System and method for sharing data across multiple electronic devices

• US 9,584,682 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Earnshaw, Andrew Mark, Weng, Jianfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US13/480,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• 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 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device

Abstract

Methods, computer readable media, and electronic devices are provided that enable data files to be transferred from a source device to one or more destination devices to share the data files. The method includes initiating a transfer of at least one data file to a destination device after detecting initiation of a file sharing session, the at least one data file being associated with the source device; after transferring at least a portion of the at least one data file, sending a first command to the destination device or receiving a second command from the destination device, the first command or the second command indicating an interaction with the at least one data file; and executing the interaction.

Claims

1. A method performed by a source device comprising:

initiating a transfer of at least one data file from the source device to a destination device after detecting initiation of a file sharing session, the at least one data file residing on the source device, wherein the source device contributes the at least one data file to the file sharing session, and wherein the file sharing session presents interactions performed on the at least one data file by one of the source device and the destination device to the other of the source device and the destination device;

beginning transferring the at least one data file from the source device to the destination device;

providing a delay mechanism on at least the source device as a distraction until at least some of the at least one data file has been transferred, the delay mechanism prompting a user of the source device to enter information as part of the file sharing session, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continuing transferring the at least one data file to the destination device;

detecting a first input by the user directly on the source device, the first input corresponding to a first interaction by the user with the at least one data file at the source device after the at least some of the at least one data file has been transferred; and

sending, in response to detecting the first input, a first command from the source device to the destination device, the first command indicating the first interaction and synchronizing the first interaction performed on the at least one data file on the source device with a corresponding first interaction to be performed on the at least one data file transferred to the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, the first command including an identifier associated with a corresponding data file, the identifier being used to identify the corresponding data file for executing the first interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the destination device, the second command indicating a second interaction with the at least one data file; and

executing the second interaction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an end to the file sharing session; and

performing at least one post session operation related to the at least one data file transferred to the destination device.

5. The method of claim 4, the at least one post session operation comprising enabling the source device to control which of the at least one data file can be saved by the destination device after the file sharing session ends.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an invite to the destination device, the invite including a set of identifiers corresponding to a set of data files to be transferred;

receiving an invite reply indicating a subset of the identifiers which are absent from the destination device; and

initiating the transfer of a subset of data files according to the invite reply.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising transferring the at least one data file to a plurality of destination devices.

8. The method of claim 1, the discussion channel providing any one or more of a chat session, and a telephone call.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a second interaction with the at least one data file; and

sending a second command to the source device, the second command indicating the second interaction.

10. A method performed by a destination device comprising:

detecting at the destination device, initiation of a file sharing session by a source device, the file sharing session transferring at least one data file from source device and presenting interactions performed on the at least one data file by one of the source device and the destination device to the other of the source device and the destination device, wherein the source device contributes the at least one data file to the file sharing session;

beginning receiving the at least one data file from the source device;

providing a delay mechanism on the destination device as a distraction until at least some of the at least one data file has been received, the delay mechanism prompting a user of the destination device to enter information as part of the file sharing session, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continuing receiving the at least one data file from the source device;

after the at least some of the at least one data file has been received, receiving a first command from the source device, the first command indicating a first interaction with the at least one data file and synchronizing the first interaction performed on the at least one data file on the source device with a corresponding first interaction operation to be performed on the at least one data file received by the destination device; and

executing the corresponding first interaction based on the first command.

11. The method of claim 10, the first command including an identifier associated with a corresponding data file, the identifier being used to identify the corresponding data file for executing the first interaction.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting an end to the file sharing session and performing at least one post session operation related to the at least one data file transferred to the destination device.

13. The method of claim 12, the at least one post session operation comprising enabling the destination device to save the at least one data file after the file sharing session ends.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an invite from the source device, the invite including a set of identifiers corresponding to a set of data files to be transferred; and

sending an invite reply indicating a subset of the identifiers absent from the destination device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the delay mechanism:

enabling participation in a discussion channel established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to participate in the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information.

