Techniques to share media files

• US 10,733,151 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bailor, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mueller, Kurt A
• Application Number:
  US13/282,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,204 Days
• Field of Search: 707827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Techniques to share media files are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store an application having a media share component operative to share a media file among a defined set of users. The media share component may comprise multiple software modules, including a file manager module and a file reference module. The file manager module may be operative to determine a network storage location for the media file. The file reference module may be operative to automatically generate a valid link to the network storage location for the media file. The valid link may be specifically arranged to permit access to the network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users of the application. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory to store an application having a media share component operative to share a media file among a defined set of users, the media share component comprising a file manager module operative to determine a network storage location for the media file, and a file reference module operative to determine whether a current link permits access to the network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users, and if not, copy the media file from the network storage location to a different network storage location that permits access to the media file by the defined set of users, and generate a valid link to the different network storage location for the copied media file.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the file manager module operative to determine whether the media file is a local media file or a remote media file, and send the media file to a network storage server when the media file is a local media file.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the file reference module operative to retrieve the current link for the network storage location for the media file.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the file reference module operative to retrieve a tokenized anonymous view universal resource locator (URL) for the network storage location, and generate the valid link as a reference comprising the tokenized anonymous view URL.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the file reference module operative to determine that the permissions for the network storage location can be modified.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the file reference module operative to modify permissions for the network storage location and automatically generate a valid link that permits access to the network storage location with the modified permissions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the application to associate the valid link with a document, and send the document and the valid link to a set of document recipients as the defined set of users.

8. A computer-implement method, comprising:

receiving a request to associate a media file with a document;

retrieving links to a network storage location for the media file;

testing the links to determine that each link is an invalid link that does not permit access to the network storage location by a document recipient;

generating a second link as a valid link that permits access to the network storage location by the document recipient; and

associating the second link with the document.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, comprising determining the second link to the network storage location for the media file is not available.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising determining whether permissions for the network storage location can be modified to permit access by the document recipient.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising:

determining permissions for the network storage location can be modified to permit access by the document recipient;

modifying permissions for the network storage location to permit access by the document recipient;

retrieving a third link to the network storage location with the modified permissions; and

associating the third link with the document.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising determining permissions for the network storage location cannot be modified to permit access by the document recipient and copying the media file from the network storage location to a different network storage location that permits access to the media file by the defined set of users.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, comprising determining whether the media file can be retrieved from the network storage location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, comprising:

determining the media file can be retrieved from the network storage location;

retrieving the media file from the network storage location;

sending the media file to a new network storage location that does permit access by the document recipient;

receiving a fourth link to the new network storage location for the media file; and

associating the fourth link to the document.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a storage hardware medium containing instructions that when executed cause a system to:

receive a request to share a media file among a defined set of users;

determine that a current link does not permit access to a network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users;

modify permissions for the network storage location from private access to public access; and

generate a valid link to the network storage location for the media file, the valid link arranged to permit access to the network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to

determine whether the media file is a local media file or a remote media file;

and

generate a control directive to send the media file to a network storage server when the media file is a local media file.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to

retrieve a current link for the network storage location for the media file;

determine whether the current link permits access to the network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users; and

generate the valid link that permits access to the network storage location for the media file by the defined set of users.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

retrieve a tokenized anonymous view universal resource locator (URL) for the network storage location; and

generate the valid link as a reference comprising the tokenized anonymous view URL.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

If a tokenized anonymous view URL is not available, modify permissions for the network storage location at a network storage server; and

generate the valid link as a reference to the network storage location of the media file after permissions have been modified for the network storage location.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

generate a control directive to copy the media file from the network storage location to a different network storage location that permits access to the media file by the defined set of users; and

generate the valid link as a reference to the different network storage location for the copied media file.