Internet based archive system for personal computers

• US 6,615,244 B1
• Filed: 11/28/1998
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 85 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tara C. Singhal
• Inventors: Singhal, Tara C
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/200,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,739 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709/217, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

An internet based archive system for personal computers comprising a personal computer, an internet connection to an archive server, and an archive server. The personal computer using an internet browser has functions enabling the personal computer for archiving data files from the personal computer to the archive server, and means enabling the internet connection to the archive server to be time shared in the background with other internet activity in the foreground.

Claims

1. A method of archiving data files from a client to an archive server, comprising the steps of:

a. initiating, by the client, a connection to a global computer network and automatically activating only as an incident of this connection a back-up function in the client;

b. creating, by the back-up function, a first data record having at least one file-name and date-stamp of the data file in the client, connecting to the archive server on the global computer network, and sending the first data record;

c. receiving, by the archive server, the first data record, therein an archive server function comparing with files already present in the server, creating a second data record having at least one file-name and date-stamp of a data file not in the archive server, and sending the second data record to the client.

2. The method as in claim 1, comprising further steps of:

a. receiving, by the client, the second data record and the back-up function queuing the files therein for transfer and sending to the archive server over the global computer network;

b. receiving, by the archive server, the queued data files and archiving by the archive server function.

3. The method as in claim 2, comprising further step of:

encrypting, by the back-up function, the named file data contents before queuing for transfer to the archive server on the global computer network.

4. The method as in claim 2, comprising further step of:

sensing idle times on the network connection between the client and the global computer network, by the back-up function, and sending the queued files to the archive server during the idle times.

5. The method as in claim 2, comprising further step of:

displaying, by the back-up function, a status indicator when the back-up function is active.

6. The method as in claim 2, comprising further step of:

archiving, by the archive server function, number of copies of the file identified by a file-name, equal to a back-up-level parameter being present in the archive server function.

7. A system of archiving data files from a client to an archive server, comprising:

a. a back-up function in the client, wherein the back-up function being activated automatically only as an incident of a global computer network connection by the client, assembling a first data record having at least one file-name and date-stamp of data file in the client, connecting to the archive server on the global computer network, and sending the first data record;

b. an archive server function in the archive server on receiving the first data record comparing with files already present in the archive server, creating a second data record having at least one file-name and date-stamp of data file not in the server, and sending the second data record to the client.

8. The system as in claim 7, further comprising:

a. the back-up function on receiving the second data record, queuing the files therein for transfer over the global computer network and sending to the archive server;

b. the archive server function, receiving the queued data files, and archiving the files.

9. The system as in claim 8, further comprising:

the back-up function sensing idle times on the network connection between the client and the global computer network, and sending the queued files to the archive server during the idle times.

11. The system as in claim 8, comprising:

the back-up function displaying a status indicator when the back-up function is active.

10. The system as in claim as in 8, comprising:

the back-up function encrypting the named file data contents before queuing for transfer to the archive server on the global computer network.

12. The system as in claim as in 8, further comprising:

the archive server function archiving number of copies of the file identified by a file-name equal to a back-up-level parameter being present in the archive server function.

13. A system of archiving data files from a client to an archive server, comprising:

a. client means, wherein the client means being activated automatically only as an incident of a global computer network connection by the client, assembling a first data record having at least one file-name and date stamp of data file in the client, connecting to the archive server on the global computer network, and sending the first data record;

b. server means receiving the first data record comparing with files already present in the archive server, creating a second data record having at least one file-name and date-stamp of data file not in the server, and sending the second data record to the client.

14. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

a. the client means receiving the second data record, queuing the files therein for transfer over the global computer network and sending to the archive server;

b. the server means receiving the queued data files and archiving the files.

15. The system as in claim 14, further comprising:

the client means sensing idle times on the network connection between the client and the global computer network, and sending the queued files to the server during the idle times.

16. The system as in claim 14, comprising:

the client means encrypting the named file data contents before queuing for transfer to the archive server on the global computer network.

17. The system as in claim 14, comprising:

the client means displaying a status indicator when the client means are active.

18. The system as in claim 14, further comprising:

the server means archiving number of copies of the file identified by a file-name equal to a back-up-level parameter being present in the server means.