Multi-tiered structure for file sharing based on social roles
US7529723B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 15, 2003 |
| Grant date | May 5, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 16, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99933
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An Internet-scale file sharing system includes a client-side file sharing application that allows file-sharing users to identify files to share and transmit metadata corresponding to those files to a metadata repository. A server-side application operating on the metadata repository tracks metadata received from associated file-sharing users, as well as metadata from other affiliated metadata repositories. Each metadata repository acts as a search engine for any querying users and can provide search results based on locally stored metadata alone. Each metadata repository may additionally choose to locally-store popular files from an associated file-sharing user so as to alleviate transmission burdens on that file-sharing user. Associated metadata repositories each periodically synchronize their stored metadata so that all metadata repositories may generate similar search results. In such manner, file-sharing queries need only be performed by the metadata repository receiving the query, and not by all associated metadata repositories.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.