Distribution of Files from Mobile Devices

• US 20070288551A1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Laurent F. Sidon
• Inventors: Sidon, Laurent F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to distribute files stored in folders, in an Internet-enabled mobile device to one or, more recipients in a convenient fashion. The disclosed method includes the steps of replicating and mapping a folder structure of the mobile device and the folder structure of the remote server, transferring files between the mobile device and the remote server using an Internet connection, and seamlessly distributing the files on the remote server to file recipients.

The description discloses the step of associating pre-selected email addresses with each folder, so that the files are automatically distributed to the pre-selected email addresses. Preferably, the user can configure folders using a Web user interface on a computer. Preferably, the user can transfer files in multiple folders on the mobile device to the pre-selected email addresses automatically after a trigger event (for example, without limitation, a one-step menu selection using a graphical user interface of the mobile device, passage of a time interval of specific hours or, the device memory becoming full, etc.) has occurred.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of distributing files stored in a plurality of folders in an Internet-enabled mobile device to one or more file recipients, comprising the steps of:

replicating and mapping a folder structure for files of a user on an Internet-enabled mobile device of the user and a folder structure of the user on a remote server, the remote server being wirelessly connectable to the mobile device by an Internet connection;

transferring files between one or more folders on the mobile device and corresponding mapped folders on the remote server; and

distributing the files to one or more file recipients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein some of the files on the mobile device are captured using a file capturing device associated with the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of three-way replicating and mapping of folder structures on the mobile device, a computer having a convenient user interface, and the remote server, and wherein the step of transferring the files further comprises the steps of:

transferring the files between the folders on the mobile device and corresponding mapped folders on the computer using an electromagnetic signal; and

transferring the files between the folders on the computer and the corresponding mapped folders on the remote server using an Internet connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of the files between the folders on the mobile device and the corresponding mapped folders on the remote server takes place using the Internet connection between the mobile device and the remote server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of configuring the folders on a Web site interface on the remote server by pre-selecting email addresses of the file recipients for each folder and associating the pre-selected email addresses with each folder, so that the step of transferring files between one or more folders on the mobile device and the corresponding folders on the remote server and the step of distributing the files to the pre-selected email addresses, are both performed automatically based on a trigger event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the trigger event is a one-step menu selection using a graphical user interface of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the trigger event is any user-defined trigger event.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of distributing the files to the file recipients further comprises sending an email message to the recipients, inviting the recipients to download the files by clicking a download link in the email message.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of distributing the files to the file recipients further comprises sending the files as attachments to an email message.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the Web site interface, used for configuring folders and other settings, is accessible via an Internet connection from a Web browser residing on a computer having a convenient user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of extracting the email addresses of the potential file recipients from a contact data organizer software residing on the computer and transferring the email addresses to a database associated with the remote server.

12. A system for distributing files stored in a plurality of folders in an Internet-enabled mobile device to one or more file recipients, comprising:

an Internet-enabled mobile device;

a mobile application residing on said mobile device;

a remote server, linkable to said mobile device by an Internet connection, and said remote server including a Web Server software;

a Web application residing on said remote server,

a database associated with said remote server,

said mobile application on said mobile device, said Web application and the Web server software on said remote server, and said database interacting with one another to seamlessly distribute files to one or more file recipients.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a Web site interface on the remote server for configuring folders and other settings, so that transfer of the files between one or more folders on the mobile device and corresponding folders on the remote server and distribution of the files to the pre-selected email addresses, are both performed automatically after a trigger event.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said mobile application further comprises a user data parser module, a file handling module, a folder replicating module, a file synchronizing module, and a graphical user interface module.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

said Web application further comprises a user authentication module, a file handling module, a user data handling module, and a graphical user interface module accessible from a Web browser; and

said database further comprises data on folder structure, file paths, and folder configuration of users.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger event is a one-step menu selection using a graphical user interface of said mobile device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the trigger event is a user-defined event.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device further includes a file capturing device.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a computer having a convenient user interface and a Web browser, so that the Web site interface for configuring the folders can be accessed from the Web browser using an Internet connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer further comprises a contact data organizer software and an email address extraction and uploading module for extracting email addresses of selected contacts from the contact data organizer software and for transferring the extracted email addresses to the database associated with the remote server.

21. A system for distributing files from a mobile device to one or more recipients, comprising:

a mobile device;

a remote server wirelessly connectable to said mobile device;

means for replicating and mapping a folder structure of a user on said mobile device and a folder structure of the user on said remote server;

means for transferring files between the folders on said mobile device and the folders on said remote server; and

means for distributing the files to one or more file recipients.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said mobile device further comprises a file capturing means.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for configuring a folder and other settings using a Web site interface; and

means for automatically distributing the files in the folder to pre-selected email addresses associated with the folder based on a trigger event.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a computer having a convenient user interface;

means for extracting the email addresses of the potential file recipients from a contact data organizer software residing on said computer; and

means for transferring the email addresses to a database associated with said remote server.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for replicating and mapping the folder structure on said mobile device and the folder structure on said remote server with a corresponding folder structure on said computer;

means for transferring the files between the folder on said mobile device and a corresponding folder on said computer using an electromagnetic signal; and

means for transferring the files between the folder on said computer and the corresponding folder on said remote server using an Internet connection, the folders on said mobile device, said computer, and said remote server being mapped to one another.

26. A computer-readable medium having a computer program saved thereupon, said computer program comprising the steps of:

replicating and mapping a folder structure of a user on a mobile device and a folder structure of the user on a remote server;

transferring files between the mobile device and the remote server;

configuring a folder using a Web site interface; and

automatically distributing files in a folder to pre-selected email addresses associated with the folder, based on a trigger event.