Predictive Device to Device File Transfer System for Local Cloud Storage Files

• US 20180234481A1
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Ganci, JR., John M., Keen, Martin G., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for transferring files. The system provides for a data transfer system comprising a processor unit and a data transfer manager. The method identifies a group of local copies of files, in a cloud storage system, that are stored in a group of mobile devices. The method then tracks a location of the group of mobile devices and provides a report of availability of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service based on an identification of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service that are stored in the group of mobile devices and the location of the group of mobile devices.

Claims

1. A data transfer system comprising:

a processor unit; and

a data transfer manager running on the processor unit, wherein the data transfer manager identifies a group of local copies of files in a cloud storage service that are stored in a group of mobile devices;

tracks a location of the group of mobile devices;

and provides a report of availability of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service based on an identification of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service that are stored in the group of mobile devices and the location of the group of mobile devices.

2. The data transfer system of claim 1, wherein the data transfer manager predicts an availability of the group of local copies of files at a future time for a selected mobile device based on a predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices or the selected mobile device at the future time.

3. The data transfer system of claim 2, wherein in predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time, the data transfer manager predicts the predicted location for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device using at least one of calendar information, communications, or historical locations for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device.

4. The data transfer system of claim 2, wherein in predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time, the data transfer manager predicts the predicted location for the group of mobile devices based on where a group of users of the group of mobile devices will be at a group of locations and how long the group of users will be at the group of locations.

5. The data transfer system of claim 2, wherein in predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time, the data transfer manager predicts the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time for the selected mobile device based on the predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices or the selected mobile device at the future time and identifies a level of confidence for the availability.

6. The data transfer system of claim 2, wherein in predicting an availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time, the data transfer manager predicts the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time based on a predicted movement of the group of mobile devices.

7. The data transfer system of claim 1, wherein the data transfer manager identifies a group of intermediate devices that will have access to the group of mobile devices and a selected mobile device that requests the group of local copies of files when device access is unavailable between the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device and initiates a transfer of the group of local copies of files from the group of mobile devices to the selected mobile device via the group of intermediate devices.

8. A method for transferring files, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer system, a group of local copies of files in a cloud storage service that are stored in a group of mobile devices;

tracking, by the computer system, a location of the group of mobile devices; and

providing, by the computer system, a report of availability of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service based on an identification of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service that are stored in the group of mobile devices and the location of the group of mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

predicting an availability of the group of local copies of files at a future time for a selected mobile device based on a predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices or the selected mobile device at the future time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time comprises:

predicting the predicted location for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device using at least one of calendar information, communications, or historical locations for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time comprises:

predicting the predicted location for the group of mobile devices based on where a group of users of the group of mobile devices will be at a group of locations and how long the group of users will be at the group of locations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time comprises:

predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time for the selected mobile device based on the predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices or the selected mobile device at the future time; and

identifying a level of confidence for the availability.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting an availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time comprises:

predicting wherein the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time based on a predicted movement of the group of mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying a group of intermediate devices that will have access to the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device that requests the group of local copies of files when device access is unavailable between the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device; and

initiating transfer of the group of local copies of files from the group of mobile devices to the selected mobile device via the group of intermediate devices.

15. A computer program product for transferring files, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage media;

first program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for identifying, by a computer system, a group of local copies of files of in a cloud storage service that are stored in a group of mobile devices;

second program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for tracking a location of the group of mobile devices; and

third program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for providing a report of availability of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service based on an identification of the group of local copies of files on the cloud storage service that are stored in the group of mobile devices and the location of the group of mobile devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

fourth program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for predicting an availability of the group of local copies of files at a future time for a selected mobile device based on a predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices or the selected mobile device at the future time.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the fourth program code comprises:

program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for predicting the predicted location for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device using at least one of calendar information, communications, or a historical location for the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the fourth program code comprises:

program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for predicting the predicted location for the group of mobile devices based on where a group of users of the group of mobile devices will be at a group of locations and how long the group of users will be at the group of locations.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the fourth program code comprises:

program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for predicting the availability of the group of local copies of files at the future time for the selected mobile device based on the predicted location for at least one of the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device at the future time; and

program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for identifying a level of confidence for the availability.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

fourth program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for identifying a group of intermediate devices that will have access to the group of mobile devices and the selected mobile device that requests the group of local copies of files when device access is unavailable between the group of mobile devices and a selected mobile device; and

fifth program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for initiating transfer of the group of local copies of files from the group of mobile devices to the selected mobile device via the group of intermediate devices.