Storage device for use in a shared community storage network
First Claim
1. A storage device configured to join a network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes, the storage device comprising:
- a storage medium configured to store data electronically;
a network communication component configured to detect a connection with a wide area network (WAN) and further configured to send and receive data via the WAN;
a registration component coupled to the network communication component and configured to transmit a registration request across the WAN to a storage service management node, the registration request offering to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible to the network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes under terms that do not require any level of guaranteed service from the storage device to maintain the accessibility of at least the portion of the storage medium to the network-accessible storage service, the registration component being configured to receive a confirmation from the storage service management node in response to the offer to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible being accepted by the storage service management node; and
an access manager coupled to the network communication component and configured to, after the registration component receives the confirmation from the storage service management node, receive data across the WAN from a client device that utilizes the network-accessible storage service, the access manager being configured to store the received data in the storage medium, wherein the received data is encrypted prior to receipt so that the received data is not readily accessible to the host of the storage device and wherein the network-accessible storage service increases the number of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes at which a data object is stored to account for increases in the number of unreliable storage nodes associated with the network-accessible storage service and decrease the probability that all of the storage nodes storing the data object are compromised.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A storage device configured to join a shared community storage network. All or a portion of the storage device is registered with the community storage network as a storage node. Once registered with the network, third party data may be stored on the storage node and remotely accessed by third parties. In addition, data stored on the storage device by a user may be stored in the shared community storage network by encrypting the data, adding redundancy, and distributing it to other storage nodes within the storage network. Data that is stored in the storage network is accessible to the user even if their storage device is inaccessible or fails. The user may receive economic or non-economic incentives for allowing the storage device to join the shared community storage network.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A storage device configured to join a network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes, the storage device comprising:
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a storage medium configured to store data electronically; a network communication component configured to detect a connection with a wide area network (WAN) and further configured to send and receive data via the WAN; a registration component coupled to the network communication component and configured to transmit a registration request across the WAN to a storage service management node, the registration request offering to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible to the network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes under terms that do not require any level of guaranteed service from the storage device to maintain the accessibility of at least the portion of the storage medium to the network-accessible storage service, the registration component being configured to receive a confirmation from the storage service management node in response to the offer to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible being accepted by the storage service management node; and an access manager coupled to the network communication component and configured to, after the registration component receives the confirmation from the storage service management node, receive data across the WAN from a client device that utilizes the network-accessible storage service, the access manager being configured to store the received data in the storage medium, wherein the received data is encrypted prior to receipt so that the received data is not readily accessible to the host of the storage device and wherein the network-accessible storage service increases the number of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes at which a data object is stored to account for increases in the number of unreliable storage nodes associated with the network-accessible storage service and decrease the probability that all of the storage nodes storing the data object are compromised. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of joining a storage device to a network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes, the method comprising:
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connecting a storage device to a wide area network (WAN), the storage device including a storage medium for electronically storing data; transmitting a registration request across the WAN to a storage service management node, the registration request offering to make at least a portion of the storage medium in the storage device with accessible to a network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes under terms that do not require any level of guaranteed service from the storage device to maintain the accessibility of at least a portion of the storage medium to the network-accessible storage service when the storage device is connected to the WAN; receiving a confirmation from the storage service management node in response to the offer to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible being accepted by the storage service management node; after receiving the confirmation from the storage service management node, receiving data across the WAN from a client device that utilizes the network-accessible storage service and wherein the network-accessible storage service increases the number of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes at which a fragment of a data object is stored to account for increases in the number of unreliable storage nodes associated with the network-accessible storage service and decrease the probability that all of the storage nodes storing the fragment of the data object are compromised; and storing the received data in the storage medium, the received data being encrypted prior to receipt so that the received data is not readily accessible to a host of the storage device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A storage device including a storage medium for electronically storing data and storing instructions for performing operations comprising:
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connecting to a wide area network (WAN); transmitting a registration request across the WAN to a storage service management node, the registration request offering to make at least a portion of the storage medium in the storage device accessible to a network-accessible storage service comprised of a plurality of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes under terms that do not require any level of guaranteed service to maintain the accessibility of at least a portion of the storage medium to the network-accessible storage service when the storage device is connected to the WAN; receiving a confirmation from the storage service management node in response to the offer to make at least a portion of the storage medium accessible being accepted by the storage service management node; after receiving the confirmation from the storage service management node, receiving data across the WAN from a client device that utilizes the network-accessible storage service and wherein the network-accessible storage service increases the number of unaffiliated and un-trusted storage nodes at which a data object is stored to account for increases in the number of unreliable storage nodes associated with the network-accessible storage service and decrease the probability that all of the storage nodes storing the data object are compromised, wherein the probability that all of the storage nodes storing the data object are compromised is calculated according to,
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Specification