Machine, program product, and computer-implemented method for file management, storage, and access utilizing a user-selected trigger event

• US 8,538,966 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Randall Reese
• Original Assignee: Randall Reese
• Inventors: Reese, Randall, Culotta, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSER, BRUCE M
• Application Number:
  US12/620,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 707/812
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/08 Sorting, i.e. grouping record carriers in numerical or other ordered sequence according to the classification of at least some of the information they carry by merging two or more sets of carriers in ordered sequence G06F7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A database stores a plurality of files assigned by a user to a plurality of categories representing notable events in a life of the user. The database can also store individual journal entries associated with the files. The user is prompted through a questionnaire to select a trigger event, for example, a death of the user, for making publicly available a file of the plurality of files and to approve terms of a legal document so that the user can designate a portion of the plurality of files, and optionally associated journal entries, to be made publicly available after the trigger event. Then third parties can be provided access the designated portion of the plurality of files after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event. A recipient entity, established for acquiring rights to the files, may determine conditions, including payment, for such access.

Claims

1. A file management machine to perform a process of storing a plurality of files associated with one or more users of a plurality of users and a process of providing access to third parties to a designated portion of the plurality of files after a user-selected trigger event, the file management machine comprising:

one or more databases to store a plurality of files;

a first computer configured as a file management server, the file management server to communicate with a plurality of second computers associated with the plurality of users, configured as a plurality of remote user computers through an electronic communications network; and

to communicate with the one or more databases, the file management server having one or more processors and one or more tangible, non-transitory memories; and

a computer program stored in the one or more tangible, non-transitory memories, the computer program comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the file management server, cause the file management server to perform the operations of;

assigning, responsive to user input by a user, the plurality of files to a plurality of notable life event categories each representing one or more notable events in a life of the user, to include storing the plurality of files in the one or more databases,

associating, in the one or more databases, a portion of the plurality of files with a legal document granting a receipt entity rights to make the portion of the plurality of files publicly available after a user-selected trigger event, to include;

prompting the user to select the trigger event from a plurality of user-selectable trigger events and to designate terms of the legal document through a questionnaire displayed on one of the plurality of remote user computers, and

relating the plurality of files and legal document responsive to the user input provided through the questionnaire, and

providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files stored in the one or more databases after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event, the access specified by the user according to one of the following basis;

file-by-file and category-by-category.

2. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing access to the user to the plurality of files through the electronic communications network;

determining whether a file to be stored in the one or more databases is acceptable content for the file management machine and associating the questionnaire with the file when the file content is deemed acceptable;

storing in the one or more databases a master journal associated with the user, the master journal comprising individual journal entries by the user, each journal entry associated with one or more files of the plurality of files;

verifying a death of the user through one or more of the following;

a published obituary, a death certificate, and a contact list supplied by the user through the questionnaire;

performing an automated creation of a journal entry included in the master journal for the user, recording the death of the user response to verifying the death of the user;

relating a plurality of journal entries associated with the portion of the plurality of files to the legal document; and

providing access to third parties to one or more journal entries associated with the one or more of the files after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event.

3. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the user-selected trigger event includes a calendar event, and wherein providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files are provided after and responsive to the calendar event.

4. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the user-selected trigger event includes a death of the user, and wherein providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files are provided after and responsive to the death of the user.

5. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the user-selected trigger event includes a time period after the death of the user, and wherein providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files are provided after and responsive to passage of the respective time period.

6. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include joint ownership with right of survival.

7. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include a trust.

8. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include a perpetual license.

9. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include an assignment of copyright ownership.

10. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include a dedication to the public domain.

11. A file management machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the operation of providing access to third parties to one or more files within the designated portion of the plurality of files is further responsive to conditions determined by the receipt entity, the receipt entity being established to acquire rights to the designated portion of the plurality of files as defined in the user-designated terms of the legal document, the conditions including payment by one or more of the third parties to the receipt entity.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium or media, the computer program comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more computers configured as a file server, cause the file server to perform various operations that provide a process of storing a plurality of files associated with one or more users that access the file server through an electronic communications network from a one or more user computers configured as a plurality of remote user computers and a process of providing access to third parties to a designated portion of the plurality of files after a user-selected trigger event, the operations comprising:

assigning, responsive to user input by a user, a plurality of files to a plurality of notable life event categories each representing one or more notable events in a life of the user, to include storing the plurality of files in the one or more databases;

associating in the one or more databases a portion of the plurality of files with a legal document granting a receipt entity rights to make the portion of the plurality of files publicly available after a user-selected trigger event, to include;

prompting the user to select the trigger event from a plurality of user-selectable trigger events and to designate terms of the legal document through a questionnaire displayed on a remote user computer, and

relating the plurality of files and legal document responsive to the user input provided through the questionnaire; and

providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files stored in the one or more databases after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event, the access specified by the user according to one of the following basis;

file-by-file and category-by-category.

