FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for searching and
sharing content and multimedia data independent of a server by text messaging
in a mobile phone / PDA.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
US Patent application number 11/381, 242 discloses a mobile telephone based
peer-to-peer sharing. United States Patent 6,965, 770 provides dynamic content
delivery in response to user request.
Document 20070021137 describes peer-to-peer group management framework
and methodology.
In the known system the content can be put in mobile A, and can be accessed by
mobile B. There is peer-to-peer server logic, which actually manages the
resources. In the system with mobiles A, B if mobile B has new content to be

shared, it will request the server that it wants to share content. The server will
send it a form in which it will fill the content details. The server will update the
list of available contents and the location of the content. When say mobile A
requests for a particular item while browsing content list using data connection
server, peer-to-peer sends a request to mobile B to send MMS message with the
selected content to mobile A.
Another known system discloses a framework where user can create groups but
here the privacy is not considered. A user becoming a group member
automatically gets access to other group member hence violating privacy of
individuals. Moreover this method talks more on sharing contents.
In the existing method contents have to be updated on the peer-to-peer server
every time, which leads to additional overhead traffic. Sharing of content is
limited to multimedia data. Also content list on the server has to be browsed
each time to look for the available contents.

In document US 2007/0021137, no apparatus is provided to search for desired
content at will. This document discloses sharing of content.
There was therefore a need for an apparatus for groups that are very
transparent i.e. privacy of an individual is not taken into account. New member
joining group gets access to all existing members (similar to social networking).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to provide a server-less,
decentralized method of sharing contacts / multimedia data among a close group
of known users. Intimation for search of content is done by speciaHzed text
messages while delivery of content will be done by MMS service. The delivery
method can be via text messages or other means as well (depending on the
proximity of the users) tike bluetooth, wi-fi, wi-max, wibro, or even wireless usb.
The main focus of this invention is on "searching" of data in totally private and
closed groups and then sharing the data by any of the existing methods.

In a preferred embodiment the present invention provides a method for
searching and sharing content and multimedia data independent of a server, by
text messaging in a mobile phone / PDA, said method comprising the steps of:
searching and creating a close private group of users without involving any
external entity or a service provider; searching for multimedia contents in the
dose group by text messaging; and sharing the required multimedia content with
other users in the group.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The invention can now be described in detail with the help of the figures of the
accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 shows that user A wants to create a share group with his friends.
Figure 2
(a) and (b) show that user selects a set of contacts
to whom he wants to share.

Figure 3 shows that recipients get notification regarding "User A" invention.
Figure 4 shows the selection of acquaintance level.
Figure 5 shows that response is sent.
Figure 6 shows that "User A" sees the list indicating
the users agreeing to his request.
Figure 7 shows that user wants to use the
peer-to-peer search / share feature.
Figure 8 shows selection of file search.
Figure 9 shows entering of the fife name.
Figure 10 shows the selection of a set of users among whom
he wants to make the search.

Figure 11 shows sending of requests for the search.
Figure 12 shows recipients receiving request notification on their screen.
Figure 13 shows recipients getting notification
on their screen about search completion.
Figure 14 shows user A receiving response from all recipients and a compiled
list is displayed to him on which he can select files to fetch.
Figure 15 shows that user A sends request.
Figure 16 shows that recipients receive request for file transfer.
Figure 17 shows that user A receives.
Figure 18 shows second scenario (searching for contact).

Figure 19 shows entering of name to be searched.
Figure 20 shows selection of contact names to which message is to be sent.
Figure 21 shows confirmation for sending message.
Figure 22 shows that contacted person receives notification
for approval, only when he has a matching contact.
Figure 23 shows that user A receives a list of matched results.
Figure 24 illustrates the concept of closed groups of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the method of the present invention a mobile A can search for any multimedia
content or contacts on a list of closed group of registered users. The closed
group can be created by any mobile phone which supports this system. While
creating the close group, the participating members have to agree on terms
which indude others accessing the storage and contents of their mobile phone.

The concept of "closed groups" is explained in Figure 24. User A initiates
formation of a group by sending a request to user B. Once user B agrees, they
both become part of the group. Similarly, A gets connected to F and H. But till
now there is no interaction between user B and user F or user B and user H.
Group 1 is totally a private group of user A. If B wants to interact with user F or
H, he / she has to separately request the same to F and H.
Thus each individual member in the group has their own independent "private"
group.
This is very important since very sensitive data like contacts information are
being targeted. Another important point is that the data search is at will of the
user e.g., user A wants to search for some data then only a request will be sent
and search will be conducted in the peers mobile phones (who have already
agreed to do so). Nothing will be delivered to anyone without his / her will.
There is no centralized control over this. Every individual member can control
the group he/she wants to interact with and the contents they want to share.

The content search request is sent to the users via specialized text message.
Search is activated on each recipient's local mobile phone on receiving this
message for the contact name or multimedia requested. The response is sent by
each recipient to the requesting user and a list of search matching with location
is displayed on the user screen. The user can send a request to location which
he/she feels best matches his search criteria. If the request is for "contact"
information, the business card of the matching contact name is automatically
sent. If the request is for multimedia contents, the recipient can then reply with
an MMS to the user and content attached.
The operation of the invention has been vividly described in the figures depicted
above. The basic idea as mentioned above revotves around sharing of content
peer-to-peer among a set of consenting users. First of all a "private" set of users
have to be created. Joining the list will give each user a free pass to look and
search into the content of each other's storages. Any mobile supporting this
protocol should have both the initiator and responder forms of this system
installed into their mobile.

