Plug-in file sharing

• US 8,214,513 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Contino, Jeffrey R., Cope, Warren B., Olding, Douglas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/953,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208, 709/212, 709/216, 709/217, 709/219, 455/557, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless modem is described. The method comprises identifying a first wireless modem to a computer system as locally attached mass storage, wherein the first wireless modem is removable from the computer system without opening a case of the computer system, registering the first wireless modem on a wireless network, receiving information from the wireless network about shared data, wherein the shared data is data that is shared with a second wireless modem, sending a storage request to the wireless network, and receiving data that is shared with the second wireless modem.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

in a first wireless modem, connecting to a first computer system and wirelessly transmitting a first registration request for delivery to a service system of a communication network over a first wireless broadband link, wherein the first wireless modem is enumerated by the first computer system as a first locally attached mass storage device;

in a second wireless modem, connecting to a second computer system and wirelessly transmitting a second registration request for delivery to the service system over a second wireless broadband link, wherein the second wireless modem is enumerated by the second computer system as a second locally attached mass storage device;

in the service system, matching the first registration request and the second registration request to a shared storage service;

in the first wireless modem, receiving from the first computer system shared data and storage instructions to store the shared data in the first locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transferring the shared data for delivery to the service system over the first wireless broadband link;

in the service system, receiving and storing the shared data transmitted from the first wireless modem in a network storage system associated with the shared storage service;

in the second wireless modem, receiving shared file information associated with the shared data, providing the shared file information to the second computer system, receiving retrieval instructions from the second computer system to retrieve the shared data from the second locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transferring a request for the shared data for delivery to the service system over the second wireless broadband link;

in the service system, receiving the request for the shared data transmitted from the second wireless modem, retrieving the shared data from the network storage system, and transferring the shared data for delivery to the second wireless modem over the second wireless broadband link; and

in the second wireless modem, receiving the shared data transmitted from the service system and providing the shared data to the second computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second data transmitted from the second wireless modem via the second wireless broadband link, wherein the second data includes the shared data; and

,

storing the second data in the network storage system associated with the shared storage service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second data transmitted from the second wireless modem via the second wireless broadband link;

storing the second data in the network storage system associated with the shared storage service;

receiving the second data transmitted from the network storage system via the communication network; and

,

sending the second data for delivery to the first wireless modem via the first wireless broadband link.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating the second data to the first wireless modem using a first device identifier, wherein the first device identifier is associated with the first wireless modem.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein matching the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises associating the first wireless modem with the network storage system based on a first device identifier included in the first registration request that identifies the first wireless modem, and associating the second wireless modem with the network storage system based on a second device identifier included in the second registration request that identifies the second wireless modem.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein associating the first wireless modem with the network storage system comprises operatively coupling the first wireless modem to the network storage system and preventing the first wireless modem from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein matching the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises configuring the communication network to allow the first wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system;

and,

configuring the communication network to allow the second wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system.

8. A method of operating a service system of a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a first registration request wirelessly transmitted from a first wireless modem over a first wireless broadband link, wherein the first wireless modem is connected to a first computer system and enumerated by the first computer system as a first locally attached mass storage device;

receiving a second registration request wirelessly transmitted from a second wireless modem over a second wireless broadband link, wherein the second wireless modem is connected to a second computer system and enumerated by the second computer system as a second locally attached mass storage device;

matching the first registration request and the second registration request to a shared storage service;

receiving and storing shared data transmitted from the first wireless modem in a network storage system associated with the shared storage service, wherein the first wireless modem receives from the first computer system the shared data and storage instructions to store the shared data in the first locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transfers the shared data for delivery to the service system over the first wireless broadband link; and

receiving a request for the shared data transmitted from the second wireless modem, retrieving the shared data from the network storage system, and transferring the shared data for delivery to the second wireless modem over the second wireless broadband link, wherein the second wireless modem receives shared file information associated with the shared data, provides the shared file information to the second computer system, receives retrieval instructions from the second computer system to retrieve the shared data from the second locally attached mass storage device, responsively transfers a request for the shared data for delivery to the service system over the second wireless broadband link, receives the shared data transmitted from the service system, and provides the shared data to the second computer system.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving second data transmitted from the second wireless modem via the second wireless broadband link, wherein the second data includes the shared data; and

storing the second data in the network storage system associated with the shared storage service.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving second data transmitted from the second wireless modem via the second wireless broadband link;

storing the second data in the network storage system associated with the shared storage service;

receiving the second data transmitted from the network storage system via the communication network; and

sending the second data for delivery to the first wireless modem via the first wireless broadband link.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the shared data includes data communicated to the second computer system as a file.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the shared data includes data communicated to the second computer system as a file directory.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein matching the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises associating the first wireless modem with the network storage system based on a first device identifier included in the first registration request that identifies the first wireless modem, and associating the second wireless modem with the network storage system based on a second device identifier included in the second registration request that identifies the second wireless modem.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein associating the first wireless modem with the network storage system comprises operatively coupling the first wireless modem to the network storage system and preventing the first wireless modem from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein matching the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises configuring the communication network to allow the first wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system, and configuring the communication network to allow the second wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system.

16. A communication system, comprising:

a first wireless modem configured to connect to a first computer system and wirelessly transmit a first registration request for delivery to a service system of a communication network over a first wireless broadband link, wherein the first wireless modem is enumerated by the first computer system as a first locally attached mass storage device;

a second wireless modem configured to connect to a second computer system and wirelessly transmit a second registration request for delivery to the service system over a second wireless broadband link, wherein the second wireless modem is enumerated by the second computer system as a second locally attached mass storage device;

the service system configured to match the first registration request and the second registration request to a shared storage service;

the first wireless modem configured to receive from the first computer system shared data and storage instructions to store the shared data in the first locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transfer the shared data for delivery to the service system over the first wireless broadband link;

the service system configured to receive and store the shared data transmitted from the first wireless modem in a network storage system associated with the shared storage service;

the second wireless modem configured to receive shared file information associated with the shared data, provide the shared file information to the second computer system, receive retrieval instructions from the second computer system to retrieve the shared data from the second locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transfer a request for the shared data for delivery to the service system over the second wireless broadband link;

the service system configured to receive the request for the shared data transmitted from the second wireless modem, retrieve the shared data from the network storage system, and transfer the shared data for delivery to the second wireless modem over the second wireless broadband link; and

the second wireless modem configured to receive the shared data transmitted from the service system and provide the shared data to the second computer system.

17. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the service system configured to match the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises the service system configured to associate the first wireless modem with the network storage system based on a first device identifier included in the first registration request that identifies the first wireless modem, and associate the second wireless modem with the network storage system based on a second device identifier included in the second registration request that identifies the second wireless modem.

18. The communication system of claim 17 wherein the service system configured to associate the first wireless modem with the network storage system comprises the service system configured to operatively couple the first wireless modem to the network storage system and prevent the first wireless modem from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.

19. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the service system configured to match the first registration request and the second registration request to the shared storage service comprises the service system configured to configure the communication network to allow the first wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system, and to configure the communication network to allow the second wireless modem to communicate with the network storage system.