Transferring files from one machine to another using adjacent desktop displays in a virtual network

• US 8,181,114 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Saka, Oluyemi Babatunde
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Application Number:
  US12/411,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715748-759, 709204-219, 709227-237, 709/248
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transferring files between a plurality of computers in a virtual network is disclosed. The present invention allows the selective transference of files between designated computers in a virtual network. The computers contain a VNRS program that allows a computer to display another computer'"'"'s desktop next to its own. Although the two computers are not physically connected, the present invention allows files to be transferred from the first computer to the second computer and vice versa by merely dragging and dropping icons from one desktop to another.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sharing files between a plurality of non-physically connected computers comprising:

a host computer connected to the plurality of non-physically connected computers by a network; and

a virtual network resource sharing program stored in a memory accessible by the host computer and the plurality of client computers, electronically connecting the host computer to each of the plurality of client computers by a virtual network, the virtual network resource sharing program containing a plurality of instructions adapted to cause the host computer and the plurality of client computers to perform steps comprising;

responsive to a plurality of inputs to a graphical user interface of the virtual network resource sharing program on the host computer, selecting a desktop view folder, selecting a client computer having at least one file from the plurality of client computers, and activating an auto move checkbox on the desktop view folder;

responsive to selecting the client computer, simultaneously displaying a host computer desktop and an exact copy of an original client computer desktop on the desktop view folder of the graphical user interface;

responsive solely to a single user action of clicking on a selected file icon on the exact copy of the original client computer desktop, automatically and directly transferring a file represented by the selected file icon from the client computer to the host computer via the virtual network and automatically displaying the selected file icon on the host computer desktop on the desktop view folder of the graphical user interface;

responsive to activating a log resource sharing process checkbox on the desktop view folder, maintaining a record of all file transfers conducted on the desktop view folder;

using a file copy configuration tab on the graphical user interface, setting a first plurality of properties for a file copy action between the client computer and the host computer including over-writing, converting the file to read only, placing the file in a specific depository, opening the file for editing after it has been copied, and recording the file copy action for an auto move at a different sharing session;

using a file move configuration tab, setting a second plurality of properties on a file move action including over-writing, removing an instance of the file, and recording the file move action for the auto move at the different sharing session;

using an application move configuration tab on the graphical user interface, setting a third plurality of properties on an application move including removing an instance of an application from the registry of the client computer; and

using a virtual connection log tab, setting up the application so that it automatically connects anytime it is on a network, and so that the application prompts for a remote machine at all times.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions are adapted to cause the host computer and the plurality of client computers to perform steps comprising further comprising:

when the auto move checkbox on the graphical user interface has not been activated, automatically and directly transferring the selected file from the client computer to the host computer via the virtual network solely by dragging and dropping the selected file icon from the exact copy of the original client computer desktop to the client computer desktop.

3. A computer program product for sharing files between a plurality of non-physically connected computers comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

a virtual network resource sharing program stored in the computer readable medium containing a plurality of instructions adapted to cause a host computer and a plurality of client computers electronically connected to the host computer by a virtual network, to perform steps comprising;

responsive to a plurality of inputs to a graphical user interface of the virtual network resource sharing program on the host computer, selecting a desktop view folder, selecting a client computer having at least one file from the plurality of client computers, and activating an auto move checkbox on the desktop view folder;

responsive to selecting the client computer, simultaneously displaying a host computer desktop and an exact copy of an original client computer desktop on the desktop view folder of the graphical user interface;

responsive solely to a single user action of clicking on a selected file icon on the exact copy of the original client computer desktop, automatically and directly transferring a file represented by the selected file icon from the client computer to the host computer via the virtual network and automatically displaying the selected file icon on the host computer desktop on the desktop view folder of the graphical user interface;

responsive to activating a log resource sharing process checkbox on the desktop view folder, maintaining a record of all file transfers conducted on the desktop view folder;

using a file copy configuration tab on the graphical user interface, setting a first plurality of properties for a file copy action between the client computer and the host computer including over-writing, converting the file to read only, placing the file in a specific depository, opening the file for editing after it has been copied, and recording the file copy action for an auto move at a different sharing session;

using a file move configuration tab, setting a second plurality of properties on a file move action including over-writing, removing an instance of the file, and recording the file move action for the auto move at the different sharing session;

using an application move configuration tab on the graphical user interface, setting a third plurality of properties on an application move including removing an instance of an application from the registry of the client computer; and

using a virtual connection log tab, setting up the application so that it automatically connects anytime it is on a network, and so that the application prompts for a remote machine at all times.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the plurality of instructions are adapted to cause the host computer and the plurality of client computers to perform steps comprising further comprising:

when the auto move checkbox on the graphical user interface has not been activated, automatically and directly transferring the selected file from the client computer to the host computer via the virtual network solely by dragging and dropping the selected file icon from the exact copy of the original client computer desktop to the client computer desktop.