CONTENT SYNCHRONIZATION ACROSS MULTIPLE COMPUTERS

• US 20100262582A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramsby, Scott R., Garcia-Ascanio, Francisco J., Subotic, Dejan D., Palermiti, Michael F., Remick, Brian D.
• Application Number:
  US12/421,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Methods and systems provide a tool for synchronizing content across multiple computers. In one or more embodiments, files and folders can be automatically synchronized when multiple computers are available. Further, in at least some embodiments, automatic synchronization can be effected on each of two or more computers by a single user action on a single computer, such as a mouse click. Additionally, in other embodiments, the tool can present an option to synchronize content across multiple computers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a computer, a synchronization request from a server, the synchronization request being configured to enable a user to synchronize files or folders with files or folders on one or more other computers;

responsive to receiving the synchronization request, presenting a graphical user interface on the computer to enable the user to synchronize the files or folders on the computer with files or folders on the one or more other computers; and

responsive to the user opting to synchronize files or folders on the computer, attempting to establish a peer-to-peer connection between the computer and the one or more other computers.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the presenting a graphical user interface is performed automatically when the user performs a log on at the computer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to establishing the peer-to-peer connection, synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers, wherein the synchronizing is performed without having a user manually select files or folders to synchronize.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select synchronization via a single user action.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select synchronization via a single user action comprising a mouse click.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to establishing the peer-to-peer connection, synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers, wherein the synchronizing is performed without having a user manually select files or folders to synchronize and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select synchronization via a single user action.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to establishing the peer-to-peer connection, synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers, wherein the synchronizing is performed without having a user manually select files or folders to synchronize and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select synchronization via a single user action comprising a mouse click.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to the user opting to synchronize files or folders, determining whether there has been a change in synchronized files or folders; and

responsive to a change in the synchronized files or folders, automatically synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers without subsequent user interaction.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

prior to automatically synchronizing the files and folders, determining whether a peer-to-peer connection is available between the computer and the one or more other computers; and

responsive to a peer-to-peer connection being available, automatically synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

a synchronization client embodied on the one or more computer-readable storage media;

wherein the synchronization client is configured to enable files or folders on one computer to be automatically synchronized with files or folders on one or more other computers responsive to a single user input via a graphical user interface and without having a user manually select files or folders to be synchronized.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the single user input comprises a mouse click.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization client is configured to enable synchronization automatically when the user performs a log on on at least one of the computers.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization client is configured to determine whether there has been a change in synchronized files or folders and, if so, automatically synchronize the files or folders on the one computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the synchronization client is configured to synchronize the files or folders on the one computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers without subsequent user interaction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the files or folders are associated with content comprising photos.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the files or folders are associated with content other than photos.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the files or folders are associated with an application that is configured to run the synchronization client.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-executable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving, at a computer, a synchronization request from a server, the synchronization request being configured to enable a user to synchronize files or folders with files or folders on one or more other computers;

responsive to receiving the synchronization request, presenting a graphical user interface on the computer to enable the user to synchronize the files or folders on the computer with files or folders on the one or more other computers;

responsive to the user opting to synchronize files or folders on the computer, establishing a peer-to-peer connection between the computer and the one or more other computers;

using the peer-to-peer connection to synchronize the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more of the computers, wherein synchronizing is performed without having a user manually select files or folders to synchronize and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select synchronization via a single user action.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the single user action comprises a mouse click.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to the user opting to synchronize files or folders, determining whether there has been a change in synchronized files or folders; and

responsive to a change in the synchronized files or folders, automatically synchronizing the files or folders on the computer with the files or folders on the one or more other computers without subsequent user interaction.