Mesh-managing data across a distributed set of devices

• US 8,364,759 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moromisato, George P., Edelstein, Noah B., Parasnis, Abhay V., Andrews, Anthony D., Ozzie, Raymond E., Devlin, William D., Sagar, Akash J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOROBOV, VITALI A
• Application Number:
  US12/910,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 719/331
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Data files, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be accessed at a device that collaborates in a mesh. The mesh may include any number or type of devices that collaborate in a network. Data, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be stored within a core object that may be shared over the mesh. Information in the core object may be identified with a corresponding user such that a user may use any collaborating device in the mesh to access the information. In one example, the information is stored remotely from a device used to access the information. A remote source may store the desired information or may determine the storage location of the desired information in the mesh and may further provide the desired information to a corresponding user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at any computing device of a plurality of computing devices that are each configured to be utilized by a user who is common to each of the plurality of computing devices, a request from the user to access a core object of one or more core objects, wherein each of the one or more core objects is owned by the user and not owned by any of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the plurality of computing devices form a mesh that is coupled to cloud storage, and wherein each of the one or more core objects is stored on any of a plurality of storage locations that includes the cloud storage and each of the plurality of computing devices;

determining a storage location of the plurality of storage locations on which the core object is stored, wherein the storage location is not the any computing device;

receiving, in response to the received request and the determining, a projection of the core object from the determined storage location; and

accessing, by the user via the any computing device, the projected core object from the determined storage location, where the accessing comprises executing, by the any computing device, an application portion of the core object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the core object comprises a data file and an application corresponding to the data file and a user interface corresponding to the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by a mesh operating environment of the any computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mesh operating environment is configured to perform the determining at least by contacting each of the plurality of storage locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the core object is stored on the any computing device.

6. At least one computer storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at any computing device of a plurality of computing devices that are each configured to be utilized by a user who is common to each of the plurality of computing devices, a request from the user to access a core object of one or more core objects, wherein each of the one or more core objects is owned by the user and not owned by any of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the plurality of computing devices form a mesh that is coupled to cloud storage, and wherein each of the one or more core objects is stored on any of a plurality of storage locations that includes the cloud storage and each of the plurality of computing devices;

determining a storage location of the plurality of storage locations on which the core object is stored, wherein the storage location is not the any computing device;

receiving, in response to the received request and the determining, a projection of the core object from the determined storage location; and

accessing, by the user via the any computing device, the core object from the determined storage location, where the accessing comprises executing, by the any computing device, an application portion of the core object.

7. The at least one computer storage device of claim 6, wherein the core object comprises a data file and an application corresponding to the data file and a user interface corresponding to the application.

8. The at least one computer storage device of claim 6, wherein the determining is performed by a mesh operating environment of the any computing device.

9. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8, wherein the mesh operating environment is configured to perform the determining at least by contacting each of the plurality of storage locations.

10. The at least one computer storage device of claim 6, wherein a portion of the core object is stored on the any computing device.

11. A system comprising:

an input device configured for receiving, at any computing device of a plurality of computing devices that are each configured to be utilized by a user who is common to each of the plurality of computing devices, a request from the user to access a core object of one or more core objects, wherein each of the one or more core objects is owned by the user and not owned by any of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the plurality of computing devices form a mesh that is coupled to cloud storage, and wherein each of the one or more core objects is stored on any of a plurality of storage locations that includes the cloud storage and each of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the system is the any computing device;

a processor configured for determining a storage location of the plurality of storage locations on which the core object is stored, wherein the storage location is not the any computing device;

an adapter configured for receiving, in response to the received request and the determining, a projection of the core object from the determined storage location; and

the processor further configured for accessing, by the user via the any computing device, the core object from the determined storage location, where the accessing comprises executing, by the any computing device, an application portion of the core object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the core object comprises a data file and an application corresponding to the data file and a user interface corresponding to the application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured by a mesh operating environment of the any computing device for the determining the storage location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining includes at least contacting each of the plurality of storage locations.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein a portion of the core object is stored on the any computing device.

16. The system of claim 11, the input device further configured to receive an identifier that identifies the user.

17. The system of claim 11, the processor further configured to determine a match between the core object and the identifier, wherein the match indicates that the user owns the core object.