Content management across shared, mobile file systems

• US 8,090,844 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: TrueContext Mobile Solutions Corporation
• Inventors: Chene, Marc, Craddock, Julian, Haskins, Paul, Yerxa, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): TODD, GREGORY G
• Application Number:
  US10/961,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709220-222, 709225-229, 709/203, 709/218, 709/224, 709/232, 715/864, 715/735, 715/733, 715/736, 715/737, 715740-749, 713/153, 713/165, 713/100, 703 20- 23
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A content management system and method are disclosed having one or more shared file systems located on one or more networks having a firewall. The content management system includes an explorer client, a mounting client, and a gateway. The gateway is in communication with both the explorer client and the mounting client. The explorer client forms a profile of a user device by determining the characteristics of the user device. The mounting client determines the capabilities of the one or more file systems and where content resides on each of the one or more file systems. The gateway then creates a virtual abstraction layer based on the profile of the user device and the capabilities of the one or more file systems.

Claims

1. A method for sharing content stored across a plurality of shared file systems and a plurality of mobile devices located on a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, said mobile devices and networks having variable performance and functional characteristics, the method comprising:

continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a said mobile devices and of said networks every time a user of one of said mobile devices performs one or more actions related to said content stored across a plurality of the shared file systems, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics of the mobile device including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance characteristics of said wireless network providing intermittent connectivity including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics of said networks includes the type of networks;

determining the characteristics of the file systems that contain the content; and

creating and continuously maintaining a virtual abstraction layer based on the performance and functional characteristics of the mobile devices, the networks, and the shared file systems, the virtual abstraction layer providing a view to a said plurality of mobile devices as if said content is local to said plurality of mobile devices and the virtual abstraction layer providing the content from at least one of the plurality of the shared file systems to at least one of the mobile devices allowing the mobile device to access the functions of the file system containing the requested content including manipulating the content as if the file system was local to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising capturing an authorization structure in the shared file system on which the content resides, the authorization structure offered by the shared file system providing the content to the mobile device to allow the user of the mobile device to manipulate the content.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising transparently authorizing the user directly against an authorization structure of one of more of said shared file systems using pass through authorization.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising transparently authorizing the user indirectly against a cached representation of an authorization structure of one of more of said shared file systems.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising transparently authorizing the user indirectly against a virtual authorization structure that overrides an authorization structure of one of more of said shared file systems.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the captured authorization structure is maintained with the content when the content is provided to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing the ability to add, move, and change said authorization structure from the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said manipulating the content include one or more of an ability to create new files, an ability to modify existing files, an ability to delete files, and an ability to read files.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said manipulating the content further include one or more of moving files, an duplicating files, accessing files, sending and forwarding files, and routing files to other mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising organizing the content including one or more of creating new folders, modifying existing folders, deleting folders, modifying the folder hierarchy, duplicate folders, an ability to support nested folders, and an ability to move folders.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the ability, via the virtual abstraction layer, to inform the user of the mobile device of changes in the file systems on said plurality of networks.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the ability, via the virtual abstraction layer, to queue said content for delivery to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the ability, via the virtual abstraction layer, to synchronize content stored between mobile devices and said shared file systems.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the ability, via the virtual abstraction layer, to specify that a user has several mobile devices and that said view can be different depending on the performance and functional characteristics of each mobile device.

15. A method for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection using a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of file systems located on said plurality of networks;

continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile device and said intermittent mobile connection, each time a user of the mobile device performs one or more actions related to content from any of the said file systems across the intermittent mobile connection, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized, and the performance characteristics of said mobile device including the amount of current unused memory available and the performance characteristics of said intermittent mobile connection including the current speed, capacity, and the functional characteristics of said intermittent connection including the type of the connection;

determining the characteristics of the managed file systems that contain the content, including the characteristics of the content on the file system;

generating and continuously maintaining a local virtual abstraction layer for each mobile device as a cached representation of the content of the managed file systems on the mobile device;

allowing the mobile device access to the functions of the managed file systems to manipulate said cached representation of the content as if the managed file systems were local to the mobile device; and

sending the manipulated content across the intermittent mobile connection to the managed file systems of the content from the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cached representation is generated manually in response to a change detected on any of the managed file systems.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the cached representation is generated automatically in response to a change detected on any of the managed file systems.

18. A method for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection using a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the method comprising:

managing one or more file systems;

continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile device and of the intermittent mobile connection each time a user of the mobile device performs one or more actions related to content from any of the managed file systems, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance and functional characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection, the performance characteristics including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics includes the type of the connection;

determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the content, the characteristics of the file system including an authorization structure and authentication information provided by any of the managed file systems providing the content; and

generating and continuously maintaining a local virtual abstraction layer for each mobile device as a cached representation on the mobile device of the authorization structure and authentication information from any of the managed file systems providing the content, the cached representation allowing the user of the mobile device to access the functions of any of the managed file systems providing the content as if the file system is local to the mobile device, the functions including authorizing, authenticating and permitting the user on the mobile device to modify the content.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the cached representation is generated manually in response to a change detected on any of the managed file systems.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the cached representation is generated automatically in response to a change detected on any of the managed file systems.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the cached representation is capable of authorizing and authenticating the user on the mobile device transparently.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said local virtual abstraction layer is based on the characteristics of the mobile device, the intermittent mobile connection, and the managed file systems, the local virtual abstraction layer providing the content from the managed file systems to the mobile device such that the view to the user is the same as if that content was local to the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said virtual abstraction layer generates and maintains a cached representation of the content of the managed file systems, the cached representation being capable of being transparently interacted with by the user on the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the cached representation of the authorization structure and authentication information is maintained along with the cached representation of the content of the managed file systems, such that the user is authorized and authenticated on the mobile device prior to being allowed to interact with the cached representation of the content.

