Method and system for establishing a user-friendly data transfer service application executing within a heterogeneous distributed service application execution environment

• US 7,698,392 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Photobucket Corporation (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Daniel, Schultz, Brian, Zapata, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz; Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US11/540,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 717/104
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for data transfer between electronic, hand-held devices, including cell phones, and computer systems, including servers and PCs, as well as component methods and systems of these data-transfer methods and systems. Component methods and systems of the present invention include secure links between various devices, enhancements to electronic hand-held devices that enable service applications to run continuously or intermittently on the devices, deployment of dynamically created service applications to electronic, hand-held devices, and various additional component methods and systems that facilitate the above-mentioned component methods and systems. One embodiment of the present invention is a robust, efficient, secure, and user-friendly method and system for transferring data between cell phones and personal computers.

Claims

1. An application for use on an electronic device, said application comprising:

code embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium included in said electronic device for establishing a communication connection from said electronic device to one or more intermediary servers, said server arranged for simultaneous connection to a plurality of electronic devices,

code embodied on the non-transitory computer readable medium included in said electronic device for selecting particular media files created on said electronic device for delivery to a pre-identified destination location, said pre-identified destination location being established prior to creation of said particular media files; and

code embodied on the non-transitory computer readable medium included in said electronic device for sending said selected media files over said established communication connection to said intermediary server for subsequent delivery to said pre-identified destination location under control of said intermediary server, wherein said establishing, said selecting and said sending occur without user involvement at a time of said establishing, selecting or sending, and wherein said establishing and said sending require credentials to accomplish at least one of authorization and authentication, said credentials supplied to at least one of said electronic device and said intermediary server prior to a time when said particular images are created.

2. The application of claim 1 further comprising:

code embodied on the non-transitory computer readable medium for receiving confirmation at said electronic device that a sent image has been successfully received at said identified destination location.

3. The application set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

code embodied on a computer readable medium for deleting in said electronic device said certain media files based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous transfer of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.

4. The application set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

code embodied on the non-transitory computer readable medium for re-selecting said certain media files based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous transfer of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.

5. The application of claim 1 wherein said code for establishing, said code for identifying, said code for sending, said code for receiving and said code for selecting are downloaded to said electronic device from a location remote from said electronic device upon direction of a user of said electronic device.

6. The application of claim 5 wherein said remote location is said intermediary server.

7. The application of claim 1 wherein said identified destination location is dependent upon a particular instance of an electronic device.

8. A method for copying media files from a plurality of wireless electronic devices, said devices owned by third parties independent from each other, said method comprising:

establishing a communication connection from a specific one of said electronic devices to one or more intermediary servers common to said plurality of devices, said establishing occurring subsequent to a determination by said specific device that at least one media file resident on said specific device has been identified for sending to said one or more intermediary servers, said determination not requiring interaction from a user of said specific device at the time of said determination; and

without user intervention sending, from said device, identified ones of said media files over said established communication connection to said one or more intermediary servers for subsequent delivery from said one or more intermediary servers to a first destination location which is pre-identified and uniquely specified for said specific device, wherein said first destination location is separate from said intermediary server, and wherein said first destination is identified prior to said media file becoming identified, said media having associated therewith credentials for at least one of authorization and authentication that are specific for each said electronic device said credentials supplied to at least one of said electronic device and said intermediary server prior to a time when said media files are created.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a reply at said specific device that includes the results of a delivery attempt to said pre-identified first destination location; and

removing at said specific device media files that are available for sending to said intermediary server, said removing being responsive to received results.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

establishing a communication connection from a second specific one of said electronic devices to said one or more pre-identified intermediary servers, said establishing occurring in response to a determination by said second specific device that at least one media file resident on said specific device has been identified for sending to said pre-identified intermediary server, said determination being made without interaction from a user of said second specific device at the time of said determination; and

automatically sending, by said device, available ones of said media files over said established communication connection to said one or more intermediary servers for subsequent delivery from said one or more intermediary servers to a second destination location which is pre-identified and uniquely specified for said second specific device, wherein said second destination location is separate from said intermediary server wherein said sending and said subsequent delivery is controlled at least in part by at least one of authorization and authentication credentials and at least partially controlled by said one or more intermediary servers.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said credentials are supplied by said device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said credentials are supplied by said server.

13. An electronic device comprising:

means for establishing, by said electronic device, a communication connection from said electronic device to one or more intermediary servers,

means for selecting, by said electronic device, particular media files resident on said electronic device for delivery to a unique destination location identified at a time prior to creation of said particular media files; and

means for sending, by said electronic device, said selected media files over said established communication connection to said one or more intermediary servers for subsequent delivery to said pre-identified destination location wherein said establishing, said selecting and said sending occur without user involvement at a time of said establishing, selecting or sending, said selected media files further configured to be communicated from said electronic device and from said intermediary server pursuant to the utilization of at least one of authorization and authentication credentials, said credentials having been determined prior to said images being identified for transmission.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising:

means for receiving confirmation at said electronic device that a sent image has been successfully received at said identified destination location.

