Brevet US6351776 - Shared internet storage resource, user interface system, and method

(12) United States Patent

O'Brien et al.

US006351776B1

(io) Patent No.: US 6,351,776 Bl (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 26,2002

(54) SHARED INTERNET STORAGE RESOURCE, USER INTERFACE SYSTEM, AND METHOD

(75) Inventors: Brett O'Brien, Pacific Palisades; Sean Whiteley, Millbrae; Lucas McGregor, Santa Monica; Martin Hald, Irvine, all of CA (US)

(73) Assignee: XDrive, Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/570,583

(22) Filed: May 12, 2000

Related U.S. Application Data

(60) Provisional application No. 60/163,626, filed on Nov. 4, 1999.

(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 15/16

(52) U.S. CI 709/245; 709/223; 709/227;

709/247; 707/1; 707/4; 707/10; 707/100;

707/104

(58) Field of Search 709/245, 223,

709/227, 247; 707/4, 10, 100-104

(56) References Cited

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The Shared Internet Storage Resource provides Internetbased file storage, retrieval, access, control, and manipulation for a user. Additionally, an easy-to-use user interface is provided both for a browser or stand-alone application. The entire method provides means by which users can establish, use, and maintain files on the Internet in a manner remote from their local computers yet in a manner that is similar to the file manipulation used on their local computers. A high capacity or other storage system is attached to the Internet via an optional internal network that also serves to generate and direct metadata regarding the stored files. A web server using a CGI, Java®-based, or other interface transmits and retrieves TCP/IP packets or other Internet information through a load balancer/firewall by using XML to wrap the data packets. File instructions may be transmitted over the Internet to the Shared Resource System. The user's account may be password protected so that only the user may access his or her files. On the user's side, a stand-alone client application or JavaScript object interpreted through a browser provide two means by which the XML or other markup language data stream may be received and put to use by the user. Internet-to-internet file transfers may be effected by directly downloading to the user's account space.

1 Claim, 15 Drawing Sheets