AUTO-DISCOVERY BASED ITEM(S) SHARING, INCLUDING SENDER PUSHING AND RECIPIENT APPROVAL

• US 20090248832A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaisford, Calvin R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus involve the voluntary transfer or sharing of item(s), such as files or other data, based upon the automatic discovery of recipients, including sender pushing of the items and recipient approval. During use, computing devices advertise their availability for potential receipt of the items and recipients are automatically discovered. The sender attaches the items to a selected recipient, and a size, description, etc. of the items is calculated. Upon a connection between the sending and recipient computing devices, the sending device pushes to the recipient an identifier of the sender and the size, description, etc., so the recipient can determine whether they want to accept transfer. If so, the items are transferred, including display of the progress. If not, the sender is notified of the refusal. Other features contemplate attaching techniques, visual information display, authentication of parties, computer program products, and systems, to name a few.

Claims

1. In a computing system environment, a method of transferring items from a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

automatically discovering one or more acceptable recipients for receipt of the items on the second computing device;

attaching the items to a particular recipient of the one or more acceptable recipients;

after connection between the first and second computing devices, identifying to the particular recipient a sender of the items and/or a size of the items; and

determining whether the particular recipient wants to accept transfer of the items from the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further including causing display of the one or more acceptable recipients on a monitor of the first computing device, including displaying a picture, an email address or a name per each of the one or more acceptable recipients.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attaching the items further includes dragging and dropping the items onto the picture, the email address or the name of at least one of the one or more acceptable recipients.

4. The method of claim 1, further including advertising potential availability for receipt of the items.

5. The method of claim 1, further including calculating the size of the items before the connection between the first and second computing devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein upon indication from the particular recipient to said accept transfer of the items, further including transferring the items from the first to the second computing device, including displaying progress of the transferring.

7. The method of claim 1, whereupon refusal from the particular recipient to said accept transfer of the items, further including notifying the sender of the refusal.

8. In a computing system environment, a method of transferring items from a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

advertising availability for potential receipt of the items;

from the advertising, automatically discovering one or more acceptable recipients for receipt of the items on the second computing device;

at the first computing device, attaching the items to a particular recipient of the one or more acceptable recipients;

after connection between the first and second computing devices, identifying to the particular recipient a sender of the items and/or a size of the items;

determining whether the particular recipient wants to accept transfer of the items from the first computing device; and

if so, transferring the items to the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein upon indication from the particular recipient to said accept transfer of the items, further including authenticating the particular recipient before the transferring the items.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the authenticating further includes authenticating with public and private keys, including transferring a public key of the particular recipient to the first computing device.

11. In a computing system environment a method of transferring items from a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

advertising potential availability for receipt of the items;

from the advertising, automatically discovering one or more acceptable recipients for receipt of the items on the second computing device;

at the first computing device, attaching the items to a particular recipient of the one or more acceptable recipients;

calculating a size of the items and a description therefor;

upon a connection between the first and second computing devices, identifying to the particular recipient a sender of the items, the size of the items and the description of the items, the identifying occurring as a result of a push of data from the first computing device to the second computing device; and

upon the identifying, determining whether the particular recipient wants to accept transfer of the items from the first computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further including causing display of the one or more acceptable recipients on a monitor of the first computing device, including displaying a picture, an email address or a name per each of the one or more acceptable recipients.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein upon indication from the particular recipient to said accept transfer of the items, further including transferring the items from the first to the second computing device, including displaying progress of the transferring relative to the displayed picture, email address or name.

14. The method of claim 11, whereupon refusal from the particular recipient to said accept transfer of the items, further including notifying the sender of the refusal.

15. A computing system having pluralities of computing devices arranged to transfer items, comprising:

a sending computing device; and

a recipient computing device, each of the computing devices configured to advertise to other of the computing devices their availability for potential receipt of the items wherein, upon the advertising, automatically discovering the recipient computing device as one or more acceptable recipients for receipt of the items, the sending computing device configured to calculate a size of the items wherein upon a connection between the sending and recipient computing devices a user of the recipient computing devices is notified of a sender of the items and the size of the items so that a determination can be made as to whether the user wants to accept transfer of the items from the sending computing device.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein if the user indicates acceptance of said transfer of the items, the sending computing device is configured to transfer the items including displaying progress of the transferring.

17. The computing system of 15, wherein upon the user refusing acceptance of said transfer of the items, the sending computing device is configured to notify the sender of the refusal.

18. A computer program product available as a download or on a computer readable medium for loading on a sending and recipient computing device of a plurality of computing devices, the computer program product having executable instructions to provide voluntary transfer of items, comprising:

a first component for installation on each of the computing devices configured to advertise to other of the computing devices their availability for potential receipt of the items;

a second component configured to automatically discover the recipient computing device as one or more acceptable recipients for receipt of the items;

a third component configured to calculate a size and description of the items; and

a fourth component configured to notify a user of the recipient computing device of a sender of the items and the size and description of the items so that a determination can be made as to whether the user wants to accept transfer of the items from the sending computing device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth component configured to notify the sender of the items of the user'"'"'s refusal to said accept transfer of the items.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth component configured to transfer the items from the sending computing device to the recipient computing device upon indication of the user to said accept transfer of the items.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth component configured to cause display of the one or more acceptable recipients on a monitor of the sending computing device, including displaying a picture, an email address or a name per each of the one or more acceptable recipients.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth component configured to authenticate the user upon indication of the user to said accept transfer of the items.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a fifth component configured to cause displaying of progress of the transferring upon indication of the user to said accept transfer of the items.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the fifth component is further configured to cause the displaying of progress of the transferring relative to a displayed picture, email address or name of the user.