16. The method of claim 15, the discussion channel providing any one or more of a chat session, and a telephone call.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions to be performed by a source device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

initiating a transfer of at least one data file from the source device to a destination device after detecting initiation of a file sharing session, the at least one data file residing on the source device, wherein the source device contributes the at least one data file to the file sharing session, and wherein the file sharing session presents interactions performed on the at least one data file by one of the source device and the destination device to the other of the source device and the destination device;

beginning transferring the at least one data file from the source device to the destination device;

providing a delay mechanism on at least the source device as a distraction until at least some of the at least one data file has been transferred, the delay mechanism prompting a user of the source device to enter information as part of the file sharing session, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continuing transferring the at least one data file to the destination device;

detecting a first input by the user directly on the source device, the first input corresponding to first interaction by the user with the at least one data file at the source device after the at least some of the at least one data file has been transferred; and

sending, in response to detecting the first input, a first command from the source device to the destination device, the first command indicating the first interaction and synchronizing the first interaction performed on the at least one data file on the source device with a corresponding first interaction to be performed on the at least one data file transferred to the destination device.

18. A source device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for causing the processor to:

sending an invite to a destination device, the invite including a set of identifiers corresponding to a set of data files to be transferred during a file sharing session;

receiving, from the destination device, an invite reply indicating a subset of the set of identifiers that are absent from the destination device;

initiating a transfer of a subset of the set of data files corresponding the subset of the set of identifiers received in the invite reply from source device to the destination device after detecting initiation of the file sharing session, the subset of the set of data files residing on and being contributed by the source device to the file sharing session;

begin transferring the at least one data file from the source device the destination device;

provide a delay mechanism on at least the source device as a distraction until at least some of the subset of the set of data files has been transferred, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continue transferring the subset of the set of data files to the destination device;

execute a first interaction with at least one of the subset of the set of data files at the source device after the at least some of the at least one of the subset of the set of data files has been transferred; and

send a first command from the source device to the destination device, the first command indicating the first interaction.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions to be performed by a destination device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

detecting at the destination device, initiation of a file sharing session by a source device, the file sharing session transferring at least one data file from source device and presenting interactions performed on the at least one data file by one of the source device and the destination device to the other of the source device and the destination device, wherein the source device contributes the at least one data file to the file sharing session;

beginning receiving the at least one data file from the source device;

providing a delay mechanism on the destination device as a distraction until at least some of the at least one data file has been received, the delay mechanism prompting a user of the destination device to enter information as part of the file sharing session, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continuing receiving the at least one data file from the source device;

after the at least some of the at least one data file has been received, receiving a first command from the source device, the first command indicating a first interaction with the at least one data file and synchronizing the first interaction performed on the at least one data file on the source device with a corresponding first interaction operation to be performed on the at least one data file received by the destination device; and

executing the corresponding first interaction based on the first command.

20. A destination device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for causing the processor to:

receiving an invite from a source device, the invite including a set of identifiers corresponding to a set of data files to be transferred during a file sharing session;

sending to the source device an invite reply indicating a subset of the set of identifiers that are absent from the destination device;

detecting at the destination device, initiation of the file sharing session by the source device, the file sharing session transferring from the source device a subset of the set of data files corresponding the subset of the set of identifiers, wherein the source device contributes the subset of set of data files to the file sharing session;

begin receiving the subset of the set of data files from the source device;

provide a delay mechanism on the destination device as a distraction until at least some of the subset of the set of data files has been received, wherein the delay mechanism comprises;

enabling a discussion channel to be established between the source device and the destination device;

displaying a first prompt with an option to initiate the discussion channel; and

displaying a second prompt for entering information;

continue receiving the subset of the set of data files from the source device;

after the at least some of the subset of the set of data files has been received, receive a first command from the source device, the first command indicating a first interaction with the at least one of the subset of the set of data files; and

execute the first interaction.