13. A computer program product as defined in claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing access to the user to the plurality of files through the electronic communications network;

determining whether a file to be stored in the one or more databases is acceptable content for the file management machine and associating the questionnaire with the file when the file content is deemed acceptable;

storing in the one or more databases a master journal associated with the user, the master journal comprising individual journal entries by the user, each journal entry associated with one or more files of the plurality of files;

verifying a death of the user through one or more of the following;

a published obituary, a death certificate, and a contact list supplied by the user through the questionnaire;

performing an automated creation of a journal entry included in the master journal for the user, recording the death of the user response to verifying the death of the user;

relating a plurality of journal entries associated with the portion of the plurality of files to the legal document; and

providing access to third parties to one or more journal entries associated with the one or more of the files after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event.

14. A computer program product as defined in claim 12, wherein the user-selected trigger event includes one or more of the following:

a calendar event, a death of the user, and a time period after the death of the user.

15. A computer program product as defined in claim 12, wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include one or more of the following:

joint ownership with right of survival, a trust, a perpetual license, an assignment of copyright ownership, and a dedication to the public domain.

16. A computer program product as defined in claim 12, wherein the operation of providing access to third parties to one or more files within the designated portion of the plurality of files is further responsive to conditions determined by the receipt entity, the receipt entity being established to acquire rights to the designated portion of the plurality of files as defined in the user-designated terms of the legal document, the conditions including payment by one or more of the third parties to the receipt entity.

17. A computer-implemented method for causing one or more computers configured as a file management server to perform a process of storing a plurality of files associated with one or more users that access the file management server through an electronic communications network from a one or more user computers configured as a plurality of remote user computers and a process of providing access to third parties to a designated portion of the plurality of files after a user-selected trigger event, the computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

assigning, responsive to user input by a user, a plurality of files to a plurality of notable life event categories each representing one or more notable events in a life of the user, to include storing the plurality of files in the one or more databases;

associating in the one or more databases a portion of the plurality of files with a legal document granting a receipt entity rights to make the portion of the plurality of files publicly available after a user-selected trigger event, to include;

prompting the user to select the trigger event from a plurality of user-selectable trigger events and to designate terms of the legal document through a questionnaire displayed on a remote user computer, and

relating the plurality of files and legal document responsive to the user input provided through the questionnaire; and

providing access to third parties to one or more files within the portion of the plurality of files stored in the one or more databases after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event, the access specified by the user according to one of the following basis;

file-by-file and category-by-category.

18. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

providing access to the user to the plurality of files through the electronic communications network;

determining whether a file to be stored in the one or more databases is acceptable content for the file management machine and associating the questionnaire with the file when the file content is deemed acceptable;

storing in the one or more databases a master journal associated with the user, the master journal comprising individual journal entries by the user, each journal entry associated with one or more files of the plurality of files;

verifying a death of the user through one or more of the following;

a published obituary, a death certificate, and a contact list supplied by the user through the questionnaire;

performing an automated creation of a journal entry included in the master journal for the user, recording the death of the user response to verifying the death of the user;

relating a plurality of journal entries associated with the portion of the plurality of files to the legal document; and

providing access to third parties to one or more journal entries associated with the one or more of the files after and responsive to the user-selected trigger event.

19. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 17, wherein the user-selected trigger event includes one or more of the following:

a calendar event, a death of the user, and a time period after the death of the user; and

wherein user-designated terms of the legal document include one or more of the following;

joint ownership with right of survival, a trust, a perpetual license, an assignment of copyright ownership, and a dedication to the public domain.

20. A computer-implemented method as defined in claim 17, wherein the step of providing access to third parties to one or more files within the designated portion of the plurality of files is further responsive to conditions determined by the receipt entity, the receipt entity being established to acquire rights to the designated portion of the plurality of files as defined in the user-designated terms of the legal document, the conditions including payment by one or more of the third parties to the receipt entity.