Auto file locker

• US 8,631,236 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIDDINS, NELSON S
• Application Number:
  US13/315,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Online file locker system, method, and computer software are described. Some such tools can employ a universal serial bus memory drive, a residential gateway, and/or a data server over a network. In some cases, when the universal serial bus memory drive is inserted into a universal serial bus port of the residential gateway, data stored on the universal serial bus memory drive is automatically uploaded to, and/or synchronized with data stored on, the data server, which is in communication with the residential gateway over the network. In other cases, data deletion is accomplished in a similar manner, for example, upon removal of the universal serial bus drive and/or upon detection of files deleted from the universal serial bus drive.

Claims

1. A system for uploading and synchronizing data, comprising:

a data server device in an Internet service provider (“

ISP”

) network; and

a residential gateway device that is in communication with the data server device over the ISP network, the residential gateway device comprising at least one universal serial bus (“

USB”

) port configured to receive a USB memory drive,

wherein the residential gateway device is configured to establish a connection between the ISP network and a residential network, and to upload data stored on the USB memory drive to the data server device;

wherein the data server device is configured to synchronize data on the data server device with the data stored on the USB memory drive;

wherein the data stored on the USB memory drive includes at least one of public data, semi-private data, and private data, wherein public data is data that is accessible by anyone, semi-private data is data that is accessible by a single access key that is shared with at least one user, and private data is data that is only accessible by one or more customer keys each of which correspond to only a single user; and

wherein when the USB port uploads data to the data server device that is not currently stored on the data server device, the data server device is configured to;

determine whether the data stored on the USB memory drive is public data, semi-private data, or private data;

create at least one public folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes public data;

create at least one semi-private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes semi-private data, wherein the at least one semi-private folder is accessible by the single access key; and

create at least one private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes private data, wherein the at least one private folder is accessible by the one or more customer keys.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the residential gateway device being configured to upload data stored on the USB memory drive to the data server device comprises the residential gateway device being configured to:

detect the presence of a USB memory drive connected to the at least one USB port; and

send a notification to the data server device indicating that data stored on the USB memory drive is ready for uploading to, or synchronizing with data on, the data server device,

wherein the data server device, upon receiving said notification from the residential gateway device, is configured to initiate uploading of all the data on the USB memory drive to the data server device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the residential gateway device is further configured to:

detect the removal of the USB memory drive from the at least one USB port; and

send a notification to the data server device that the USB drive has been removed; and

the data server device is further configured to;

delete the data on the data server device, in response to receiving the notification that the USB drive has been removed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data server device, when synchronizing data on the data server device with the data stored on the USB memory drive, is further configured to delete data from the data server device corresponding to data that has been deleted from the USB memory drive.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data server device is further configured to:

generate a uniform resource locator (“

URL”

) corresponding to each public folder, semi-private folder, or private folder that is created on the data server device; and

perform at least one of;

downloading each generated URL to the USB memory drive via the ISP network, and store said each generated URL on the USB memory drive; and

sending via e-mail each generated URL to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the residential gateway device or to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the USB memory drive.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data server device includes a user web interface accessible by the URL, wherein the user web interface is configured to allow a user to perform at least one of:

checking status of data upload, data synchronization, or data deletion;

accessing the data stored on the data server device; and

managing user options including passwords or access keys;

security access to particular folders;

folder creation and folder name preferences;

transfer preferences including data upload, synchronization, and deletion preferences;

notification preferences for e-mailing and/or downloading the URL; and

updating user profile information including e-mail addresses.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data server device includes a file transfer protocol (“

FTP”

) server, and wherein the URL includes an FTP file address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one USB port includes:

a first USB port configured to act as a USB memory drive, wherein when a user computer is connected to the first USB port, the residential gateway device is configured to perform at least one of sending a notification to the data server device indicating that data stored on the user computer is ready for uploading to, or synchronizing with data on, the data server device, and uploading the data stored on the user computer to the data server device; and

a second USB port configured to receive a USB memory drive, wherein the residential gateway device is configured to perform at least one of sending a notification to the data server device indicating that data stored on the USB memory drive is ready for uploading to, or synchronizing with data on, the data server device, and uploading the data stored on the USB memory drive to the data server device.

9. A method of uploading data to, and synchronizing data with, a data server device in an Internet service provider (“

ISP”

) network, the method comprising;

establishing, by a residential gateway device, a connection between the ISP network and a residential network, wherein said residential gateway device is in communication with the data server device over the ISP network;

receiving, at least one universal serial bus (“

USB”

