System and method for digital file distribution

• US 20080189395A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramakrishnan, TS, Stremel, Jed, Slee, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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
• 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 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining a digital file similar to one used by a device associated with a member of a social network are provided. Digital file information about the digital file is stored on a web-based social network database. The digital file may be located on the same server as the web-based social network database or a third party server such as a mobile phone carrier. A user of the web-based social network database requesting the digital file may require a different format of the digital file than that used by the device of the member. If a different format is requested by the user, a server finds or converts the digital file to be compatible for use by a device specified by the user.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a digital file in a peer-to-peer network comprising:

storing identification information of the digital file in a record of a first user of a web-based social network database;

receiving a request from a second user of the web-based social network database for the digital file, the request based at least in part on the identification information in the record of the first user;

locating a source of the digital file; and

facilitating the transfer of the digital file from the source to a device selected by the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital file is a ringtone, a game or an image file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of the digital file is a third party server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising recommending an additional digital file based on the digital file requested by the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising recommending an additional digital file based on characteristics of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising ascertaining device information from the device for which the digital file is requested.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of locating a source of the digital file further comprises using the device information to find a compatible digital file.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising converting the digital file to a format compatible with the device using the device information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is associated with a third user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising ensuring integrity of a digital rights management technology.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital file information is associated with a first user'"'"'s digital file associated with a first user'"'"'s device.

13. A system for distributing a digital file in a peer-to-peer network comprising:

a web-based social network database configured to store identification information of the digital file in a record of a first user, to receive a request from a second user of the web-based social network database for the digital file wherein the request is partially based on the identification information in the record of the first user;

a finder module configured to locate a source of the digital file;

a server configured to facilitate the transfer of the digital file from the source to a device selected by the second user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital file is a ringtone, a game or an image file.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the source of the digital file is a third party server.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a recommendation module configured to recommend an additional digital file based on the digital file requested by the second user.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a recommendation module configured to recommend an additional digital file based on characteristics of the second user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the device is a mobile device.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a device specification module to ascertain device information for which the digital file is requested.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a finder module configured to locate a compatible digital file using the device information.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a conversion module to convert the digital file to a format compatible with the device using the device information.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the device is associated with a third user.