System and method for synchronizing between a file system and presence of contacts on a network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing between a local file system and presence of nearby contacts on a network, comprising:
- monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts comprises monitoring for the publication of an alive message that indicates that a nearby contact is present on the network and is available;
wherein alive messages are continually published on the network that renew a maximum lifetime property such that indications of the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network is maintained;
wherein the maximum lifetime property is a time period that the nearby contact is valid; and
wherein an expiration of the maximum lifetime property notifies to other users on the network that the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network has timed out and the user is no longer present;
automatically providing notification to the local file system of the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein nearby contacts include contacts that are connected within physical proximity to a user;
wherein physical proximity is a physical distance measured in response to a designation of physical location associated with the user;
updating contact entries in the local file system to reflect changes in the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein the updated contact entries are maintained in the local file system;
wherein the contact entries in the local file system are contact entries of a general contacts folder associated with a separate application of the local file system such that the contact entries of the general contacts folder is updated to include an indication of physical proximity; and
querying the local file system to determine the presence of the nearby contacts on the network.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided for synchronizing a file system with presence information on a network. Presence information is discovered for nearby users on the network. Data corresponding to the nearby users, such as a display name and sharing address, are stored in the file system. The data is synchronized either in a folder corresponding to nearby users, or is synchronized in a general contacts folder that is enhanced by the presence information. As people move in and out of the network, the entries in the file system are updated.
104 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing between a local file system and presence of nearby contacts on a network, comprising:
-
monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts comprises monitoring for the publication of an alive message that indicates that a nearby contact is present on the network and is available;
wherein alive messages are continually published on the network that renew a maximum lifetime property such that indications of the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network is maintained;
wherein the maximum lifetime property is a time period that the nearby contact is valid; and
wherein an expiration of the maximum lifetime property notifies to other users on the network that the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network has timed out and the user is no longer present;automatically providing notification to the local file system of the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein nearby contacts include contacts that are connected within physical proximity to a user;
wherein physical proximity is a physical distance measured in response to a designation of physical location associated with the user;updating contact entries in the local file system to reflect changes in the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein the updated contact entries are maintained in the local file system;
wherein the contact entries in the local file system are contact entries of a general contacts folder associated with a separate application of the local file system such that the contact entries of the general contacts folder is updated to include an indication of physical proximity; andquerying the local file system to determine the presence of the nearby contacts on the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A computer-readable storage medium that includes computer-executable instructions for synchronizing between a local file system and presence of nearby contacts on a network, comprising instructions for:
-
monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts on the network, wherein presence is indicated by the receipt of alive messages that correspond to the nearby contacts;
wherein nearby contacts include contacts that are connected within physical proximity to a user;
wherein physical proximity is a physical distance measured in response to a designation of physical location associated with the user;
wherein each of the alive message indicates that a nearby contact is present on the network and is available;
wherein the alive messages are repeatedly published on the network that renew a maximum lifetime property such that indications of the one of the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network is maintained;
wherein the maximum lifetime property is a time period that one of the nearby contact is valid;providing notification to the local file system of the receipt of the alive messages in response to the receipt of the alive message; updating contact entries in the local file system to reflect changes in the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein nearby contacts include contacts that are connected within physical proximity to a user;
wherein the contact entries in the local file system correspond to contact entries of a contacts folder associated with a separate application of the local file system such that the contact entries of the contact folder is updated to include an indication of physical proximity; andquerying the updated local file system to determine the presence of the nearby contacts on the network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A system for synchronizing between a local file system and presence of nearby contacts on a network, comprising:
-
a computing device that includes an application that is configured to; monitor for the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein nearby contacts include contacts associated with computing devices that are connected within physical location proximity to a user;
wherein physical proximity is a physical distance measured in response to a designation of physical location associated with the user;
wherein monitoring for the presence of nearby contacts comprises monitoring for the publication of alive messages;
wherein each the alive messages indicates that a nearby contact is present on the network and is available;
wherein the alive messages are repeatedly published on the network that renew a maximum lifetime property such that indications of the one of the nearby contact'"'"'s presence on the network is maintained;
wherein the maximum lifetime property is a time period that one of the nearby contact is valid;provide notification to the local file system of the presence of nearby contacts on the network; update contact entries in the local file system to reflect changes in the presence of nearby contacts on the network;
wherein the contact entries in the local file system correspond to contact entries of a contacts folder associated with a separate application such that the contact entries of the contact folder is updated to include an indication of physical proximity; andquerying the local file system to determine the presence of the nearby contacts on the network. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification