A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING CONTENT SEAMLESSLY

BETWEEN ELECTRONIC DEVICES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of portable electronic devices, and more specifically to the field of transferring content seamlessly between the portable electronic devices.

BACKGROUND
[0001] File transfer applications available today depend on manual configuration by a user. Also, process of starting connection setup is initiated only after a user request. Existing systems share content including files over communication channels. However, the content needs to be present on a local side for transmitting to a remote side. Further, there is no method for transferring the content from external devices. The user needs to manually copy the content from an external device which is tedious and time consuming. Hence, such systems ignore existence of the external devices.

[0002] In the light of the foregoing discussion there is a need for an efficient method and system for transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices.

SUMMARY
[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method and system for transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices.

[0004] An example of a method of transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices includes receiving a first plurality of parameters associated with a file comprised on a first portable electronic device of a first user. The method also includes copying the file from the first portable electronic device to a first primary communication device based on the first plurality of parameters using a secondary communication channel. The method further includes transferring the file from the first primary communication device to a second primary communication device using a primary communication channel. Further, the method includes enabling a second user of a second portable electronic device to receive the file from the first portable electronic device.
[0005] An example of a system for transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices includes a plurality of portable electronic devices, a plurality of primary communication devices, and a communication interface in electronic communication with the plurality of portable electronic devices and the plurality of primary communication devices, The system includes a memory that stores instructions. Further, the system includes a processor responsive to the instructions to receive a first plurality of parameters associated with a file comprised on a first portable electronic device of a first user, to copy the file from the first portable electronic device to a first primary communication device based on the first plurality of parameters using a secondary communication channel, to transfer the file from the first primary communication device to a second primary communication device using a primary communication channel, and to enable a second user of a second portable electronic device to receive the file from the first portable electronic device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0006] The accompanying figure, similar reference numerals may refer to identical or functionally similar elements. These reference numerals are used in the detailed description to illustrate various embodiments and to explain various aspects and advantages of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device, in accordance with one embodiment;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a primary communication device, in accordance with one embodiment; and

[0010] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices, in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] It should be observed the method steps and system components have been represented by conventional symbols in the figure, showing only specific details which are relevant for an understanding of the present disclosure. Further, details may be readily apparent to person ordinarily skilled in the art may not have been disclosed. In the present disclosure, relational terms such as first and second, and the like, may be used to distinguish one entity from another entity, without necessarily implying any actual relationship or order between such entities.

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein provide a method and system for transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100, in accordance with one embodiment. The system 100 includes a plurality of portable electronic devices, for example a portable electronic device 105A and a portable electronic device 105B, a plurality of primary communication devices, for example a primary communication device 115A and a primary communication device 115B, a secondary communication channel 110, a primary communication channel 120, and a tertiary communication channel 125. The portable electronic device 105A of a first user is connected to the primary communication device 115A through the secondary communication channel 110. The primary communication device 115A is connected to the primary communication device 115B through the primary communication channel 120. The portable electronic device 105B of a second user is connected to the primary communication device 115B through the tertiary communication channel 125.

[0014] Examples of the portable electronic devices include, but are not limited to, a mobile device, a laptop, a tablet device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a smart phone. Examples of the primary communication devices include, but are not limited to, a computer, and a laptop. Examples of the primary communication channel 120 include, but are not limited to, audio, video, or text chat session via a network, for example a local area network, a wide area network or a wireless network. Examples of the secondary communication channel 110 and the tertiary communication channel 125 include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

[0015] The system 100 receives a first plurality of parameters associated with a file included on the portable electronic device 105A of a first user. The file is copied from the portable electronic device 105A to the primary communication device 115A based on the first plurality of parameters using the secondary communication channel 110. The file is then transferred from the primary communication device 115A to the primary communication device 115B using the primary communication channel 120. The second user of the portable electronic device 105B is enabled to receive the file from the portable electronic device 105A via the tertiary communication channel 125.

[0016] A portable electronic device, for example the portable electronic device 105A including a plurality of elements is explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 2. A primary communication device, for example the primary communication device 115A including a plurality of elements is explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device, for example the portable electronic device 105A, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0018] The portable electronic device 105A includes a bus 205 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 210 coupled with the bus 205 for processing information. The portable electronic device 105A also includes a memory 215, for example a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 205 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 210. The memory 215 can be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processor 210. The portable electronic device 105A further includes a read only memory (ROM) 220 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 205 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 210. A storage unit 225, for example a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to the bus 205 for storing information.

[0019] The portable electronic device 105A can be coupled via the bus 205 to a display 230, for example a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying content. The input device 235, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus 205 for communicating information and command selections to the processor 210. Another type of user input device is the cursor control 240, for example a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor 210 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 230.

[0020] Various embodiments are related to the use of the portable electronic device 105A for implementing the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, the techniques are performed by the portable electronic device 105A in response to the processor 210 executing instructions included in the memory 215. Such instructions can be read into the memory 215 from another machine-readable medium, for example the storage unit 225. Execution of the instructions included in the memory 215 causes the processor 210 to perform the process steps described herein.

[0021] In some embodiments, the processor 210 can include one or more processing units for performing one or more functions of the processor 210. The processing units are hardware circuitry used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform specified functions.

[0022] The term "machine-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to perform a specific function. In an embodiment implemented using the portable electronic device 105A, various machine-readable media are involved, for example, in providing instructions to the processor 210 for execution. The machine-readable medium can be a storage medium, either volatile or non-volatile. A volatile medium includes, for example, dynamic memory, such as the memory 215. A non-volatile medium includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, for example the storage unit 225. All such media must be tangible to enable the instructions carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism that reads the instructions into a machine.

[0023] Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic media, a CD-ROM, any other optical media, punchcards, papertape, any other physical media with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge.

[0024] In another embodiment, the machine-readable media can be transmission media including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that include the bus 205. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications. Examples of machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, a carrier wave as described hereinafter or any other media from which the portable electronic device 105A can read. For example, the instructions can initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the portable electronic device 105A can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on the bus 205. The bus 205 carries the data to the memory 215, from which the processor 210 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the memory 215 can optionally be stored on the storage unit 225 either before or after execution by the processor 210. All such media must be tangible to enable the instructions carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism that reads the instructions into a machine.

[0025] The portable electronic device 105A also includes a communication interface 245 coupled to the bus 205. The communication interface 245 provides a two-way data communication coupling between the portable electronic device 105A and the primary communication device 115A, and the portable electronic device 105B and the primary communication device 115B. For example, the communication interface 245 can be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface 245 can be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. In any such implementation, the communication interface 245 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a primary communication device, for example the primary communication device 115A, in accordance with one embodiment. The primary communication device 115A includes a near field communication (NFC) transceiver 305, a connection manager unit 310, and an access control unit 315. The connection manager unit 310 further includes a content management unit 320, a primary-secondary channel negotiator unit 325, a channel management unit 330, a security unit 335, a user preference management unit 340, a user preference database 345, and a content database 350.

[0027] The NFC transceiver 305 can transmit and receive configuration files to and from other NFC enabled devices, for example the portable electronic devices. Since, the data transfer rate of the NFC transceiver 305 is low, it is used to fetch initial setup parameters, for example filename, and location parameters. The connection manager unit 310 coordinates connection related functionalities between the security unit 335, the content management unit 320, the user preference management unit 340, the primary-secondary channel negotiator unit 325, and the channel management unit 330. The connection manager unit 310 further behaves as an interface to the access control unit 315. The access control unit 315 handles privilege rights for using the connection manager unit 310.

[0028] The content management unit 320 is responsible for managing the content and initiating transfer of the content, for example the file. The content is further stored in the content database 350.

[0029] The primary-secondary channel negotiator unit 325 is responsible for negotiating transfer of the content from the secondary communication channel 110 to the primary communication channel 120 or from the primary communication channel 120 to the tertiary communication channel 125.

[0030] The channel management unit 330 is responsible for keeping a list of channels and properties of channels listed.

[0031] The security unit 335 is responsible for implementing security features, for example encryption, and policy based request screening.

[0032] The user preference management unit 340 is responsible for monitoring logging of user preferences. The user preferences are stored in the user preference database 345.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices, in accordance with one embodiment. The method starts at step 405.

