Sharing access to content items using group information and item information

• US 7,617,220 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Haitani, Robert Yuji, Crowley, Matthew William
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/614,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/219, 709/230, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A user can share media content with others by defining one or more groups, where each group includes members who may access a set of user'"'"'s content item on the online service or on user'"'"'s local device. Item information is generated for content items to be shared and indicates where the content item can be accessed. The item information is provided to the members of the group that was selected to share the content item. The user can conveniently configure or update the group to share the user'"'"'s content items. The content items to be shared can be located on an online service or on the user'"'"'s local device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring sharing of content items, the method comprising:

generating, by a processor, group information indicating members of one or more user-created groups responsive to receiving a first user input defining the one or more groups, each group including one or more members;

associating item information of a content item with at least one selected group of the one or more groups responsive to receiving a second user input indicating that the content item is to be shared with members of the at least one selected group, the item information representing a source of the content item from which the content item can be retrieved; and

sending the item information of the content item to the members of the at least one selected group according to the group information without receiving additional user inputs to allow the members of the selected group to access the content item, responsive to associating the item information with the selected group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the group information to a remote server; and

sending the item information to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to enable the members of the at least one selected group to access the content item corresponding to the item information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote server is configured to obtain the content item associated with the received item information from an online service provided by a server distinct from the remote server using the item information, and further configured to provide the content item to the members of the at least one selected group.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the group information responsive to receiving a third user input; and

sending the updated group information to the remote server for storing in the remote server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the item information is sent via peer-to-peer communication to the members of the at least one selected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the item information includes authentication information associated with an account of the user that provides access to the content items on an online service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group information for a particular group comprises:

a unique member identifier for each member in the group; and

a list of shared content items to which the item information associated with the group allows access by members of the group.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing the content item by the members of the group.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium structured to store instructions executable by a processor, the instructions, when executed cause the processor to:

generate group information indicating members of one or more user-created groups responsive to receiving a first user input defining the one or more groups, each group including one or more members;

one or more groups, each group including one or more members;

associate item information of a content item with at least one selected group of the one or more groups responsive to receiving a second user input indicating that the content item is to be shared with members of the at least one selected group, the item information representing a source of the content item from which the content item can be retrieved; and

send the item information of the content item to the members of the at least one selected group according to the group information without receiving additional user inputs to allow the members of the at least one selected group to access the content item, responsive to associating the item information with the at least one selected group.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions to:

send the group information to a remote server; and

send the item information to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to enable the members of the at least one selected group-to access the content item corresponding to the item information.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions further causes the processor to:

update the group information responsive to receiving a third user input; and

send the updated group information to the remote server for storing in the remote server.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions, causing the processor to send the item information causes the processor to send the item information sent via peer-to-peer communication to the members of the at least one selected group.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the item information includes authentication information associated with an account of the user that provides access to the content items on an online service.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the group information comprises:

a unique member identifier for each member in the group; and

a list of shared content items to which the item information associated with the group allows access by members of the group.

15. A computing device comprising:

a processor for performing instructions;

a memory associated with the processor for storing the computer program product of claim 9; and

a communication module associated with the memory and the processor for communicating with another computing device.