Personal digital server (PDS)

• US 9,667,717 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodstock Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Woodstock Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Hoffman, James, Friskel, James
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US14/512,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 713189, 726 3- 4, 726 28- 29, 709202-205, 709217, 709225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/908 Software or content usage protection

Abstract

Personal Digital Server (“PDS”) is a unique computer application for the storage, updating, management and sharing of all types of digital media files, including audio, video, images and documents, irrespective of their format. PDS provides users with a single location to store and access, both locally and remotely, all of their digital media. It also provides the user total control of the overall management of these assets.

Claims

1. A computerized method for a first user'"'"'s computer, designated the requestor computer, to find content among a plurality of computers of users and a central server computer responsible for authorizing the users to participate in a peer-to-peer sharing service accessible to the plurality of computers, comprising:

automatically with the requestor computer;

(a) requesting the content from each of the plurality of computers using a respective first IP address to communicate with each of the plurality of computers;

(b) requesting, from each computer with which the requestor is able to establish communications, an updated IP address for a computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using that computer'"'"'s first IP address;

(c) using the updated IP address received from at least one of the computers to request the content from the computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using the computer'"'"'s first IP address; and

then

(d) if and only if the content is not found on any of the plurality of computers, requesting the content from the central server computer; and

(e) responding to a request from one of the plurality of computers for additional content.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the content from a remote one of the computers, which remote computer contains an application programmed to reformat the content before transmitting the content, and automatically restoring the format of the content to its original form upon receipt.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein requesting in part (a) is performed in decreasing order of likelihood that respective of the computers possess the content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the content from a remote one of the computers, which remote computer contains an application programmed to packetize the content before transmitting the content, and automatically assembling and restoring the format of the content to its original form upon receipt.

5. A first user'"'"'s computer, designated the requestor computer, for finding content among a plurality of computers of users and a central server computer responsible for authorizing the users to participate in a peer-to-peer sharing service accessible to the plurality of computers, the requestor computer programmed:

(a) to request the content from each of the plurality of computers using a respective first IP address to communicate with each of the plurality of computers;

(b) to request, from each computer with which the requestor is able to establish communications, an updated IP address for a computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using that computer'"'"'s first IP address;

(c) to use the updated IP address received from at least one of the computers to request the content from the computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using the computer'"'"'s first IP address; and

then

(d) if and only if the content is not found on any of the plurality of computers, to request the content from the central server computer; and

(e) to respond to a request from one of the plurality of computers for additional content.

6. The requestor computer of claim 5 wherein the requestor computer is programmed to receive the content from a remote one of the computers, which remote computer contains an application programmed to reformat the content before transmitting the content, and to automatically restore the format of the content to its original form upon receipt.

7. The requestor computer of claim 5 the wherein requestor computer is programmed to perform the request in part (a) in decreasing order of likelihood that respective of the computers possess the content.

8. The requestor computer of claim 5 the wherein requestor computer is programmed to receive the content from a remote one of the computers, which remote computer contains an application programmed to packetize the content before transmitting the content, and automatically assemble the content upon receipt.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer instructions for finding content among a plurality of computers of users and a central server computer responsible for authorizing the users to participate in a peer-to-peer sharing service accessible to the plurality of computers, wherein the set of computer instructions, when executed on a first user'"'"'s computer, designated the requestor computer, causes the requestor computer, automatically:

(a) to request the content from each of the plurality of computers using a respective first IP address to communicate with each of the plurality of computers;

(b) to request, from each computer with which the requestor is able to establish communications, an updated IP address for a computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using that computer'"'"'s first IP address;

(c) to use the updated IP address received from at least one of the computers to request the content from the computer for which the requestor computer is unable to establish communication using the computer'"'"'s first IP address; and

then

(d) if and only if the content is not found on any of the plurality of computers, to request the content from the central server computer; and

(e) to respond to a request from one of the plurality of computers for additional content.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the set of computer instructions, when executed on the requestor computer, causes the requestor computer to perform the request in part (a) in decreasing order of likelihood that respective of the computers possess the content.