Device and method for sharing files

• US 9,049,240 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Van De Poel, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): KUDDUS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/736,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method at a network device, the device comprising a first interface to a first network, a second interface to a second network, and routing means, for enabling access to a file shared by a first device located on the first network, the network device having detected the presence of the first device on the first network, the first device comprising at least one shared file. The method comprises the step, at the network device, of detecting that the first device is not accessible, on reception of a request from a second device located on the second network for getting a shared file on the first device, storing the request, on detection that the first device is accessible, retrieving the shared file in a memory of the network device, and sending a notification to the second device that the shared file is available at the network device or sending the file to the second device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method at a network device, said network device comprising a processor, a first interface to a first network, a second interface to a second network, a file storage, and a routing module, for retrieval of a file shared by a first device attached to the first network, said first device comprising at least one shared file, said method comprising:

retrieving a list of shared files stored on the first device;

on reception by the network device of a request from a second device located on the second network for getting a shared file hosted on the first device, storing in the network device the request upon detecting the first device is not accessible;

on detection that said first device has become accessible, retrieving the requested shared file from said first device and storing the retrieved shared file in the file storage of the network device,

sending a notification to said second device that the shared file requested by the second device is now available at the network device,

sending the file to the second device; and

removing said requested shared file from said file storage after retrieving of said shared file by the second device which has requested the shared file, wherein removing the shared file from said file storage occurs after a delay, irrespective of whether the shared file has been retrieved by the second device which has requested the shared file.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a graphical user interface for indicating the first device and the shared file.

3. A computer-implemented device connected to a first and a second network comprising:

a hardware processor and a memory,

a first interface to the first network, and a second interface to the second network,

a routing means,

a device detecting means for detecting presence of a first device on said first network,

a file detecting means for detecting a shared file on said first device,

a storage means for storing a request for said shared file hosted on said first device, when said first device is not accessible,

a file storage for storing said shared file when said first device has become accessible, and

file sharing means for managing access to said shared file locally stored in said file storage by a second device located on said second network, wherein said shared file is removed from said file storage after retrieval of said shared file by the second device, which has requested the shared file, wherein the second interface is further configured to send a notification to inform the second device that the requested shared file is now available at the computer-implemented device, wherein said processor removes the shared file from said storage module after a delay, irrespective of whether the shared file has been retrieved by the second device which has requested the shared file.

4. The device according to claim 3 further comprising a graphical user interface for indicating the first device and the shared file.

5. A computer-implemented device connected to a first and a second network comprising:

a hardware processor and a memory,

a first interface to the first network, and a second interface to the second network,

a routing module,

a device detecting module configured to detect a presence of a first device on said first network,

a file detecting module configured to detect a shared file on said first device,

a storage module configured to store a request for said shared file hosted on said first device, when said first device is not accessible, and to store said shared file when said first device has become accessible, and

a file sharing module configured to manage access to said shared file locally stored in said storage module by a second device located on said second network, wherein said shared file is removed from said storage module after retrieval of said shared file by the second device, which has requested the shared file, wherein the second interface is further configured to send a notification to inform the second device that the requested shared file is now available at the computer-implemented device, wherein said processor removes the shared file from said storage module after a delay, irrespective of whether the shared file has been retrieved by the second device which has requested the shared file.

6. The device according to claim 5 further comprising a graphical user interface for indicating the first device and the shared file.