SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REQUESTING ASYNCHRONOUS FILE DOWNLOADS TO A CELLULAR PERVASIVE DEVICE FROM A WEBSITE

• US 20090061830A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Peterson, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US11/848,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for requesting asynchronous file downloads to a cellular pervasive device from a website. Because cell phones have enough bandwidth and storage space to download the file and store the file, the present invention provides the ability to schedule asynchronous downloads to a cellular device that are automatically resumed after network disconnects and network changes from a website. The method allows a user, having a cellular pervasive device having connectivity to a website server, to request and receive asynchronous file downloads to his cellular pervasive device from a website server comprising the steps of the user logging into the website, the user entering a URL for a file download to his cellular pervasive device from the website; and the website server downloading a file to the user'"'"'s cellular pervasive device.

Claims

1. A method for a user, having a cellular pervasive device having connectivity to a website server, to request and receive asynchronous file downloads to his cellular pervasive device from a website server comprising the steps of:

a. the user logging into the website;

b. the user entering a URL for a file download to his cellular pervasive device from the website; and

c. the website server downloading a file to the user'"'"'s cellular pervasive device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellular pervasive device is a cell phone or a PDA.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein if the download has interrupted network access by the cellular device if the initiation of the download is deferred by the server until the device has connectivity.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of determining if the cellular device is shut off has a low bandwidth connection, and switching between networks frequently so that the download is persistent and resumes as necessary to eventually download the file in its entirety.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, once the file is downloaded, the user is notified by a variety of methods such as a text message, email, or chat notification.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of the user mounting the device via USB as a hard drive and access the file.

7. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for operating in a system comprising a network I/O, a CPU, one or more databases, connectors for receiving adaptors or other electronic devices, for implementing a method for a user, having a cellular pervasive device having connectivity to a website server, to request and receive asynchronous file downloads to his cellular pervasive device from a website server, the method comprising the steps of:

a. the user logging into the website;

b. the user entering a URL for a file download to his cellular pervasive device from the website; and

c. the website server downloading a file to the user'"'"'s cellular pervasive device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the cellular pervasive device is a cell phone or a PDA.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the steps of, if the download has interrupted network access by the cellular device, the initiation of the download is deferred by the server until the device has connectivity.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises the steps of determining if the cellular device is shut off has a low bandwidth connection, and switching between networks frequently so that the download is persistent and resumes as necessary to eventually download the file in its entirety.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the step of, once the file is downloaded, the user is notified by a variety of methods such as a text message, email, or chat notification.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the step of, once the file is downloaded, notifying the user by a text message, email, or chat notification.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises the step of the user mounting the device via USB as a hard drive and access the file.

14. A method for a user, having a cellular pervasive device having connectivity to a website server, to request and receive asynchronous file downloads to her cellular pervasive device from a website server comprising the steps of:

setting up the website server to take user requests;

creating a user account for security purposes; and

associating the cellular number of her device with the account.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of receiving a login request from a user and receiving the URL of the file she wants downloaded to her device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of the website server communicating with the device to ensure that the device has enough space for the file download and, if the device is not currently on the network, the device checking later and notifying the user at that point in time if there is not enough space (by email, chat, text message, etc.).

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of the website server initiating a file transfer protocol with file resume capability.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of the website server transmitting a checksum in addition to the sequence number to the device and the device validating the checksum when it receives a complete block.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of, if the cellular device finds an invalid block, sending, from the cellular device, a request to the website server for retransmissions.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of the cellular device keeping a transaction log with a name corresponding to the file and the device logging the sequence number of each block that it has successfully received.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprises the steps of the website server initiating a download and the device checking to see if it has a log.