INCREMENTAL AND BULK STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20120131352A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gleichauf, Paul H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup

Abstract

A method for storing electronic data. A first set of electronic data may be copied from a computing device to a capsule. The capsule then may be transferred or located to a location other than that of the computing device. The capsule and the computing device may be in electronic communication. The first set of electronic data may be updated on the capsule when changes are made to the first set of electronic data on the computing device.

Claims

1. A method for storing electronic data, comprising:

classifying a first set of electronic data as one of a set of data types;

initiating copying, at a first location, of the first set of electronic data from a computing device to a portable device when the computing device and first portable device are physically connected;

determining that at least a portion of the first set of electronic data has changed, thereby resulting in a changed data set;

creating at least one update based on the at least a portion of the first set of electronic data that has changed; and

electronically transmitting the at least one update from the computing device to the first portable device when the first portable device is in a second location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

partitioning the first capsule into a first portion and a second portion; and

transferring a second set of electronic data to the first capsule, wherein the first set of electronic data is stored in the first portion and a second set of electronic data is stored in the second portion.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising updating a copy of the second set of electronic data on the first capsule in response to changes to the second set of electronic data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of data types comprises:

first data to be access controlled for storage on the capsule;

second data to be encrypted for storage on the capsule; and

third data that initiates storage of a reference link to a content provider of the third data;

wherein

third data Is not stored on the capsule.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing, on the capsule, ownership information relating to the third data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ownership information is classified and stored as first data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the first set of electronic data to the first capsule is done via a physical connection between the computing device and the first capsule.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein updating the copy of the first set of electronic data on the first capsule is done via a network connection between the computing device and the first capsule.

20. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of data types comprises;

a first data type;

a second data type; and

a third data type;

data classified in the first data type is encrypted;

data classified in the second data type is access controlled; and

data classified in the third data type is associated with at least one retrieval link, the at least one retrieval link being stored on the external storage instead of data classified in the third data type.

9. A method for backing up electronic data on more than one computing device comprising the steps of:

transferring a first set of electronic data from a first computing device onto a first capsule;

transferring a second set of electronic data from a second computing device onto a second capsule;

locating the first capsule and the second capsule at a location other than a location of the first and second computing devices, respectively;

transferring the first set of electronic data to the second capsule;

transferring the second set of electronic data to the first capsule;

updating the first set of electronic data on the first and second capsules; and

updating the second set of electronic data on the first and second capsules.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of electronic data is updated on the first capsule via a wireless connection and updated on the second capsule via a physical connection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first capsule and the second capsule are in electronic communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first computing device and the second capsule are in electronic communication and the second computing device and the first capsule are in electronic communication.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first set of electronic data is updated first on the second capsule and then updated on the first capsule; and

the second set of electronic data is updated first on the first capsule and then updated on the second capsule.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of data and the second set of data comprise:

a set of personal data; and

a set of licensed data, wherein the licensed data comprises

a set of content data; and

a set of reference data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first set of electronic data and the second set of electronic data transferred to the first and second capsules only comprises the set of person data and the reference data.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second set of electronic data comprise:

a set of personal data having a first level of encryption;

a set of shared data having a second level of encryption; and

a set of public data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second store the first set of electronic data and the second set of electronic data so as to maintain the first and second level of encryption.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first level of encryption is associated with a first encryption key;

the second level of encryption is associated with a second encryption key; and

the first and second encryption keys are stored on the capsule as personal data.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a storage medium operative to store a data set;

a processor operatively connected to the storage medium;

an output operatively connected to the processor;

wherein

the processor may execute a first routine to classify each datum of the data set as one of a set of data types;

the processor may execute a second routine to protect each datum according to its classification in the set of data types; and

the processor may execute a third routing to transfer each datum to an external storage via the output.