15. The device set forth in claim 14 further comprising:

means for re-selecting said certain media files based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous transfer of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said temporarily establishing means, said identifying means, said sending means, said receiving means and said selecting means are downloaded to said electronic device from a location remote from said electronic device upon direction of a user of said electronic device.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said remote location is said intermediary server.

18. The device set forth in claim 14 further comprising:

means for deleting from said electronic device said certain media files based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous transfer of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.

19. The device of claim 13 wherein said intermediary server is available for connections from a plurality of different electronic devices and wherein said identified destination location is dependant upon a particular electronic device.

20. The device of claim 13 wherein said control is at least particularly augmented by said intermediary server.

21. A method for transferring an image captured on any one of a plurality of cameras;

to a user-specific location external to said cameras, said method comprising;

identifying by each said camera without user intervention which images are to be transferred;

sending without user intervention to a server from each said camera said determined images said server independent from, and common to, said plurality of cameras said images having associated therewith credentials for at least one of authorization and authentication, said credentials being determined prior to said images being identified for transfer and defined separately for each said camera; and

determining for each received image from a particular camera of said plurality of cameras at least one pre-identified forwarding location specific to said particular camera said determining comprising using said credentials defined separately for each said camera; and

forwarding by said server each said received image to said pre-identified forwarding location.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving a reply at said particular camera that includes the results of a delivery attempt to said pre-identified destination location.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising re-selecting said images based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous transfer of said images has been received by said electronic camera.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

establishing said relationship in a communication between a user of said particular camera and said server at a time prior to creation of said image on said particular camera.

25. A server for managing data from a mobile device, said server comprising:

means for accepting data from a plurality of mobile devices, said data having been gathered for sending to said server at each said mobile device without user involvement at a at time of said gatherings, said data having associated therewith pre-established at least one of authorization and authentication credentials for use by said server, said credentials determined prior to said data being gathered for transmission and defined separately for each said mobile device;

means for maintaining pre-identified relationships between particular mobile devices and delivery locations specific to said particular mobile devices, said relationships including utilization by said server of said at least one of authorization and authentication credentials; and

means operative upon receipt of data from a particular mobile device for delivering said data for storage in one or more specific locations according to pre-identified relationships between said particular mobile device and said specific locations.

26. The server of claim 25 wherein said data from said mobile device is communicated to said server using a first protocol appropriate for communications from said mobile device;

and

wherein said data from said server to said destination is communicated to said destination using a second protocol appropriate for communications between said server and each said destination, said first and second protocols not necessarily being the same.

27. A method for copying media files from a plurality of wireless electronic devices, said devices owned by third parties independent from each other, said method comprising:

establishing a communication connection from a specific one of said electronic devices to one or more servers common to said plurality of devices, said establishing occurring in response to a determination by at least one of said specific device and server that at least one media file resident on said specific device has been identified for transmission to said pre-identified server, said determination not requiring interaction from a user of said specific device; and

without user intervention, transmitting from said device identified ones of said media files over said established communication connection to said server for storage, at a location being determined prior to said media file being identified for transmission, said media files having associated therewith credentials for at least one of authorization and authentication, said credentials being determined prior to said media file being identified for transmission and defined separately for each said electronic device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving a reply at said specific device that includes the results of a delivery attempt to said storage location; and

removing at said specific device media files that are delivered to said storage, said removing being responsive to received reply.

29. A mobile electronic device comprising:

means for selecting, by said mobile electronic device without involvement of a user at a time of said selecting, particular media files resident on said mobile electronic device for delivery to a server pre-identified at a time prior to selection of said particular media files;

means under control of said mobile electronic device for establishing, without user involvement at a time of said establishing, a communication connection from said mobile electronic device to said pre-identified server; and

means for sending said selected media files over said established communication connection to said intermediary server for storage under control of said server at a destination location identified prior to selection of said particular images, said media files being communicated from said mobile electronic device to said server controlled by at least one of authorization and authentication credentials supplied to at least one of said electronic device and said intermediary server prior to said selection of said particular images.

30. The device of claim 29 further comprising:

means for receiving confirmation at said mobile device that a sent image has been successfully stored at said destination location.

31. The device set forth in claim 30 further comprising:

means for re-selecting certain media files based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous storage of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.

32. The device set forth in claim 30 further comprising:

means for deleting certain media files from said electronic device based upon whether or not a confirmation of an attempted previous storage of said certain media files has been received by said electronic device.