) port of the residential gateway device, a USB memory drive; and

performing at least one of;

uploading, by the residential gateway device, data stored on the USB memory drive to the data server device; and

synchronizing, by the data server device, data on the data server device with the data stored on the USB memory drive,

wherein the data stored on the USB memory drive includes at least one of public data, semi-private data, and private data, wherein public data is data that is accessible by anyone, semi-private data is data that is accessible by a single access key that is shared with at least one user, and private data is data that is only accessible by one or more customer keys each of which correspond to only a single user, and

wherein when the USB port uploads data to the data server device that is not currently stored on the data server device, the method further comprises;

determining, by the data server device, whether the data stored on the USB memory drive is public data, semi-private data, or private data;

creating, by the data server device, at least one public folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes public data;

creating, by the data server device, at least one semi-private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes semi-private data, wherein the at least one semi-private folder is accessible by the single access key; and

creating, by the data server device, at least one private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data private data, wherein the at least one private folder is accessible by the one or more customer keys.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein uploading, by the residential gateway device, data stored on the USB memory drive to the data server device comprises:

detecting, by the residential gateway device, the presence of a USB memory drive connected to the at least one USB port;

sending, by the residential gateway device, a notification to the data server device indicating that data stored on the USB memory drive is ready for uploading to, or synchronizing with data on, the data server device; and

uploading, by the data server device, all the data on the USB memory drive to the data server device, upon receiving said notification from the residential gateway device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein synchronizing data on the data server device with the data stored on the USB memory drive includes deleting, by the data server device, data from the data server device corresponding to data that has been deleted from the USB memory drive.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating, by the data server device, a uniform resource locator (“

URL”

) corresponding to each public folder, semi-private folder, or private folder that is created on the data server device; and

performing at least one of;

downloading, by the data server device, each generated URL to the USB memory drive via the ISP network, and storing said each generated URL on the USB memory drive; and

sending via e-mail, by the data server device, each generated URL to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the residential gateway device or to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the USB memory drive.

13. Computer software stored on a residential gateway device that when executed by the residential gateway device causes the residential gateway device to:

establish a connection between an Internet service provider (“

ISP”

) network and a residential network, wherein said residential gateway device is in communication with a data server device over the ISP network;

determine that a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) memory drive has been connected to at least one USB port on the residential gateway device;

send a notification to the data server device over the ISP network, said notification indicating that data stored on the USB memory drive is ready for uploading to, or synchronizing with data on, the data server device;

determine whether the data stored on the USB memory drive that is not currently stored on the data server device is public data, semi-private data, or private data, wherein public data is data that is accessible by anyone, semi-private data is data that is accessible by a single access key that is shared with at least one user, and private data is data that is only accessible by one or more customer keys each of which correspond to only a single user;

create at least one public folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes public data, upload the public data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one public folder, said public data uploaded from the USB memory drive;

create at least one semi-private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes semi-private data, wherein the at least one semi-private folder is accessible by the single access key, upload the semi-private data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one semi-private folder, said semi-private data uploaded from the USB memory drive; and

create at least one private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes private data, wherein the at least one private folder is accessible by the one or more customer keys, upload the private data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one private folder, said private data uploaded from the USB memory drive.

14. Computer software stored on a data server device in an Internet service provider (“

ISP”

) network that when executed by the data server device causes the data server device to;

determine whether data stored on a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) memory drive connected to at least one USB port at a residential gateway device, is ready to be uploaded to the data server device via the residential gateway device over the ISP network;

determine whether the data that is ready to be uploaded to the data server device from the USB memory drive is not currently stored on the data server device;

determine whether the data stored on the USB memory drive that is not currently stored on the data server device is public data, semi-private data, or private data, wherein public data is data that is accessible by anyone, semi-private data is data that is accessible by a single access key that is shared with at least one user, and private data is data that is only accessible by one or more customer keys each of which correspond to only a single user;

create at least one public folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes public data, upload the public data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one public folder, said public data uploaded from the USB memory drive;

create at least one semi-private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes semi-private data, wherein the at least one semi-private folder is accessible by the single access key, upload the semi-private data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one semi-private folder, said semi-private data uploaded from the USB memory drive; and

create at least one private folder on the data server device based on a determination that the data includes private data, wherein the at least one private folder is accessible by the one or more customer keys, upload the private data from the USB memory drive, and store, in the at least one private folder, said private data uploaded from the USB memory drive.

15. The computer software of claim 14, that when executed by the data server device further causes the data server device to:

determine whether data has been deleted from the USB memory drive that is currently stored on the data server device;

delete the data from the data server device corresponding to the data that has been deleted from the USB memory drive, based on said determination.

16. The computer software of claim 15, that when executed by the data server device further causes the data server device to:

generate a uniform resource locator (“

URL”

) corresponding to each public folder, semi-private folder, or private folder that is created on the data server device; and

perform at least one of;

downloading each generated URL to the USB memory drive via the ISP network, and storing said each generated URL on the USB memory drive; and

sending via e-mail each generated URL to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the residential gateway device or to at least one e-mail address corresponding to each user associated with the USB memory drive.

17. The computer software of claim 16, that when executed by the data server device further causes the data server device to generate a user web interface accessible by the URL, wherein the user web interface is configured to allow a user to perform at least one of:

checking status of data upload, data synchronization, or data deletion;

accessing the data stored on the data server device; and

managing user options including passwords or access keys;

security access to particular folders;

folder creation and folder name preferences;

transfer preferences including data upload, synchronization, and deletion preferences;

notification preferences for e-mailing and/or downloading the URL; and

updating user profile information including e-mail addresses.