Providing a local device with computing services from a remote host

• US 8,185,581 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiver LLC
• Original Assignee: nHoldings SA
• Inventors: Duggal, Sachin Dev
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/782,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/220, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 717/168
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a local device with computing services are disclosed. One embodiment includes, identifying one or more file types of files stored on the local device which is not associated with a local application that is installed on the local device and detecting a request to access a file stored on the local device having one of the one or more file types. The remote host can generate an offer to provide access to a remote application which is able to open the file for a fee such that the file is accessible via the local device. A selected service model can determine the fee and whether the remote application is provided for use by the local device when offline.

Claims

1. A method of providing a local device with computing services from a remote host, the method, comprising:

detecting a request generated from a local device to access data;

in response to determining that the data is not accessible by applications installed on the local device;

providing, from the remote host, a remote application which is able to access the data for a fee to enable the data to be accessed from the local device;

wherein, a selected service model determines the fee and whether to provide the remote application for use by the local device when offline; and

streaming portions of the remote application to the local device used for execution to open the file when the selected service model does not provide for offline usage by the local device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a predetermined number of advertisements displayed on the local device has been accessed;

waiving the fee for access of the remote application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the fee enables access to the remote application for a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

streaming at least a portion of the remote application to the local device to for execution on the local device to access the data stored on the local device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, the remote application is downloaded by the local device in whole for offline usage and stored in cache on the local device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, the remote application is executed on the remote host to access the data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, the data is stored on remote storage of the remote host.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising,

transmitting the data from the local device to the remote host for access using the remote application executable on the remote host;

transmitting images of the remote application to the local device for display on the local device depicting results of accessing the data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, identifying a portion of the data to be transmitted to the remote host needed by the remote application for access.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, transmitting data modified by the remote application on the remote host to the local device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

storing data generated at the local device in the remote storage on the remote host;

wherein, the remote storage is accessible using a vanity URL that is unique to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, the data generated at the local device includes changes to content or files stored at the local device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, performing file extension mapping to determine whether the data is accessible by the applications that are installed on the local device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

synchronizing content stored on local device on remote storage of the remote device;

wherein, the content is associated with a user.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein, the content is associated with a local directory and the content is synchronized in a remote directory on the remote storage;

wherein, the content stored in the remote directory has associated privacy settings;

wherein, the remote directory is accessible using uniform resource locator (URL) that is associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

synchronizing additional content stored on additional local devices associated with the user with the remote directory.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein, the content is synchronized between the local and remote directories in response to a drag and drop action;

wherein, the content is converted to HTML upon transmission from the local device to the remote storage associated with the remote host.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the drag and drop action is performed from a local file to a virtual drive representing the remote storage associated with the remote host.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the drag and drop action is performed from a virtual folder representing the remote storage associated with the remote host.

20. A method of providing a local device with computing services from a remote host, the method, comprising:

identifying one or more file types of files stored on the local device which is not associated with a local application that is installed on the local device;

detecting a request to access a file stored on the local device having one of the one or more file types;

generating, from the remote host, an offer to provide access to a remote application, the remote application configured to open the file for a fee such that the file is accessible via the local device;

wherein, a selected service model determines the fee and whether to provide the remote application for use by the local device when offline; and

streaming portions of the remote application to the local device used for execution to open the file when the selected service model does not provide for offline usage by the local device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, transmitting the remote application in whole to the local device for execution on the local device when the selected service model provides for offline usage by the local device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein, the fee determines the amount of time the remote application is available on the local device for offline usage.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein, the one or more file types are identified by performing file extension mapping.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein, the offer includes multiple services models selectable by a user of the local device.

25. A system for providing a user device with computing services from a remote host, comprising:

a file type identifier agent that identifies one or more files stored on the user device, the files having one or more file types, the files not accessible by a local application installed on the user device;

a file manager that detects a request to access a file stored on the user device;

an application management engine that generates an offer to provide access to a remote application stored on the remote host, the remote application configured to open the file such that the file is accessible via the user device;

wherein, the remote application is provided for accessing the file via a fee-based arrangement or an advertisement-based arrangement;

wherein, a selected service model determines the fee and whether to provide the remote application for use by the user device when offline; and

streaming portions of the remote application to the user device used for execution to open the file when the selected service model does not provide for offline usage by the user device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein, in the fee-based arrangement, the remote application is available for purchase or rental over a period of time.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein, in the advertisement-based arrangement, the remote application is available when a predetermined number of advertisements displayed on the user device has been accessed.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the remote host includes:

one or more virtual machine host(s), comprising individualized hardware units to execute instructions for supporting one or more virtual machine(s);

a user identification engine, configured for the user device to access one virtual machine of the remote host;

an authentication/VM data repository, configured to store data including user data from the user device, the one or more virtual machine(s), the virtual machine(s)'"'"'s data, data files, and/or data/system files for instantiating virtual machine(s);

a load balancing engine, configured to balance the resources demands among virtual machine(s) of the remote host;

an account management engineer, configured to manage billing, transactions, and advertisements;

a file synchronization engine, configured to synchronize content stored on the user device and a remote storage of the remote host;

a storage management engine, configured to perform read and/or write operations on behalf of the one or more virtual machine host(s) and/or the file synchronization engine;

an advertisement repository, configured to store one or more advertisement(s), advertisement account information, and/or information related to the one or more advertisement(s); and

an application repository, configured to store application executable files, libraries, supporting documentation, and/or application data.