System and method of sharing images

• US 8,667,053 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fredlund, John R., Manico, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US11/934,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32438 Informing the addressee of reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating asynchronous transmission of digital data between at least two parties over a communication network. The system comprises a digital data facilitator having a digital storage device for storing digital data transmitted over the communication network from a first party, the digital data facilitator having the ability to review a request transmitted from a second party, the digital data having an associated first and second identifier, the second identifier being associated with the second party, the second identifier being associated with a telephone number, the first identifier being associated with an electronic identifier of the first party.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating trusted asynchronous transmission of digital data, comprising:

a digital data facilitator coupled to a communication network and having a digital storage device configured to store digital image data received by the digital data facilitator over the communication network from a first device, the digital image data having a first identifier and a second identifier, the digital data facilitator configured to receive a regular query comprising an unsolicited digital request from a second device over the communication network, the digital request comprising the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the digital data facilitator is further configured to transmit the digital image data and a facilitator identifier verifying the identity of the digital data facilitator to the second device in response to receiving the unsolicited digital request having the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the facilitator identifier comprises a phone number associated with the digital data facilitator; and

an identification system associated with the second device that is configured to verify the facilitator identifier and, in response to a positive verification, to cause the second device to trust the digital data received from the digital data facilitator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data facilitator is configured to:

receive, from the second device, a second regular query comprising a second unsolicited digital request comprising the second identifier; and

delay transmission of the digital image data to the second device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data facilitator is further configured to transmit a notification to the first device in response to receiving the unsolicited digital request having the first identifier and the second identifier.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at a digital data facilitator, digital data transmitted over a digital communication network, the digital data having a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier identifying a transmitter of the digital data;

electronically storing the digital data in a digital storage device of the digital data facilitator;

receiving, at the digital data facilitator, a regular query comprising an unsolicited digital request transmitted over the network, the unsolicited digital request comprising the first identifier and the second identifier, the second identifier associated with a transmitter of the digital request;

the digital data facilitator searching among the stored digital data for digital data that is both associated with the first identifier received in the digital request and with the second identifier received in the digital request; and

transmitting, from the digital data facilitator, both a facilitator identifier verifying the identity of the digital data facilitator and the digital data that is both associated with the first identifier and with the second identifier, wherein the facilitator identifier comprises a phone number associated with the digital data facilitator,

wherein the facilitator identifier causes the second device to trust the digital data received from the digital data facilitator in response to the facilitator identifier being verified.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the second device, a second regular query comprising a second unsolicited digital request comprising the second identifier; and

delaying transmission of the digital image data to the second device.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a notification to the first device in response to receiving the unsolicited digital request having the first identifier and the second identifier.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause a digital data facilitator to perform functions, the functions comprising:

receiving digital data transmitted over a digital communication network, the digital data having a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier identifying a transmitter of the digital data;

electronically storing the digital data in the digital storage device of the digital data facilitator;

receiving a regular query comprising an unsolicited digital request transmitted over the network, the unsolicited digital request comprising the first identifier and the second identifier, the second identifier associated with a transmitter of the digital request;

searching among the stored digital data for digital data that is both associated with the first identifier received in the digital request and with the second identifier received in the digital request; and

transmitting both a facilitator identifier verifying the identity of the digital data facilitator and the digital data that is both associated with the first identifier and with the second identifier, wherein the facilitator identifier is designed to be verifiable by an identification system at the second device such that the second device may trust the digital data received from the digital data facilitator in response to the facilitator identifier being verified, and wherein the facilitator identifier comprises a phone number associated with the digital data facilitator.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second identifier is an email address, phone number or IP address.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the digital data facilitator to:

receive, from the second device, a second regular query comprising a second unsolicited digital request comprising the second identifier; and

delay transmission of the digital image data to the second device.