[0034] At step 410, a first plurality of parameters associated with a file included on a first portable electronic device, for example the electronic display device 105A, of a first user is received. Examples of the first plurality of parameters include, but are not limited to, identification and setup parameters. The file can include a configuration file.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first plurality of parameters is received using near field communication.

[0036] At step 415, the file is copied from the first portable electronic device to a first primary communication device, for example the primary communication device 115A, based on the first plurality of parameters using a secondary communication channel, for example the secondary communication channel 110.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first user taps the first portable electronic device to the first primary communication device to initiate transfer of the file.

[0038] At step 420, the file is transferred from the first primary communication device to a second primary communication device, for example the primary communication device 115B, using a primary communication channel, for example the primary communication channel 120.

[0039] In some embodiments, the. primary communication channel is identified from one or more existing channels.

[0040] In some embodiments, approval of the first user is determined before the transfer of the file.

[0041] At step 425, a second user of a second portable electronic device, for example the portable electronic device 105B, is enabled to receive the file from the first portable electronic device. If the second user desires to download the file onto the second portable electronic device, the second user taps the second portable electronic device to the second primary communication device. A second plurality of parameters associated with the file is then received. Examples of the second plurality of parameters include, but are not limited to, filename and location parameters. File parameters are also received from the second primary communication device. The file is further transferred from the second primary communication device to the second portable electronic device using the tertiary communication channel.

[0042] In some embodiments, one or more files can be transferred.

[0043] In some embodiments, approval of the second user is determined before the transfer of the file.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second plurality of parameters is received using near field communication.

[0045] The method stops at step 430.

[0046] Advantageously, the embodiments specified in the present disclosure enable seamless transfer of content between portable electronic devices. The present disclosure enables users to easily share the content from multiple external devices. The present disclosure also reduces manual intervention and provides a user friendly file sharing method. The present disclosure further allows complete use of existing communication channels.

[0047] In the preceding specification, the present disclosure and its advantages have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, it will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes can be made, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded as illustrative examples of the present disclosure, rather than in restrictive sense. All such possible modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present disclosure.

I/We claim:
1. A method of transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices, the method comprising: receiving a first plurality of parameters associated with a file comprised on a first portable electronic device of a first user; copying the file from the first portable electronic device to a first primary communication device based on the first plurality of parameters using a secondary communication channel; transferring the file from the first primary communication device to a second primary communication device using a primary communication channel; and enabling a second user of a second portable electronic device to receive the file from the first portable electronic device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the first plurality of parameters comprises: enabling the first user to tap the first portable electronic device to the first primary communication device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein transferring the file comprises: identifying the primary communication channel; and determining approval of the first user.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein enabling the second user to receive the file comprises: receiving a second plurality of parameters associated with the file; receiving file parameters from the second primary communication device; transferring the file from the second primary communication device to the second portable electronic device using a tertiary communication channel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first plurality of parameters and the second plurality of parameters of the file are received using near field communication.

6. A system for transferring content seamlessly between electronic devices, the system comprising: a plurality of portable electronic devices; a plurality of primary communication devices; a communication interface in electronic communication with the plurality of portable electronic devices and the plurality of primary communication devices; a memory that stores instructions; and a processor responsive to the instructions to receive a first plurality of parameters associated with a file comprised on a first portable electronic device of a first user; copy the file from the first portable electronic device to a first primary communication device based on the first plurality of parameters using a secondary communication channel; transfer the file from the first primary communication device to a second primary communication device using a primary communication channel; and enable a second user of a second portable electronic device to receive the file from the first portable electronic device.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of primary communication devices further comprises: a near field communication (NFC) transceiver that that transmits and receives files; a connection manager unit; and an access control unit.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connection manager unit comprises: a content management unit that manages the content and initiates transfer of the content; a primary-secondary channel negotiator unit that negotiates transfer of the content; a channel management unit that maintains a list of channels and properties of channels listed; a security unit that implements security features; and a user preference management unit that monitors logging of user preferences.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection manager unit further comprises: a user preference database that stores the user preferences; and a content database that stores the content.