INDEPENDENT INFORMATION NETWORK

• US 20100265935A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Suthar, Paresh S, Okada, Ted T, Liu, Ming, Ozzie, Jack E, Augustine, Matthew S, Ozzie, Raymond E
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• 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: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A localized collaboration of wireless communication enabled devices can be provided for sharing of information that is independent of external communications. A local hub can communicate with a remote hub and end users using one or more wireless communication points, and provide for uploading and downloading of collaborative information from the local hub by an end user device. The local hub wirelessly broadcasts a message that has contact information that allows a remote hub to wirelessly retrieve collaborative information from the local hub. The local hub can synchronize collaborative information with a remote hub, if present, by retrieving a remote version of collaborative information using the remote hub'"'"'s broadcast contact information; comparing the remote version with a locally stored version, if present; updating the local version with differences between the remote version if the remote version is a desired; and creating a local version if one is not present.

Claims

1. A method for providing a localized collaboration of wireless communication enabled devices, independent of external communications, for sharing of information, comprising:

a local independent information hub (hub) communicating with one or more remote hubs and one or more end user devices using one or more local wireless communication points, if present;

providing for uploading and downloading of collaborative information from the local hub by an end user device;

the local hub wirelessly broadcasting a message comprising contact information that allows a remote hub to wirelessly retrieve collaborative information from the local hub; and

synchronizing collaborative information between the local hub and the remote hub, if present, comprising;

the local hub wirelessly retrieving a remote version of collaborative information from the remote hub using contact information broadcast by the remote hub;

the local hub comparing the remote version of the collaborative information with a locally stored version of the collaborative information, if present;

the local hub updating the local version of the collaborative information with differences between the remote version and the local version if it is determined that the remote version is a desired version; and

creating a local version of the remote collaborative information if a local version is not present.

2. The method of claim 1, communicating with one or more remote hubs and one or more end user devices comprising:

the local hub communicating with one or more remote hubs using a first local wireless communications point; and

the local hub communicating with one or more end user devices using a second local wireless communications point.

3. The method of claim 1, providing for wireless uploading and downloading of collaborative information comprising providing a means for an end user to perform one or more of:

uploading of a new collaborative information feed comprising informational content to the local hub;

uploading of an updated collaborative information feed comprising an updated version of informational content to the local hub; and

downloading of an iteration of a collaborative information feed from the local hub.

4. The method of claim 1, the local hub wirelessly broadcasting contact information comprising:

broadcasting a protocol address used by a remote hub to contact the local hub; and

broadcasting one or more local collaborative information feed locators, comprising an entry point for retrieving a collaborative information feed from the local hub.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

broadcasting an Internet protocol (IP) address used to contact the local hub; and

broadcasting one or more local uniform resource locators (URLs) corresponding to web-feeds on the local hub.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

a local hub detecting a wireless broadcast from a remote hub; and

the local hub saving the information broadcast by the remote hub to a local external feed information cache.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

determining whether the remote broadcast comprises one or more collaborative information feed locators; and

if the remote broadcast comprises at least one collaborative information feed locator, for respective collaborative information feed locators;

determine whether a local version of the collaborative information feed is present; and

if a local version of the collaborative information feed is not present;

create a matching local entry for the collaborative information feed; and

add the matching local entry to the local feed information cache.

8. The method of claim 1, the local hub wirelessly broadcasting a message comprising:

enumerating respective local collaborative information feeds for the local hub;

constructing a broadcast message for the local hub comprising a local hub contact address and a locator for respective local collaborative information feeds;

broadcasting the local hub'"'"'s message; and

updating a local feed information cache with information for respective local collaborative information feeds present;

9. The method of claim 8, the local hub wirelessly broadcasting a message upon one or more of:

initialization of a local hub;

reaching a desired timed interval point for collaborative information feed synchronization; and

initiation by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, synchronizing collaborative information between the local hub and a remote hub comprising, for respective remote collaborative information feeds:

determining whether a local feed information cache comprises a matching entry for the remote collaborative information feed;

creating a new local feed entry in the local feed information cache for the remote collaborative information feed if it is determined that one is not present;

pulling the remote collaborative information feed information from the remote hub; and

incorporating changes from the remote version of the collaborative information feed into the local version of the collaborative information feed if they are present and desired.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

updating the local external feed information cache to indicate changes have been incorporated in the local version of the feed if changes have been incorporated;

updating the local external feed information cache to indicate that the remote collaborative information feed is placed at an end of a remote feed processing queue; and

saving the local external feed information cache to persistent storage on the local hub.