25. A system for managing a plurality of content stored across a plurality of shared file systems located on a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the system comprising:

a first processor;

a computer readable medium electronically coupled to said first processor; and

a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause said first processor to perform;

a) continuously determining and maintaining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile device and of said plurality of networks each time a user of the ˜

mobile device performs one or more actions related to content from the plurality of content stored across a plurality of the shared file systems, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance characteristics of the plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics of the plurality of networks including the type of networks;

b) determining the characteristics of the file systems that contain the content; and

c) creating and continuously maintaining a virtual abstraction layer based on the characteristics of the mobile device, the networks, and the file systems, the virtual abstraction layer providing a view to a plurality of mobile devices as if content is local to the mobile devices and the virtual abstraction layer providing the content from at least one of the plurality of the shared file systems to at least one of the mobile devices allowing the mobile device to access the functions of the file system containing the content including manipulating the content as if the file system is local to the mobile device.

26. A system for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection using a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the system comprising:

a first processor;

a computer readable medium electronically coupled to said first processor; and

a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause said first processor to perform;

a) managing a plurality of file systems;

b) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile device and the intermittent mobile connection each time a user of a mobile device performs one or more actions related to content from any of the managed file systems across the intermittent mobile connection, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection including the type of the connection;

c) determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the content, including the characteristics of the content on the file systems; and

d) generating and continuously maintaining a local virtual abstraction layer for each mobile device as a cached representation of the content of the managed file systems on the mobile device, the cached representation of the content being manipulated by the user on the mobile device;

allowing the mobile device access to the functions of the file system containing the content as if the file system is local to the mobile device; and

sending the manipulated content across the intermittent mobile connection to the file systems of the managed content from the mobile device.

27. A system for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection using a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the system comprising:

a first processor;

a computer readable medium electronically coupled to said first processor; and

a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause said first processor to perform;

a) managing one or more file systems;

b) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile user device and said intermittent mobile connection each time a user of the mobile device performs one or more actions related to the content from any of the managed file systems, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of mobile device, and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection including the current speed , and capacity, and the functional characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection includes the type of the connection;

c) determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the content, the characteristics of the file system including an authorization structure and authentication information provided by any of the managed file systems that contain the content; and

d) generating and continuously maintaining a local virtual abstraction layer for each mobile device as a cached representation one on the mobile device of the authorization structure and authentication information from any of the managed file systems that contain the content, the cached representation allowing the user of the mobile device to access the functions of any of the managed file systems providing the content as if the file system is local to the mobile device, the functions including authorizing, authenticating and permitting the user on the mobile device to modify the requested content.

28. A method for managing a plurality of content stored across a shared file system located on a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the method comprising:

continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile device and of the plurality of networks each time a user of the mobile device performs one or more actions related to the content from the plurality of content stored across a plurality of the shared file systems, the functional characteristics of the mobile device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the mobile device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the mobile device, the performance characteristics of the plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics includes the type of network;

determining the characteristics of the file system; and

creating and continuously maintaining a virtual abstraction layer based on the characteristics of the device, the plurality of networks, and the file system, the virtual abstraction layer providing a view to a plurality of mobile devices as if that content was local to the respective mobile devices and the virtual abstraction layer providing the content from the shared file system to at least one of the mobile devices allowing the mobile device to access the functions of the file system containing the content including manipulating the content as if the file system was local to the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising capturing an authorization structure in the shared file system, the authorization structure offered by the shared file system providing the content to the mobile device to allow the user of the mobile device to manipulate the content.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising transparently authorizing the user directly against the file system authorization structure using pass through authorization.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising transparently authorizing the user indirectly against a cached representation of the file system authorization structure.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising transparently authorizing the user indirectly against a virtual authorization structure that overrides the file system authorization structure.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the captured authorization structure is maintained with the content when the content is provided to the mobile device.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising providing the ability to add, move, and change the files system authorization structure from the mobile device.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein said manipulating includes one or more of an ability to create new files, an ability to modify existing files, an ability to delete files, and an ability to read files.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said manipulating further include one or more of moving files, duplicating files, sending and forwarding files, and routing files to other mobile devices.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising organizing said content which includes one or more of creating new folders, modifying existing folders, deleting folders, modifying the folder hierarchy, duplicating folders, supporting nested folders, and moving folders.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising providing the ability, via the virtual abstraction layer, to specify that a user has several mobile devices and that said view can be different depending on the performance and functional characteristics of each mobile device.