device to create a copied file when a user attempts to open the file from the file sharing window; and

changing the representation of the file in the file sharing window into an alias of the copied file to allow the copied file to be directly opened from the local device via the alias in the file sharing window.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the representation of the file is displayed when a user of the remote device posts the file in a remote file sharing window of the remote device.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the file is posted by dragging and dropping the representation of the file into the remote file sharing window of the remote device.

15. An apparatus for providing access to a remotely stored file, the apparatus comprising:

a network component to establish a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

a conference component coupled to the network component to display in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

16. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

establish a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network, and

display in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

17. An apparatus for providing access to a remotely stored file, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

means for displaying in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the remote device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the local device to access the file stored in the remote device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

18. A method for providing access to a locally stored file, the method comprising:

establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

posting in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the local device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the remote device to access the file stored in the local device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the instant messaging application is an instant chatting application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the file sharing window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local device to exchange instant chatting content with the remote device during an instant chatting session.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the remote device opening the file at the remote device in response to activation from a user on the representation displayed within the file sharing window of the remote device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

copying the file from the local device to the remote device to create a copied file when a user of the remote device attempts to open the file from the file sharing window of the remote device; and

changing the representation of the file in the file sharing window into an alias of the copied file to allow the copied file to be directly opened from the remote device via the alias in the file sharing window.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the file is posted by dragging and dropping the representation of the file into the file sharing window of the local device.

24. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for providing access to a locally stored file, the method comprising:

establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

posting in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the local device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the remote device to access the file stored in the local device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instant messaging application is an instant chatting application.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the file sharing window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local device to exchange instant chatting content with the remote device during an instant chatting session.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises the remote device opening the file at the remote device in response to activation from a user on the representation displayed within the file sharing window of the remote device.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

copying the file from the local device to the remote device to create a copied file when a user of the remote device attempts to open the file from the file sharing window of the remote device; and

changing the representation of the file in the file sharing window into an alias of the copied file to allow the copied file to be directly opened from the remote device via the alias in the file sharing window.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the file is posted by dragging and dropping the representation of the file into the file sharing window of the local device.

30. An apparatus for providing access to a locally stored file, the apparatus comprising:

a network component to establish a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

a conference component to post in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the local device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the remote device to access the file stored in the local device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

31. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

establish a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network, and

post in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the local device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the remote device to access the file stored in the local device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

32. An apparatus for providing access to a remotely stored file, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a communication channel via an instant messaging application between a local device and a remote device over a network; and

means for posting in a file sharing window on the local device a representation of a file stored in the local device, the file sharing window being associated with the instant messaging application and the file sharing window enabling the remote device to access the file stored in the local device via the communication channel of the instant messaging application.

33. A method for providing access to a remotely stored file, the method comprising:

displaying in a chat window on a local endpoint a representation of a file stored in a remote endpoint, the chat window being associated with an instant chatting application; and

accessing from the local endpoint via the representation displayed in the chat window the file stored in the remote endpoint via a communication channel of the instant chatting application.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the chat window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local endpoint to exchange instant chatting content with the remote endpoint during an instant chatting session.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising opening the file at the local endpoint in response to activation from a user on the representation within the chat window.

36. A method for providing access to a locally stored file, the method comprising:

posting a file in a chat window on a local endpoint, the file being locally stored in the local endpoint and the chat window being associated with an instant chatting application; and

allowing access the posted file from a remote endpoint via a representation displayed in a chat window of the remote endpoint via a communication channel of the instant chatting application.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the chat window is part of user interface of the instant chatting application that allows the local endpoint to exchange instant chatting content with the remote endpoint during an instant chatting session.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising opening the file at the remote endpoint in response to activation from a user on the representation displayed within the remote chat window.