Data backup, storage, transfer and retrieval system, method and computer program product

• US 8,392,542 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vdata, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JustService.net LLC
• Inventors: Fiducci, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US13/460,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Claims

1. A data storage system comprising:

a virtual server on a network managing a plurality of user accounts, each user account including one or more files;

each user account having a primary account user and a plurality of subaccounts, each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to subaccount files stored on the virtual server and each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to shared account files stored on the virtual server;

the virtual server adapted to verify user access information for a particular user account;

the virtual server transferring over the network information relating to files stored on the virtual server in the particular user account to a verified user on a user computer;

the virtual server further adapted to transfer files associated with the particular user account to and from the user computer.

2. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server allows a plurality of sub-accounts to be associated with one or more of the user accounts.

3. The data storage system of claim 2 wherein the virtual server maintains file rights permissions for users of the sub-accounts.

4. The data storage system of claim 3 wherein the primary account user determines the file rights controlled access level for each subaccount.

5. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server can transfer contents of user accounts to at least one auxiliary storage location.

6. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the virtual server transfers contents of user accounts to the auxiliary storage location periodically.

7. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the user computer can display the information and the information is a list of files stored on the virtual server in the particular user account.

8. The data storage system of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet.

9. A data storage system for storing data files for a plurality of accounts, comprising:

an account user computer operatively connected to a network and including a display and a storage device; and

a virtual server with a storage device operatively connected to the network, the virtual server being adapted to verify account user information for each account user computer seeking to access associated account files stored on the virtual server and to display a list of associated account files stored on the virtual server and a list of files stored on the account user computer on the account user computer display;

each of the accounts having a plurality of subaccounts, each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to subaccounts files stored on the virtual server and each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to shared account files stored on the virtual server;

wherein the personal account files stored exclusively on the virtual server can be opened and modified while the personal account files remain stored exclusively on the virtual server.

10. The data storage system of claim 9 wherein the modified file is saved to the virtual server storage device.

11. The data storage system of claim 9 wherein the account user computer is a mobile device.

12. The data storage system of claim 9 wherein the file rights controlled access includes limiting subaccount access to only certain file types.

13. The data storage system of claim 9 wherein the file rights controlled access includes prohibiting the subaccount user'"'"'s ability to delete files.

14. The data storage system of claim 9 wherein the subaccount is only accessible from a computer with a specified IP address.

15. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored exclusively on a non-transitory computer readable medium on a virtual server comprising:

checking for an operative connection between the virtual server and the Internet, and if the virtual server is operatively connected;

linking the virtual server with an account user computer having a storage device after verification of an account user identification;

scanning the data files and directories of the linked user computer storage device;

scanning the contents of data files and directories of a storage device on the virtual server associated with the account user identification, each of the accounts having a plurality of subaccounts, each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to subaccounts files stored on the virtual server and each of the subaccounts having file rights controlled access to shared account files stored on the virtual server;

displaying data files and directories stored on the linked user computer storage device and data files and directories stored on the virtual server associated with the account identification in a single window on the linked user computer display;

opening selected data files stored on the virtual server storage device for the verified account;

modifying the selected data files stored on the virtual server storage device for the verified account; and

saving the virtual server files stored on the system computer storage device for the verified account.

16. A computer program product of claim 15 wherein the data file is a document.