METHOD, APPARATUS, NETWORK ENTITY, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SHARING CONTENT

• US 20070239867A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Belimpasakis, Petros, Ionescu, Catalin
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A method, apparatus, network entity, system and computer program product are provided for content sharing. In particular, a technique is provided whereby an individual desiring to share content including, for example, photograph albums, music or video files, or the like, need only select the individual(s) with whom he or she would like to share the content, and the device on which he or she is operating will determine all of the necessary protocols, connectivity bearers, and the like, for sharing the content, as well as the appropriate device with which the content should be shared.

Claims

1. A method of sharing content, said method comprising:

accessing a resource file associated with a party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the party; and

determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party based at least in part on the information included in the resource file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the resource file comprises some combination of one or more capabilities of, one or more protocols supported by, one or more connectivity bearers supported by, and one or more addresses associated with respective devices associated with the party.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party comprises determining some combination of a protocol, a connectivity bearer and an address to use for sharing the content files with the party.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party comprises determining with which of the one or more devices associated with the party to share the content files.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of a contact entry associated with the party, wherein the contact entry comprises an address at which the resource file can be accessed.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of a contact entry associated with the party; and

accessing a Presence Document associated with the contact entry selected.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the Presence Document comprises the resource file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the Presence Document comprises an address at which the resource file can be accessed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files comprises determining the manner based at least in part on the content files to be shared.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource file further comprises a reference to one or more content files stored on respective devices associated with the party, and wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files comprises determining a manner in which to access at least one of the content files referenced in the resource file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the resource file further comprises some combination of one or more protocols to use when accessing, one or more connectivity bearers to use when accessing, and one or more addresses associated with respective content files referenced.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the resource file is automatically updated when a change occurs to at least one of the protocols to use when accessing, the connectivity bearer to use when accessing, or the address associated with respective content files referenced.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing a first connection with at least one device on which the content files are stored in order to access at least one of the content files; and

automatically establishing a second connection with the at least one device if the first connection is lost.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a resource file associated with a second party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the second party; and

automatically updating the resource file created when a change occurs to at least one of the capabilities, protocols, connectivity bearers or addresses associated with respective devices associated with the second party.

15. A network entity for sharing content, said network entity comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing one or more resource files corresponding with a respective one or more parties, wherein respective resource files comprise information relating to one or more devices associated with the respective parties, and wherein respective resource files are capable of being used to determine a manner in which to share one or more content files with the respective parties, said memory further storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to provide access to the resource files.

16. The network entity of claim 15, wherein the information included in respective resource files comprises some combination of one or more capabilities of, one or more protocols supported by, one or more connectivity bearers supported by, and one or more addresses associated with respective devices associated with the corresponding party.

17. The network entity of claim 15, wherein the network entity is accessible via a wide area network, and wherein respective resource files stored in the network entity have a corresponding address associated therewith.

18. The network entity of claim 15, wherein the network entity comprises a Presence Server, and wherein the memory further stores one or more Presence Documents associated with respective one or more parties, wherein respective Presence Documents comprise the resource file corresponding with the associated party.

19. The network entity of claim 15, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

determine an identity associated with a party accessing at least one of the resource files; and

determine whether the party is authorized to access at least part of the resource file.

20. The network entity of claim 19, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

modify the resource file prior to providing access thereto.

21. The network entity of claim 20, wherein modifying the resource file comprises encrypting the information included in the resource file.

22. The network entity of claim 20, wherein modifying the resource file comprises removing at least a part of the resource file, where it is determined that the party is not authorized to access the part removed.

