Task-context architecture for efficient data sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9936018-B2
Application number	US-201314912318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

To provide a more seamless experience across multiple devices, task streaming systems and methods allow a user to create “task-contexts” and manage metadata of files stored across multiple data storage devices and user preferences associated with capabilities of the multiple devices for operating on the file. Furthermore, the task streaming systems and methods are provided to allow task-contexts to be shared from one device to another device. A task-context specifies one or more files and one or more operations to be performed on the one or more files. By providing a task-context from one device to the other device, a user can accomplish a task with a particular file and seamlessly transition between devices with minimal disruption and effort.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine readable non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform the following:
receiving, from a first device, a first metadata for identifying one or more files stored on the first device and for identifying one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the first device for operating on different types of files;
receiving, from a second device, a second metadata for identifying one or more files stored on the second device and for identifying one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device for operating on different types of files;
receiving, from the first device, a task-context metadata tag identifying a file, an operation, and the second device, wherein the file is selected from a plurality of files stored on a plurality of devices and the operation is selected from available operation(s) of the second device for operating on the file; and
transmitting to the second device, a notification of the task-context metadata tag.

2. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to further perform the following:
generating the available operation(s) of the second device for operating on different types of files based on the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device and one or more capabilities for converting the file to a format suitable for some of the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device.

3. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to further perform the following:
retrieving the file;
converting the file to a format suitable for some of the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device; and
providing the second device access to the converted file.

4. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to further perform the following:
adding the task-context metadata tag to a task list associated with the second device;
maintaining the task list associated with the second device when the second device is not communicating with a task streaming manager; and
pushing the task list associated with the second device when the second device communicably connects with the task streaming manager.

5. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to further perform the following:
providing, to the first device, the second metadata and available operations associated with capability(-ies) of the second device for operating on different types of files; and
providing, to the second device, the first metadata and available operations associated with capability(-ies) of the first device for operating on different types of files.

6. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 1 , the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to further perform the following:
receiving one or more of the following: (i) update(s) to metadata associated with files stored on the second device; (ii) update(s) to metadata associated with files stored on one or more networked storage devices; and (iii) update(s) to one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) on the second device for operating on different types of files; and
providing, to the first device, one or more of the following: (i) update(s) to metadata associated with files stored on the second device; (ii) update(s) to metadata associated with files stored on one or more networked storage devices; and (iii) update(s) to available operations associated with capability(-ies) on the second device for operating on different types of files.

7. An apparatus for managing task streaming between a first device and a second device remote from the first device, the apparatus comprising:
at least one memory element;
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory element; and
a task streaming manager that when executed by the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, from a first task streaming client on the first device, a first metadata for identifying one or more files stored on the first device and one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the first device for operating on different types of files;
receive, from a second task streaming client on the second device, a second metadata for identifying one or more files stored on the second device and one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device for operating on different types of files;
receive, from the first task streaming client, a task-context metadata tag identifying a file, an operation, and the second device, wherein the file is selected using the first task streaming client from a plurality of files stored on a plurality of devices including the first device, the second device, and one or more networked storage devices, and the operation is selected using the first task streaming client from available operations of the second device for operating on the file; and
transmit, to the second task streaming client, a notification of the task-context metadata tag.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the task streaming manager is further configured to:
generate the available operation(s) of the second device for operating on different types of files based on the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device and one or more capabilities of the task streaming manager for converting the file to a format suitable for some of the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the task streaming manager is further configured to:
retrieve the file;
convert the file to a format suitable for some of the one or more user preferences associated with capability(-ies) of the second device; and
provide the second task streaming client access to the converted file.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the task streaming manager is further configured to:
add the task-context metadata tag to a task list associated with the second device;
maintain the task list associated with the second device when the second device is not communicating with the task streaming manager; and
push the task list associated with the second device when the second device communicably connects with the task streaming manager.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the task streaming manager is further configured to:
provide, from the task streaming manager to the first task streaming client, the second metadata and available operations associated with capability(-ies) of the second device for operating on different types of files; and
provide, from the task streaming manager to the second task streaming client, the first metadata and available operations associated with capability(-ies) of the first device for operating on different types of files.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the task streaming manager is further configured to:
receive, at the task streaming manager, one or more of the following: (i) update(s) to metadata associated with files stored on the se

Assignees

• Mcafee Llc

Inventors

• Kulkarni Dattatraya
• Nalluri Srikanth
• Halder Kamlesh
• Krishnapur Venkatasubrahmanyam
• Shankar Shailaja
• Dhruw Kaushal Kumar
• Gadde Kranthikumar

Classifications

• H04L67/06

  specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP] · CPC title

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• G06F9/5072 Primary

  Grid computing · CPC title