File sharing between devices

• US 8,260,883 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WIMM Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mooring, David J., Pallakoff, Matthew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorney, Boris
• Application Number:
  US12/416,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 380/270, 345/173
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and systems for transferring an object from a sending device to a recipient comprises determining at least one catching device associated with the recipient for receiving the object; receiving on the sending device a user gesture representing a flick of a displayed object; transferring the object from the sending device directly to the catching device of the recipient when the catching device is in proximity of the sending device; and when the catching device is not in proximity of the sending device, transferring the object to a server for forwarding the object to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for transferring an object from a sending device to a recipient, comprising:

determining which one of a plurality of wireless devices is a catching device associated with the recipient for receiving the object from the sending device, wherein the plurality of the wireless devices are not in physical proximity to the sending device, and wherein the determining includes;

both the sending device and the plurality of the wireless devices communicating timing of detected inertial sensor events to a server for determining which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device, wherein the inertial sensor events comprise a respective shaking or physical contact to each of the sending device and the catching device,

the sending device receiving from the server a determination of which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device based on the similarly-timed inertial sensor events;

receiving on the sending device a user gesture representing a flick of a displayed object that is associated with the object for selection of the object;

transferring the object to the server; and

transferring the object or a reference to the object from the server to the catching device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

designating within an application that the object is eligible for flicking by associating the object with a displayed item;

marking the displayed item with a representation indicating to the user that the object is flickable; and

in response to receiving the user gesture representing the flick on the displayed item, transferring the object associated with the displayed item.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a catchers list of recipients, wherein the catchers list is a system level utility of the sending device, such that the catchers list is a persistent feature that is accessible by applications running on the sending device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating a catchers list possible recipients on the sending device using at least one of global positioning system (GPS) chips, cell tower triangulation, Wi-Fi positioning, Bluetooth, and IrDA to locate possible catching devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user gesture representing the flick is configurable, the method further comprising receiving a user configuration of the user gesture representing the flick.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the server determines when to forward the object to the catching device of the recipient based on a size of the object and a connection status between the server and the catching device.

7. A portable device, comprising:

an inertial sensor;

a display;

a processor; and

a file sharing application executing on the processor, wherein the file sharing application is configured to;

determine which one of a plurality of wireless devices is a catching device associated with a recipient for receiving an object from the portable device, wherein the plurality of the wireless devices are not in physical proximity to the portable device, wherein the determining includes;

both the portable device and at least one of the plurality of the wireless devices communicating timing of detected inertial sensor events to a server for determining which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device, wherein the inertial sensor events comprise a respective shaking or physical contact to each of the portable device and the catching device,

the portable device receiving from the server a determination of which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device based on the similarly-timed inertial sensor events;

receive a user gesture representing a flick of a displayed object that is associated with the object for selection of the object;

transfer the object to the server; and

transfer the object or a reference to the object from the server to the catching device.

8. The portable device of claim 7 wherein the portable device comprises a wearable portable device.

9. The portable device of claim 7 further comprising an application that designates the object as being eligible for flicking by associating the object with a displayed item;

marks the displayed item with a representation indicating to user that the object is flickable; and

in response to receiving the user gesture representing the flick on the displayed item, transfers the object associated with the display the item.

10. The portable device of claim 7 wherein a catchers list of recipients is maintained, wherein the catchers list is a system level utility of the portable device, such that the catchers list is a persistent feature that is accessible by applications running on the portable device.

11. The portable device of claim 10 wherein the portable device generates the catchers list of possible recipients using at least one of global positioning system (GPS) chips, cell tower triangulation, Wi-Fi positioning, Bluetooth, and IrDA to locate possible catching devices.

12. The portable device of claim 7 wherein the user gesture representing the flick is configurable, wherein the portable device receives a user configuration of the user gesture representing the flick.

13. The portable device of claim 7 wherein the server determines when to forward the object to the catching device of the recipient based on a size of the object and a connection status between the server and the catching device.

14. A wearable portable device, comprising:

a case; and

a module, wherein the module is configured to be removably received by the case and comprises;

an inertial sensor

a touchscreen display; and

a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to;

determine which one of a plurality of wireless devices is a catching device associated with a recipient for receiving an object from the wearable portable device, wherein the plurality of the wireless devices are not in physical proximity to the portable device, wherein the determining includes;

both the wearable portable device and the plurality of the wireless devices communicating timing of detected inertial sensor events to a server for determining which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device, wherein the inertial sensor events comprise a respective shaking or physical contact to each of the wearable portable device and the catching device,

the wearable portable device receiving from the server a determination of which one of the plurality of the wireless devices is the catching device based on the similarly-timed inertial sensor events;

receive via the touchscreen display a user gesture representing a flick of a displayed object that is associated with the object for selection of the object;

transfer the object to the server; and

transfer the object or a reference to the object from the server to the catching device.