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

• US 8,930,578 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OAE Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Actiontec Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Chuang, Xiong, Bo, Chang, Tsung-Yen Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US14/167,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 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 having a first wide area network (WAN) Internet Protocol (IP) address, inviting a second LAN-based embedded device having a second WAN IP address 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 when the first LAN-based embedded device receives a new first WAN IP address,

wherein maintaining communication between the first and second LAN-based embedded devices comprises attempting to transmit the new first WAN IP address to the second LAN-based embedded device, and

if the first LAN-based embedded device does not receive an acknowledgment of receipt of the new first WAN IP address from the second LAN-based embedded device;

at the first IAN-based embedded device, notifying a mobile device of the new first WAN IP address via a push notification; and

at the mobile device, transmitting the new first WAN IP address to the second-LAN based embedded device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the first LAN-based embedded device, receiving the digital information from a different mobile device, and wherein said synchronizing the digital information to the second LAN-based embedded device comprises transmitting the digital information to the second LAN-based embedded device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said synchronizing is performed at a predefined period.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, at the second LAN-based embedded device, notifying the mobile device of the digital information via a push notification.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the synchronizing is performed on a high priority basis.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, at the second LAN-based embedded device, notifying the mobile device of the digital information on a high priority basis via a push notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining communication between the first and the second LAN-based embedded devices comprises transmitting the new first WAN IP address to the second LAN-based embedded device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, at the first LAN-based embedded device, transmitting the new first WAN IP address to a different mobile device via a push notification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining communication between the first and the second LAN-based embedded devices comprises the second LAN-based embedded device using a domain name to retrieve the new first WAN IP address from a dynamic domain name system (DDNS) server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LAN-based embedded device comprises a first storage device, and wherein the second LAN-based embedded device comprises a second storage device, and wherein the synchronizing comprises copying first digital information from the first storage device to the second storage device and copying second digital information from the second storage device to the first storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second LAN-based embedded devices each are independently selected from the group consisting of:

a gateway, a wireless gateway, a router, a wireless muter, a media player, a wireless media player, an access point, a wireless access point, a network access storage (NAS) device, a thumb drive, and an embedded server.

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

a first LAN-based embedded device comprising a first processor and a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a first merge module, a first sharing module, and a first IP update module, and having a first wide area network (WAN) Internet Protocol (IP) address; and

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

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 the 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 when the first LAN-based embedded device receives a new first WAN IP address,

wherein the instructions cause the first LAN-based embedded device to attempt to transmit the new first WAN IP address to the second LAN-based embedded device, and

if the first LAN-based embedded device does not receive an acknowledgment of receipt of the new first WAN IP address from the second LAN-based embedded device;

the first LAN-based embedded device is configured to non a mobile device of the new first WAN IP address via a push notification; and

the mobile device is configured to transmit the new first WAN IP address to the second-LAN based embedded device.

13. The system of claim 12, the first sharing module of the first LAN-based embedded device further comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to receive the digital information from a different mobile device, and to synchronize the digital information to the second LAN-based embedded device by transmitting the digital information to the second sharing module.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first sharing module further comprises instructions configured to cause the first processor to synchronize the digital information at a predefined period.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second non-transitory computer readable medium further stores a push module comprising instructions configured to cause the second processor to notify the mobile device of the digital information via a push notification.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first sharing module further comprises instructions configured to cause the first processor to synchronize the digital information on a high-priority basis, and optionally wherein the second non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores a push module comprising instructions configured to cause the second processor to notify the mobile device of the digital information on a high priority basis via a push notification.

17. The system of claim 12, the first IP update module further comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to maintain communication between the-first and second LAN-based embedded devices by transmitting the new first WAN IP address to the second IP update module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores a push module comprising instructions configured to cause the first processor to transmit the new first WAN IP address to the mobile device via a push notification.

19. The system of claim 12, the second IP update module further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to use a domain name to retrieve the new first WAN IP address from a dynamic domain name system (DDNS) server.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the first LAN-based embedded device comprises a first storage device, and wherein the second LAN-based embedded device comprises a second storage device,

optionally wherein the first sharing module further comprises instructions configured to cause the first processor to copy first digital information stored in the first storage device to the second storage device, and wherein the second sharing module further comprises instructions configured to cause the second processor to copy second digital information stored in the second storage device to the first storage device.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second LAN-based embedded devices each are independently selected from the group consisting of a gateway, a wireless gateway, a router, a wireless router, a media player, a wireless media player, an access point, a wireless access point, a network access storage (NAS) device, a thumb drive, and an embedded server.