EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE DEVICE WITH CLOUD DRIVE SUPPORT

• US 20170192707A1
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeff Ma, Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Jeff Ma
• Inventors: Arnold, Kevin, MA, JEFF, KAHUASHVILI, YULIYA, Bucher, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to execute a startup program on a computer, the startup program being stored on an external storage device connected with the computer; download a file management program from a remote server to the computer; install the file management program on the computer; send a message to a cloud storage management server requesting the creation of a cloud storage account associated with the external storage device; and receive an indication that the cloud storage account has been created.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a startup program on a computer, the startup program being stored on an external storage device connected with the computer;

downloading a file management program from a remote server to the computer;

installing the file management program on the computer;

sending a message to a cloud storage management server requesting the creation of a cloud storage account associated with the external storage device; and

receiving an indication that the cloud storage account has been created.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from a user to transfer a file from the computer to the external storage device;

storing the file in the external storage device; and

uploading the file to a cloud storage location along with an indication of the cloud storage account.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message includes a unique identifier associated with the external storage device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message includes a value specifying the size of the external storage device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a request to a remote program store requesting the file management program.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a request to a remote program store requesting the file management program.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

receiving an indication that a file is being copied to the external storage device;

sending a message to the cloud storage management server identifying the file; and

transferring the file from the external storage device or the computer to storage associated with the cloud storage account.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external storage device includes a solid state hard drive, a USB memory stick, a magnetic hard disk drive, flash memory, a spinning disk.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external storage device is in wireless communication with the computer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cloud storage management server is in communication with cloud storage devices distributed geographically.

11. A system, comprising:

an external storage device in communication with a computer, the computer in communication with a network, the external storage device comprising a startup program stored on the external storage device, configured to be executed by the computer to at least;

request a file management program stored in a program store; and

execute the file management program to communicate information between the computer and a cloud storage location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the startup program is further configured to request that a cloud storage account be created.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the startup program is further configured to include a unique identifier that identifies the external storage device with the request for creation of the cloud storage account.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the external storage device is further configured to communicate with the cloud storage location associated with the cloud storage account.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the cloud storage location is a distributed storage location that includes a plurality of storage locations distributed geographically.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the external storage device is in wireless communication with the computer.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that cause a computer in communication with the computer-readable storage medium to:

request a file management program stored in a program store; and

execute the file management program to communicate information between the computer and a cloud storage device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the startup program is further configured to request that a cloud storage account be created.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the startup program is further configured to include a unique identifier that identifies the external storage device with the request for creation of the cloud storage account.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the cloud storage location is a distributed storage location that includes a plurality of storage locations geographically distributed.