Remote data access techniques for portable devices

• US 20080232371A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Haveson, Ryan A., Davis, Darren R., Hildreth, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• 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 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A wide-area network (“WAN”)-based service enables remote data access transactions between participating endpoints within a group of participating endpoints that includes at least one server and at least one portable electronic device. Each participating endpoint is configured for communication via one or more communication networks and stores the same or different data items on behalf of a user. The WAN-based service maintains information about each participating endpoint in the group and its network accessibility, and also maintains one or more catalogs of available data items. The WAN-based service identifies a communication network available to both participating endpoints, and a direct or proxied communication session is established between the portable electronic device and the other participating endpoint via the communication network. Selected data items are downloaded, uploaded, accessed or synchronized via the communication session. The use of digital rights and identity management techniques in combination with the WAN-based service is also discussed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for remote data access, the method comprising:

identifying a first participating endpoint and a second participating endpoint belonging to a group of participating endpoints, each participating endpoint in the group configured to store data items on behalf of a user, the group including at least one portable electronic device and at least one server;

via a WAN-based data access service, identifying a particular data item stored by a second participating endpoint in the group;

arranging for establishment of a communication session between the first participating endpoint and the second participating endpoint via a communication network identified by the WAN-based data access service; and

arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method step of identifying a first participating endpoint and a second participating endpoint in a group of participating endpoints comprises

receiving a user selection of the second participating endpoint via the first participating endpoint, the user selection made via a user interface presented by the first participating endpoint, the user interface configured to display at least some of the participating endpoints in the group.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method step of identifying a particular data item comprises

receiving a user selection of the particular data item via the first participating endpoint, the user selection made via a user interface configured to display a catalog of available data items stored by at least some of the participating endpoints in the group.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the catalog of available data items includes generic representations of the data items stored by at least some of the participating endpoints in the group.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a particular data item comprises automatically identifying the particular data item by evaluating data selection criteria, the data selection criteria selected from the group consisting of:

participating endpoint characteristics;

data item characteristics;

user profiles;

user preferences; and

network characteristics.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method is automatically and intermittently performed.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

ascertaining an identity associated with the user; and

basing one or more of the steps of

identifying a first participating endpoint and a second participating endpoint in a group of participating endpoints,

identifying a particular data item stored by the second participating endpoint,

arranging for establishment of a communication session, or

arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item, on the ascertained identity.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the method step of ascertaining an identity comprises

receiving a user selection of at least one identity from among a plurality of identities.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method step of arranging for establishment of a communication session comprises

establishing a packet data tunnel between the first participating endpoint and the second participating endpoint, the packet data tunnel configured to transfer data packets between the first participating endpoint and the second participating endpoint.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein a proxy server serves as a point of interconnection between the portable electronic device and the participating endpoint.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a client-server communication session or a peer-to-peer communication session.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a format for the particular data item based on a characteristic of the first participating endpoint or the network or both;

transcoding the particular data item into the selected format; and

after the data item has been transcoded into the selected format, arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the transcoded data item.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method step of arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session comprises

arranging for the particular data item to be uploaded from, or downloaded to, the first participating endpoint.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method step of arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session comprises

arranging for synchronizing the particular data item between the first participating endpoint and the second participating endpoint.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after the step of arranging for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session, sharing the particular data item with a third party,

the step of sharing the particular data item comprising sharing the data item via a technique selected from the group consisting of;

emailing;

granting access via a network-based information repository;

pushing from a network-based information repository;

streaming;

short-messaging;

text-messaging; and

posting to a computer-readable medium.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the particular data item is protected by a predetermined intellectual property right, and wherein the method further comprises:

arranging for granting, via a digital rights management technique, a right to the user under the predetermined intellectual property right,

the right selected from the group consisting of;

the right to render the particular data item;

the right to prepare derivative works of the specific data item;

the right to reproduce the particular data item; and

the right to distribute the particular data item.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise a server-based application.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise a client-based application.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication interface;

a computer-readable storage medium; and

a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium, to the communication interface, and to computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer-executable instructions executable by the processor to;

identify a first participating endpoint and a second participating endpoint belonging to a group of participating endpoints, each participating endpoint in the group configured to store data items on behalf of a user, the group including at least one portable electronic device and one server;

based on a request made via the first participating endpoint to a WAN-based data access service, identify a particular data item stored by a second participating endpoint in the group;

arrange for establishment of a communication session between the first participating endpoint and the second participating endpoint via a communication network identified by the WAN-based data access service; and

arrange for the first participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session.

20. A system for remote data access, the system comprising:

a data selection engine configured to identify a particular data item stored on a particular participating endpoint in a group of participating endpoints, each participating endpoint in the group configured to store data items on behalf of a user, the group including at least one portable electronic device and at least one server; and

a communication manager responsive to the data selection engine, the communication manager configured to

arrange for establishment of a communication session between the requesting participating endpoint and the particular participating endpoint storing the particular data item, the communication session established via a communication network identified by a WAN-based data access service, and

arrange for the requesting participating endpoint to access the particular data item via the communication session.