Personal Computing Environment With Virtual Computing Device

• US 20090216908A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Edelstein, Noah, Moromisato, George P., Ozzie, Raymond E., Endres, Raymond E., Parasnis, Abhay
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing synchronization of providing a device mesh and a virtual computing device are disclosed herein. A selection of a plurality of computer devices, such as PDAs, cellphone, laptops, and the like, can be received from a user. The data at the virtual computing device and the plurality of devices can be synchronized. Access to all applications available in each computing device in the plurality of computing devices can be provided at the virtual computing device. Access to all data available in each computing device in the plurality of computing devices can be provided at the virtual computing device. Access to the virtual computing device can be provided via a data network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a virtual computing device, comprising:

receiving a selection of a plurality of computer devices;

synchronizing data between the virtual computing device with the plurality of devices;

providing, at the virtual computing device, access to all applications available in each computing device in the plurality of computing devices;

providing, at the virtual computing device, access to all data available in each computing device in the plurality of computing devices; and

providing access to the virtual computing device via a data network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a selection of a plurality of computer devices is received from a user that wishes to add the devices to the mesh device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection is made via a web browser user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing data includes making a copy of the metadata of one computing device in the plurality of computing devices and storing the metadata in the virtual computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing data includes making a copy of the data of one computing device in the plurality of computing devices and storing the copy of the data in the virtual computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing data includes making a copy of the metadata of the virtual computing device and storing the metadata in one computing device in the plurality of computing devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing data includes making a copy of the data of the virtual computing device and storing the copy of the data in one computing device in the plurality of computing devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual computing device is accessible via a data network and manageable via a web browser.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting user authentication via a user interface to permit access to the virtual computing device via a data network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input at the virtual computing device and notifying computing devices in the plurality of computing devices of the user input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input at the virtual computing device is adding data, deleting data, or editing data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input at one computing device in the plurality of computing devices and notifying the virtual computing device of the user input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input at the one computing device is adding data, deleting data, or editing data.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a server mesh operating environment module that that interacts with a client mesh operating environment module of at least one computing device of a plurality of computing devices, the plurality of computing devices being part of a device mesh;

a peer virtual device that is configured to operate as a device of the device mesh;

a storage service configured to store metadata corresponding to all data of devices in the device mesh;

an enclosure lookup service configured to provide a reference to a location of where data is stored within the device mesh; and

a notification service that notifies to all the devices in the device mesh about data changes in a computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one computing device in the plurality of computing devices includes a cellphone, a PDA, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual computing device is accessible via a data network and manageable via a web browser.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual computing device is configured to receive a user input and the notification service is configured to notify computing devices in the plurality of computing devices of the user input at the virtual computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user input at the virtual computing device is adding data, deleting data, or editing data.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein one computing device in the plurality of computing devices is configured to receive a user input and the notification service is configured to notify the virtual computing device of the user input.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the user input at one of the computing devices is adding data, deleting data, or editing data.