To start using this application first a list / group of agreeing users has to be
created. Any one can initiate this process. Suppose a user named "A" wants to
create a group in which he can search for contents (Figure 1). For that he will
first go to the contact list, select a set of users who he think are reliable
(because using this application he will actually allow full access to his mobile
phone) and then sends them request to join the group. The request will be sent
in the form of a simple text message on the network. However, it will contain a
specialized header format, which will be understood by the responder module of
this application sitting on the other mobiles. The responder will check for this
header and instead of sending the message to the inbox will pop-up a
notification to the users (Figure 3) that "user A wants to create a private share
group with you, do you want to join'? The recipient can either accept / decline
the request depending of his / her acquaintance with user A.
All the recipients who gave a positive response to request of user A will generate
a text message, again containing a specialized header suggesting their
willingness to join the group. After receiving these acknowledgements "A" is
now connected to all the contacts from whom he got a positive response
(contact 3, 4 and 5 in Figures 6 to 7).

Once the group of A is complete suppose user A wants to search for a media file
"Indian.mp3" (Figures 8, 9). He will go to the application search box type the
name and press OK. Now he can select the users (contact 3 and 4 Figure 10)
from the list of users he is connected to (those who have agreed to share
information with him Figure 9). This will generate another text message with
special header and operation code with file name. This will be receiving by users
who were selected, A notification will pop up on the recipient's screen, which
will indicate the invention of "A".
On pressing the search will start in the background. On completing the search a
similar notification will be made to the user that search is completed and a
compiled list of search result is being sent to "user A". On pressing OK again
text message with special header and operation code and search result is sent to
"user A". Similarly search results are also received by "user A" from the
remaining contacts. The system will internally receive the result compile and
sort the result. The sorted result is then displayed on the screen of the user in
the form shown in Figure 13. The user can now select from the select box and
then command fetch. This will send text message with operation code and file

path to the recipients. On receiving this recipient get a notification that "user A"
intends to get the following file from the system. The recipient can either reverts
back via MMS and file attached to that or by any other medium depending on the
convenience and proximity among the two. For example if they are close
enough (sitting in a restaurant) then the recipient can easily send the same file
via bluetooth.
"User A" will then receive the content, which it can save to its local storage.
Another aspect of this invention is that "user A" can also search for any contacts
which it is not having and feels that the contact might be lying in any of his
contact's contact list. For this also the method of communication and response
wilt be same. The difference will be in the operation code that will be sent with
the specialized text message that is sent to the recipients. This will help the
responder application to identify it is a contact search or a file search.

At this point it must be mentioned that, because "user A" has created group with
contact 2, 3, 4. Only it can communicate with all of them as they all of agreed to
share with "user A". If contact 2 want to share with contact 3 then it will have to
repeat the process (the registration process) that "user A" did and now contact 2
and 3 can also share. This will in effect lead to scaling of the network as well.
Consider a second situation when our "user A" wants to contact Mr. Kundan but
he / she is not having his contact information. So using the application based on
the implementation of this by this invention he types names "kundan" where
"kundan" being the last or first name. The user A selects the set of users (from
the list of agreed users) to search for this contact information and sends them a
request (Figure 19, 20, 21). The information is searched in the individual
mobiles contact list and a notification of the same is displayed to the particular
user on whose mobile the information was found.
The recipients receive notification only if the contact related to the name
searched is found in their list (Figure 22). The notification displayed on their
screen asks for the contacted person's approval for sharing of information of

"kundan das". If the contacted person agrees, then the number is sent to "user
A" on the other hand receives a list of name matching "kundan" (it may be
kundan das or kundan slngh Figure 23). "User A" can now use the information
received as per his requirement.
As can be easily figured out in the above explanation, sharing is based on the
basts of demand. Unless there is request from a member of the group there is
no sharing of data. Moreover the data shared is also exclusive, i.e. data is sent
to the needed person only and not broadcasted.
An important feature of this invention lies in the way groups are formed. The
groups formed are very exclusive. For example, say a user A is a member of
group 1 as well as group 2 wherein he / she is connected to user B who is in
group 1 and user C who is in group 2. Although, user B and user C have a
common connection between them which is user A, still they cannot share with
each other because they themselves have not agreed on to share among
themselves. This brings in a concept of tight private groups. (Ref. Figure 24).
Similarly users (F and H) in group 1 itself cannot communicate among
themselves.

WE CLAIM
1. A method for searching and sharing content and multimedia data
independent of a server, by text messaging in a mobile phone / PDA,
said method comprising the steps of:
- searching and creating a close private group of users without
involving any external entity or a service provider;
- searching for multimedia contents in the close group by text
messaging; and
- sharing the required multimedia content with other users in the
group.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of searching and
creating a close group of users comprises sending notification to other
users in network and selecting the group after obtaining the group's
content for sharing information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for sharing of contacts /
multimedia contents amongst themselves other members in the group
are required to agree separately.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of searching and
sharing the required multimedia content with other users in the group
comprises transferring of files from the users after receiving request on
their screen for the content sharing.
5. A method for searching and sharing content and multimedia data
independent of a server, by text messaging in a mobile phone / PDA,
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the figures of the
accompanying drawings.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a server-less, decentralized method of sharing contacts / multimedia data among a close group of known users. Intimation for search of content is done by speciaHzed text messages while delivery of content will be done by MMS service. The delivery method can be via text messages or other means as well (depending on the
proximity of the users) tike bluetooth, wi-fi, wi-max, wibro, or even wireless usb. The main focus of this invention is on "searching" of data in totally private and closed groups and then sharing the data by any of the existing methods. In a preferred embodiment the present invention provides a method for searching and sharing content and multimedia data independent of a server, by text messaging in a mobile phone / PDA, said method comprising the steps of:
searching and creating a close private group of users without involving any external entity or a service provider; searching for multimedia contents in the dose group by text messaging; and sharing the required multimedia content with
other users in the group.