12. A system for creating and managing a mesh network configured to share collaborative information with end users, independent of external communications, comprising:

one or more wireless communications points operably coupled to a local independent information hub (hub), and respectively configured to perform one or more of;

provide end user devices with wireless access to the local hub; and

provide for wireless communications between the local hub and a remote hub;

a web-server component operably coupled to the local hub, and configured to run web applications that provide access to collaborative information feeds from the local hub;

one or more local database components operably coupled to the local hub, and configured to provide for local hub storage of collaborative information feeds and metadata for the collaborative information feeds; and

a synchronization component operably coupled to the local hub, and configured to synchronize collaborative information feeds between the local hub and the remote hub.

13. The system of claim 12, the local hub configured to:

recognize when the remote hub is within range of wireless communications; and

display a signal that identifies when the remote hub is within wireless communications range.

14. The system of claim 12, the one or more wireless communications points comprising:

a wireless access point configured to provide wireless access between the local hub and an end user; and

a wireless node point configured to wirelessly connect the local hub with one or more remote hubs in an ad-hoc wireless network.

15. The system of claim 12, collaborative information feeds comprising web-feeds configured to provide end users with updated information content from a local hub.

16. The system of claim 12, the web-server component comprising:

a collaborative information feed upload component configured to allow an end user to perform one or more of;

upload a new collaborative information feed to the local hub; and

upload an updated collaborative information feed to the local hub; and

a collaborative information feed download component configured to allow an end user to download a collaborative information feed from the local hub.

17. The system of claim 12, the synchronization component comprising:

a feed retrieval component configured to;

issue a get remote feed command using an IP address for a corresponding remote hub and a locator for a collaboration information feed on the remote hub; and

retrieve the remote collaboration information feed from the remote hub;

a feed comparison component configured to;

compare a local version of the collaboration information feed with the remote version of the collaboration information feed to identify differences between the versions; and

determine which version of the collaboration information feed is a desired version; and

a feed merging component configured to merge the local version of the collaboration information feed with the remote version if differences are identified and the remote version is the desired version.

18. The system of claim 12, comprising:

an external feed information cache configured to store a remote hub address, remote hub locator, and a feed descriptor for respective remote collaborative information feeds identified by the local hub; and

a local feed info cache configured to store a local feed locator and a local feed descriptor for respective local collaborative information feeds stored by the local hub.

19. The system of claim 12, comprising a local hub contact information broadcasting component configured to broadcast the local hub'"'"'s IP address for communicating with the local hub, and a list of one or more URLs corresponding to local collaborative information feeds stored by the local hub, if present.

20. A method for providing a localized collaboration of wireless communication enabled devices, independent of external communications, for sharing of information, comprising:

a local independent information hub (hub);

communicating with one or more remote hubs using a first local wireless communications point, if present; and

communicating with one or more end user devices using a second local wireless communications point;

providing for wireless uploading and downloading of collaborative information comprising providing a means for an end user to perform one or more of;

uploading of a new collaborative information feed comprising informational content to the local hub;

uploading of an updated collaborative information feed comprising an updated version of informational content to the local hub; and

downloading of an iteration of a collaborative information feed from the local hub;

the local hub wirelessly broadcasting contact information comprising;

broadcasting a protocol address used by a remote hub to contact the local hub; and

broadcasting one or more local collaborative information feed locators, comprising an entry point for retrieving a collaborative information feed from the local hub;

a local hub detecting a wireless broadcast from a remote hub;

the local hub saving the information broadcast by the remote hub to a local external feed information cache;

determining whether the remote broadcast comprises one or more collaborative information feed locators;

if the remote broadcast comprises at least one collaborative information feed locator, updating a local feed information cache for respective collaborative information feed locators; and

synchronizing collaborative information between the local hub and a remote hub, if present, comprising;

the local hub wirelessly retrieving a remote version of collaborative information from the remote hub using contact information broadcast by the remote hub;

the local hub comparing the remote version of the collaborative information with a locally stored version of the collaborative information, if present;

the local hub updating the local version of the collaborative information with differences between the remote version and the local version if it is determined that the remote version is a desired version; and

creating a local version of the remote collaborative information if a local version is not present;