Cloud-to-cloud peering

• US 9,432,454 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Soumyajit, Beattie, James Gordon Jr., Bruno, Nicholas, Griesmer, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rayyan, Susan F
• Application Number:
  US13/219,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 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: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems

Abstract

A method includes receiving an input at a first cloud from a first device associated with a first user. The input indicates that an item stored in the first cloud is accessible to a second device associated with a second user via a second cloud that is coupled to the first cloud. The first cloud is associated with the first user and the second cloud is associated with the second user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an input at a first cloud from a first device associated with a first user, wherein the input indicates that a first item stored in the first cloud is accessible to a second device associated with a second user via a second cloud that is coupled to the first cloud via a peer-to-peer connection, wherein the first cloud is associated with the first user, and wherein the second cloud is associated with the second user;

receiving a second item at the first cloud from the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is comprises a dedicated data communication session managed by the first cloud and the second cloud; and

receiving data at the first cloud from the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the data relates to a digital rights management restriction corresponding to a third item;

in response to receiving the input, transmitting first data to a cloud server via a data connection distinct from the peer-to-peer connection, the first data indicating that the first item is accessible to the second device; and

in response to receiving the second item, transmitting second data to the cloud server via the data connection, the second data indicating that the second item is accessible from the first cloud.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cloud comprises computing and data resources and includes a plurality of items stored in the first cloud that are accessible to a plurality of devices of the first user via a first network and wherein the plurality of devices of the first user includes a mobile device, a set-top box device, a computer, a gaming device, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second cloud comprises computing and data resources and includes a second plurality of items stored in the second cloud that are accessible to a second plurality of devices of the second user via a second network and wherein the second plurality of devices includes a second mobile device, a second set-top box device, a second computer, a second gaming device, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accessing a profile associated with the first cloud, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of attributes, and wherein a subset of the plurality of attributes is associated with the plurality of items stored in the first cloud;

modifying an attribute of the first item in a peer access table of the profile to generate a modified attribute in response to receiving the input, the attribute corresponding to the second cloud, wherein the peer access table identifies items stored in the first cloud and indicates whether each item is accessible to the plurality of devices of the second user via the second cloud, and wherein the first item is accessible to the plurality of devices of the second user via the second cloud after the modification; and

saving the modified attribute in the profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicates that the third item is unavailable at the first device due to the digital rights management restriction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the first cloud via the first device, wherein the first device is a mobile device and wherein the mobile device accesses the first cloud via a wireless network;

receiving a notification message at the first cloud from the second cloud, wherein the notification message is displayed in a graphical user interface at the mobile device, and wherein the notification message indicates that the second user is viewing a multimedia file stored at the second cloud; and

in response to receiving a second input at the first cloud from the mobile device, displaying the multimedia file stored at the second cloud at the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia file is streamed from the second cloud to the first cloud via the peer-to-peer connection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification message indicating that the first item is accessible to the second device via the second cloud; and

communicating the notification message from the first cloud to the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the notification message is displayed at the second device in a graphical user interface associated with the second cloud.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification message is generated based on peer notification settings stored at the first cloud and wherein the peer notification settings comprise options to send notifications based on a selection of a peer, based on a selection of a group of peers, based on a type of a particular item stored at the first cloud, based a location of the particular item in the first cloud, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input at the first cloud from the first device, wherein the first device is a set-top box device, and wherein the second input indicates that a fourth item stored in the first cloud is accessible to a plurality of devices of the second user via the second cloud; and

in response to receiving the second input, storing a copy of the fourth item in the second cloud.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a third cloud to establish a second peer-to-peer connection between the first cloud and the third cloud, the third cloud associated with a third user;

receiving a second input at the first cloud from the first device, wherein the second input indicates an acceptance of the request; and

creating an entry in a peer list stored at the first cloud, wherein the peer list identifies a particular cloud that is coupled to the first cloud via a particular peer-to-peer connection, a first group of clouds that is coupled to the first cloud via peer-to-peer connections, a second group of clouds that is coupled to the first cloud via a third peer-to-peer connection, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating the third cloud with the second cloud to form a particular group of clouds based on a third input received at the first cloud from the first device, wherein the second cloud is identified in a second entry in the peer list;

receiving a fourth input at the first cloud from the first device that indicates a fourth item stored in the first cloud is accessible to members of the particular group of clouds; and

modifying an attribute of the fourth item in a group access table of a profile to generate a modified attribute in response to receiving the fourth input, wherein the group access table identifies each item of a plurality of items stored in the first cloud, wherein a particular attribute of each item indicates whether each item is accessible to members of the particular group of clouds, and wherein the fourth item is accessible to the members of the particular group of clouds after the modification of the attribute; and

saving the modified attribute in the group access table of the profile.

13. A cloud server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including;

receiving, from a first device via a data connection, first data indicating that a first item stored in a first cloud is accessible to a second device via a second cloud that is coupled to the first cloud via a peer-to-peer connection that is distinct from the data connection, wherein the first cloud is associated with a first user and the second cloud is associated with a second user;

receiving, via the data connection, second data indicating a second item is accessible from the first cloud, the second item received at the first cloud from the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is a dedicated data communication session managed by the first cloud and the second cloud; and

receiving third data related to a digital rights management restriction corresponding to a third item.

14. The cloud server of claim 13, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a search request; and

transmitting information related to the search request.

15. The cloud server of claim 14, wherein the information indicates that a fourth item is accessible to a plurality of devices of the first user via the second cloud, and wherein the plurality of devices of the first user includes a mobile device, a set-top box device, a computer, a gaming device, or any combination thereof.

16. The cloud server of claim 14, wherein the operations further include receiving activity information related to an activity performed at the first cloud, and wherein the activity corresponds to an application at the first cloud being executed, a game at the first cloud being played, a multimedia file at the first cloud being displayed, or a file being shared by the first cloud.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor associated with a first cloud; and

a memory including instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including;

receiving an input at the processor from a first device associated with a first user, wherein the input indicates that a first item stored in the first cloud is accessible to a second device associated with a second user via a second cloud that is coupled to the first cloud via a peer-to-peer connection, wherein the first cloud is associated with the first user, and wherein the second cloud is associated with the second user;

receiving a second item at the processor from the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the peer-to-peer connection is a dedicated data communication session managed by the first cloud and the second cloud;

receiving data at the first cloud from the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, wherein the data relates to a digital rights management restriction corresponding to a third item;

in response to receiving the input, transmitting first data to a cloud server via a data connection distinct from the peer-to-peer connection, the first data indicating that the first item is accessible to the second device; and

in response to receiving the second item, transmitting second data to the cloud server via the data connection, the second data indicating that the second item is accessible from the first cloud.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data indicates that the third item is unavailable at the first device due to the digital rights management restriction.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further include receiving third data from the cloud server via the data connection, wherein the third data indicates that a fourth item stored in the second cloud is accessible to the first device via the peer-to-peer connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further include, in response to receiving the input, transmitting third data to the second cloud via the peer-to-peer connection, the third data indicating that the first item is accessible to the second device.