Systems and methods for sharing digital information between mobile devices of friends and family using multiple LAN-based embedded devices

• US 8,838,836 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OAE Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Actiontec Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Chuang, Chang, Tsung-Yen Dean, Xiong, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US13/926,758
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/245, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A method for sharing digital information is provided. The method may include, at a first local area network (LAN)-based embedded device, inviting a second LAN-based embedded device to share digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices; synchronizing the digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices; and maintaining communication between the first LAN-based embedded device and the second LAN-based embedded device. Said inviting may include, at the first LAN-based embedded device: receiving an identifier of a second mobile device, and transmitting to the second mobile device a first WAN IP address and first access credential; and at the second LAN-based embedded device: receiving the first WAN IP address and first access credential from the second mobile device, and transmitting to the first LAN-based embedded device a second WAN IP address and second access credential.

Claims

1. A method for sharing digital information, the method comprising:

at a first local area network (LAN)-based embedded device, inviting a second LAN-based embedded device to share digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices, wherein said inviting comprises;

at the first LAN-based embedded device, receiving an identifier of a second mobile device from a first mobile device or from the second mobile device;

at the first LAN-based embedded device, transmitting to the second mobile device a first wide area network (WAN) Internet protocol (IP) address and first access credential of the first LAN-based embedded device;

at the second LAN-based embedded device, receiving the first WAN IP address and first access credential from the second mobile device; and

at the second LAN-based embedded device, transmitting to the first LAN-based embedded device a second WAN IP address and second access credential of the second LAN-based embedded device;

synchronizing the digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices; and

maintaining communication between the first LAN-based embedded device and the second LAN-based embedded device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device emails an invitation to the second mobile device, and the second mobile device transmits the identifier of the second mobile device to the first mobile device responsive to the invitation, and the first mobile device then transmits the identifier of the second mobile device to the first LAN-based embedded device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LAN-based embedded device transmits the first WAN IP address and first access credential of the first LAN-based unit to the second mobile device via a push notification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first LAN-based embedded device receives the identifier of the second mobile device via a first secure shell (SSH) connection with the first mobile device or the second mobile device;

the second LAN-based embedded device receives the first WAN IP address and first access credential via a second SSH connection with the second mobile device; and

the second LAN-based embedded device transmits the second WAN IP address and second access credential to the first LAN-based embedded device via a third SSH connection.

5. A system for sharing digital information, the system comprising:

a first LAN-based embedded device comprising a first processor and a first non-volatile computer-readable medium storing a first merge module, a first sharing module, a push module, and a first IP update module; and

a second LAN-based embedded device comprising a second processor and a second non-volatile computer-readable medium storing a second merge module, a second sharing module, and a second IP update module;

the first merge module comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to invite the second merge module to share digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices and to cause the first processor to receive an identifier of a second mobile device from a first mobile device or from the second mobile device;

the push module comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to transmit a first wide area network (WAN) Internet protocol (IP) address and first access credential of the first LAN-based embedded device to the second mobile device;

the second merge module comprising instructions configured to cause the second processor to receive the first WAN IP address and first access credential from the second mobile device and to transmit to the first merge module a second WAN IP address and second access credential of the second LAN-based embedded device;

the first and second sharing modules respectively comprising instructions configured to cause the first and second processors to synchronize the digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices; and

the first and second IP update modules respectively comprising instructions configured to cause the first and second processors to maintain communication between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the push module further comprises instructions configured to cause the first processor to transmit the first WAN IP address and first access credential of the first LAN-based unit to the second mobile device via a push notification.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first merge module further comprises instructions configured to cause the first processor to receive the identifier of the second mobile device via a first secure shell (SSH) connection with the first mobile device or the second mobile device;

the second merge module further comprises instructions configured to cause the second processor to receive the first WAN IP address and first access credential via a second SSH connection with the second mobile device; and

the second merge module further comprises instructions configured to cause the second processor to transmit the second WAN IP address and second access credential to the first merge module via a third SSH connection.

8. A system for sharing digital information, the system comprising:

a first LAN-based embedded device comprising a first processor and a first non-volatile computer-readable medium storing a first merge module, a first sharing module, and a first IP update module; and

a second LAN-based embedded device comprising a second processor and a second non-volatile computer-readable medium storing a second merge module, a second sharing module, and a second IP update module;

the first merge module comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to invite the second merge module to share digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices;

the first and second sharing modules respectively comprising instructions configured to cause the first and second processors to synchronize digital information between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices;

the first and second IP update modules respectively comprising instructions configured to cause the first and second processors to maintain communication between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices;

the first IP update module further comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to receive a new first wide area network (WAN) Internet Protocol (IP) address and to maintain communication between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices by attempting to transmit the new first WAN IP address to the second LAN-based embedded device, and if an acknowledgment of receipt of the new first WAN IP address is not received from the second LAN-based embedded device, notifying a mobile device associated with the first LAN-based embedded device of the new IP address via a push notification;

the second IP update module of the second LAN-based embedded device further comprising instructions configured to cause the second processor to receive the new IP address from the mobile device.