SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PORTABLE DATA STORAGE DEVICES THAT AUTOMATICALLY INITIATE DATA TRANSFERS UTILIZING HOST DEVICES

• US 20100121941A1
• Filed: 11/08/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opanga Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Opanga Networks, LLC
• Inventors: Gibbons, David B., Burnette, John M., Harrang, Jeffrey Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A computing system including a media content provider (MCP), a host device, a portable media content storage device (PMCSD), and a data communications network. In response to data communications being initiated between the PMCSD the host device, a data transfer application resident on the PMCSD is automatically executed to determine if any media content transfer instructions exist on the PMCSD or a MCP. The data transfer application resident on the PMCSD may be a portable application not requiring the installation of any configuration or support files to the host device or it may be an application having a boot process that installs configuration or support files to the host device prior to application execution. When one or more media content transfer instructions exists on the PMCSD or a MCP, the media content transfer instruction(s) is processed by the host device, to facilitate media content transfer between the PMCSD and the MCP.

Claims

1. A networked computing system for automatically initiating and controlling the distribution of various media content, the networked computing system comprising:

at least one media content provider (MCP);

at least one host device;

a portable media content storage device (PMCSD); and

a data communications network facilitating data communications amongst all computing devices within the networked computing system,

wherein in response to data communications being initiated between the PMCSD and a host device, a data transfer application resident on the PMCSD is automatically executed to determine if any media content transfer instructions exist on the PMCSD or a MCP.

2. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD is a portable application that is executed by the host device without needing to install any data transfer application configuration or support files to the host device.

3. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD includes a boot component that installs temporary data transfer files to the host device before the data transfer application is executed by the host device, and when the data transfer application execution is stopped, the temporary data transfer files are removed from the host device.

4. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein when the executed data transfer application determines that there is at least one media content transfer instruction on the PMCSD or a MCP, the at least one media content transfer instruction is processed by the host device, such that a portion of at least one media content is transferred between the PMCSD and the MCP.

5. The networked computing system of claim 4, wherein at least one media content is uploaded from the PMCSD to the MCP in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction, and the MCP selectively distributes a portion of the uploaded media content to at least one end receiving device of the networked computing system.

6. The networked computing system of claim 4, wherein a portion of at least one media content is downloaded from the MCP to the PMCSD in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction.

7. A computer-readable medium encoded with a set of computer-executable instructions for initiating and controlling the distribution of various media content, which when executed, perform the following method, comprising:

initiating data communications between a portable media content storage device (PMCSD) and a host device;

automatically executing a data transfer application resident on the PMCSD in response to the initiated data communications; and

determining with the data transfer application if any media content transfer instructions exist on the PMCSD or on a media content provider (MCP).

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD is a portable application that is executed by the host device without needing to install any data transfer application configuration or support files to the host device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD includes a boot component that installs temporary data transfer files to the host device before the data transfer application is executed by the host device, and when the data transfer application execution is stopped, the temporary data transfer files are removed from the host device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein when the executed data transfer application determines that there is at least one media content transfer instruction on the PMCSD or a MCP, the at least one media content transfer instruction is processed by the host device, such that a portion of at least one media content is transferred between the PMCSD and the MCP.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least one media content is uploaded from the PMCSD to the MCP in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction, and the MCP selectively distributes a portion of the uploaded media content to at least one end receiving device of a networked computing system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a portion of at least one media content is downloaded from the MCP to the PMCSD in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction.

13. A computer-executable method for initiating and controlling the distribution of various media content, the method comprising:

initiating data communications between a portable media content storage device (PMCSD) and a host device;

automatically executing a data transfer application resident on the PMCSD in response to the initiated data communications; and

determining with the data transfer application if any media content transfer instructions exist on the PMCSD or on a media content provider (MCP).

14. The computer-executable method of claim 13, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD is a portable application that is executed by the host device without needing to install any data transfer application configuration or support files to the host device.

15. The computer-executable method of claim 13, wherein the data transfer application resident on the PMCSD includes a boot component that installs temporary data transfer files to the host device before the data transfer application is executed by the host device, and when the data transfer application execution is stopped, the temporary data transfer files are removed from the host device.

16. The computer-executable method of claim 13, wherein when the executed data transfer application determines that there is at least one media content transfer instruction on the PMCSD or a MCP, the at least one media content transfer instruction is processed by the host device, such that a portion of at least one media content is transferred between the PMCSD and the MCP.

17. The computer-executable method of claim 16, wherein at least one media content is uploaded from the PMCSD to the MCP in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction, and the MCP selectively distributes a portion of the uploaded media content to at least one end receiving device of a networked computing system.

18. The computer-executable method of claim 16, wherein a portion of at least one media content is downloaded from the MCP to the PMCSD in response to the processed at least one media content transfer instruction.

19. A portable media content storage device (PMCSD), comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory comprising a resident data transfer application; and

a data communications interface facilitating communications between the PMCSD and an external computing device,

wherein in response to data communications being initiated between the PMCSD and the external computing device, the resident data transfer application is automatically executed to determine if any media content transfer instructions exist that designate a portion of PMCSD memory as a source or a destination location for a portion of media content in queue for transfer.

20. The PMCSD of claim 19, wherein when the executed resident data transfer application determines that the PMCSD is a destination for a portion of media content in queue for transfer, the PMCSD communicates with a media content source using a communications capability of the external computing device to schedule a media content delivery of a portion of the media content in queue for transfer to the PMCSD.