Method for Sharing Multiple Data Items Using a Single URL

• US 20140201848A1
• Filed: 01/12/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDrive Inc.
• Original Assignee: IDrive Inc.
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Raghavendra, Mishra, Vilabh, Dutta, Diganta, Sanghavi, Gaurav, Sirohi, Ajit, DeVos, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• 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: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A way of sharing a set of data where each data item is stored at a different file path. The data items may be files or folders that reside on different remote storage servers or within the same file system. One or more data items in the set of data do not share a common root folder. Data items in the set of data that share a common root folder are stored amongst other data items in the common root folder that do not belonging to the set of data items to be shared. A single URL or link is generated to provide immediate access to the set of data to recipients of the URL or link.

Claims

1. A method for sharing data comprising:

receiving a selection of a set of data, wherein the set of data comprises two or more data items and each data item is located at exclusive file paths;

receiving a request to share the set of data with one or more recipients; and

providing a single link, wherein the link provides the recipient(s) with one of (i) a web page displaying the set of data and (ii) a confirmation window for directly downloading the set of data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each data item is one of (i) a data file and (ii) a data folder comprising one or more data items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the page displaying the set of data comprises options to (i) view the data items, (ii) download the set of data in a single archive file, (iii) download individual data items, and (iv) download a user selected sub-set of the set of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two different data items in the set of data items are stored on two different remote storage servers using two different service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a private link that authenticates the recipient of the link before allowing access to the set of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a public link accessible by any recipient in possession of the link.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising electronically communicating the link to one or more recipients.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a data sharing application for execution by at least one processor, the data sharing application comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a selection of a set of data, wherein the set of data comprises two or more data items and each data item is located at distinct file paths;

receiving a request to share the set of data; and

providing a single URL for accessing the set of data, wherein the URL provides the immediate access to the set of data via a communications network.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein one or more data items are located at remote storage locations different from other data items in the set of data.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving identifying information for a set of authorized persons having permission to access the URL; and

transmitting, to each person in the set of authorized persons, the URL for accessing the set of data.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein transmitting the URL occurs via a social network.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein each data item is one of (i) a data file and (ii) a data folder comprising one or more data items.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein two or more data items in the set of data share a common root folder and the common root folder contains a plurality of other data items that are not included in the set of data.

14. A method for sharing a set of data with a single URL, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a plurality of data items wherein one or more selections do not share a common root path;

writing information for each data item in a share info table;

writing information for each data item in a group share table;

writing information for a group share identification in the share info table; and

providing a unique URL to a set of recipients, wherein the unique URL provides each recipient access to the plurality of data.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

writing a path in a path field for each data item of the plurality of data items in the share info table for identifying the location of each data item;

generating a unique share identification for each data item of the plurality of data items; and

writing a null value in a key field for each data item in the plurality of data items.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

writing the unique share identification for each data item of the plurality of data items in the group share table; and

associating each unique share identification with the same group share identification in the group share table.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating a unique key for the group share identification in the share info table, wherein the unique key is used to generate the unique URL.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising writing a null value in the path field for the group share identification in the share info table.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the unique URL expires after a pre-defined number of downloads of the plurality of data items has been reached.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the unique URL expires at a pre-defined date and time.