23. An apparatus capable of sharing content, said apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to;

access a resource file associated with a party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the party; and

determine a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party based at least in part on the information included in the resource file.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the information included in the resource file comprises some combination of one or more capabilities of, one or more protocols supported by, one or more connectivity bearers supported by, and one or more addresses associated with respective devices associated with the party.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein, in order to determine a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party, the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine some combination of a protocol, a connectivity bearer and an address to use for sharing the content files with the party.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein in order to determine a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party, the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine with which of the one or more devices associated with the party to share the content files.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

receive a selection of a contact entry associated with the party, wherein the contact entry comprises an address at which the resource file can be accessed.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

receive a selection of a contact entry associated with the party; and

access a Presence Document associated with the contact entry selected.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the Presence Document comprises the resource file.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the Presence Document comprises an address at which the resource file can be accessed.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, in order to determine a manner in which to share one or more content files, the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine the manner based at least in part on the content files to be shared.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the resource file further comprises a reference to one or more content files stored on respective devices associated with the party, and wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files comprises determining a manner in which to access at least one of the content files referenced in the resource file.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the resource file further comprises some combination of one or more protocols to use when accessing, one or more connectivity bearers to use when accessing, and one or more addresses associated with respective content files referenced.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the resource file is automatically updated when a change occurs to at least one of the protocols to use when accessing, the connectivity bearer to use when accessing, or the address associated with respective content files referenced.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the application is further configured upon execution, to:

establish a first connection with at least one device on which the content files are stored, in order to access at least one of the content files; and

automatically establish a second connection with the at least one device if the first connection is lost.

36. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

create a resource file associated with a second party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the second party; and

automatically update the resource file created when a change occurs to at least one of the capabilities, protocols, connectivity bearers or addresses associated with respective devices associated with the second party.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is embodied in the form of an electronic device.

38. A computer program product for sharing content, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for accessing a resource file associated with a party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the party; and

a second executable portion for determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party based at least in part on the information included in the resource file.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the information included in the resource file comprises some combination of one or more capabilities of, one or more protocols supported by, one or more connectivity bearers supported by, and one or more addresses associated with respective devices associated with the party.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party comprises determining some combination of a protocol, a connectivity bearer and an address to use for sharing the content files with the party.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party comprises determining with which of the one or more devices associated with the party to share the content files.

42. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a third executable portion for receiving a selection of a contact entry associated with the party, wherein the contact entry comprises an address at which the resource file can be accessed.

43. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a third executable portion for receiving a selection of a contact entry associated with the party; and

a fourth executable portion for accessing a Presence Document associated with the contact entry selected.

44. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the resource file further comprises a reference to one or more content files stored on respective devices associated with the party, and wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files comprises determining a manner in which to access at least one of the content files referenced in the resource file.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the resource file further comprises some combination of one or more protocols to use when accessing, one or more connectivity bearers to use when accessing, and one or more addresses associated with respective content files referenced.

46. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a third executable portion for creating a resource file associated with a second party, said resource file comprising information relating to one or more devices associated with the second party; and

a fourth executable portion for automatically updating the resource file created when a change occurs to at least one of the capabilities, protocols, connectivity bearers or addresses associated with respective devices associated with the second party.

47. A system for content sharing, said system comprising:

a database comprising one or more resource files corresponding with a respective one or more parties, wherein respective resource files comprise information relating to one or more devices associated with the respective parties; and

an apparatus configured to access at least one of the resource files and to determine, based at least in part on the information included in the resource file accessed, a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party corresponding with the accessed resource file.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the information included in respective resource files comprises some combination of one or more capabilities of, one or more protocols supported by, one or more connectivity bearers supported by, and one or more addresses associated with respective devices associated with the corresponding party.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein determining a manner in which to share one or more content files with the party comprises determining some combination of a protocol to use for sharing the content files, a connectivity bearer to use for sharing the content files, an address to use for sharing the content files, and with which of the one or more devices associated with the party to share the content files

50. The system of claim 47 further comprising:

a server configured to store the database, wherein the server is accessible via a wide area network, and wherein respective resource files have a corresponding address associated therewith.

51. The system of claim 47 further comprising:

a Presence Server configured to store the database, wherein respective resource files are associated with a Presence Document associated with the corresponding party and stored on the Presence Server.

52. The system of claim 47, wherein the apparatus comprises an electronic device configured to store the database.