SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-USER ACCESS TO A WIRELESS STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20090055408A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Warren, Robert W., Haddad, Stephen N., Bahram, Nikolai K., Al-Refaee, Fadi Afa
• Application Number:
  US12/280,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 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: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various systems and methods for allowing multi-user access to a wireless storage device are disclosed. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for sharing content objects that include providing a wireless storage device that is operable to communicably couple to a master device and a sharing device. The wireless storage device includes a memory on which one or more content objects are stored. The methods further include receiving a request to share that identifies the sharing device; and authorizing the request to share. Through authorizing the request to share, the sharing device is authorized to receive the content object.

Claims

1. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

17-19. -19. (canceled)

24-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method for sharing content objects, the method comprising:

providing a wireless storage device, wherein the wireless storage device includes a content object, wherein the wireless storage device is operable to communicably couple to a master device and a sharing device, wherein access to the wireless storage device governed by the master device exclusive of the sharing device;

receiving a request to share, wherein the request to share identifies the sharing device; and

authorizing the request to share, wherein the sharing device is authorized to receive the content object.

2. The method of claim 27, wherein the master device includes a graphical user interface, wherein the request to share is received from the sharing device, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing an information set to the master device, wherein the information set is used to drive an authorization request presented via the graphical user interface of the master device; and

wherein authorizing the request to share includes receiving a response via the graphical user interface of the master device.

3. The method of claim 27, wherein the master device is selected from a group consisting of:

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant.

4. The method of claim 27, wherein the sharing device is selected from a group consisting of:

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant.

5. The method of claim 27, wherein the master device is communicably coupled to the wireless storage device using a wireless network selected from a group consisting of:

a WiFi network and a Bluetooth network.

6. The method of claim 27, wherein the request to share is received from the master device, and wherein authorizing the request to share is implicit in the request to share.

7. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:

providing an information set to the sharing device, wherein the information set is used to drive an available content object menu via the graphical user interface of the sharing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request for a content object via the graphical user interface of the sharing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

distributing the requested content object to the sharing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein distributing the requested content object to the sharing device includes streaming the requested content object in a way that complies with a digital rights management scheme associated with the requested content object.

11. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request for a content object; and

distributing the requested content object to both the master device and the sharing device simultaneously.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is received from a device selected from a group consisting of:

the sharing device, the master device, and both the sharing device and the master device.

28. A system for sharing content objects, the system comprising:

a wireless storage device, wherein the wireless storage device includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory includes a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory, wherein the memory includes a first content object and a second content object, wherein the first content object is identified as private, and wherein the second content object is identified as sharable, and wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

communicably couple the wireless storage device to a sharing device via a first wireless interface, wherein the sharing device has access to the second content object, and wherein the sharing device is selected from a group consisting of;

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant; and

communicably couple the wireless storage device to a master device via a second wireless interface, wherein the master device has access to the first content object and to the second content object, and wherein the sharing device is selected from a group consisting of;

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant.

14. The system of claim 28, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

upload an information set to the master device, wherein the information set is used to drive an available content object menu via the graphical user interface of the master device, wherein the available content object menu includes the first content object and the second content object.

15. The system of claim 28, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

upload an information set to the sharing device, wherein the information set is used to drive an available content object menu via the graphical user interface of the sharing device, wherein the available content object menu includes the second content object.

16. The system of claim 28, wherein the first wireless interface is selected from a group consisting of:

a WiFi interface and a Bluetooth interface.

29. A system for sharing content objects, the system comprising:

a wireless storage device, wherein the wireless storage device includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory includes a content object, and wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

communicably couple the wireless storage device to a sharing device via a first wireless interface, wherein the sharing device is selected from a group consisting of;

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant;

communicably couple the wireless storage device to a master device via a second wireless interface, wherein the master device is selected from a group consisting of;

a cellular telephone, an audio player, a video player, and a personal digital assistant;

receive a request to share, wherein the request to share identifies the sharing device; and

authorize the request to share, wherein the sharing device is authorized to receive the content object

20. The system of claim 29, wherein the master device includes a graphical user interface, wherein the request to share is received from the sharing device, and wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

provide an information set to the master device, wherein the information set is used to drive an authorization request presented via the graphical user interface of the master device; and

wherein authorizing the request to share includes receiving a response via the graphical user interface of the master device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the request to share is received from the master device, and wherein authorizing the request to share is implicit in the request to share.

22. The system of claim 29, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

receive a request for a content object; and

distribute the requested content object to both the master device and the sharing device simultaneously.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the request is received from a device selected from a group consisting of:

the sharing device, the master device, and both the sharing device and the master device.