US 2008/0168048 A1 · User content feeds from user storage devices to a public search engine

Abstract

Allowing unhosted user content feeds to a public search engine, such as a web search engine, involves a user easily identifying a file as a file the user wants to share with others by, for example, storing the file in a particular directory folder on the user's device. Once identified, the file is scanned and a corresponding entry is inserted into a search index. The storage location on the user's device may be captured, and that information added to the search index for linking to the stored file. The file may be uploaded to a caching server, for serving either primarily from the caching server or secondarily from the caching server when the file is not available from the user's storage. An access policy, which indicates what portion of the public has permission to access the file, may be associated with the shared file.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform certain steps comprising:

receiving identification of an unhosted file;
in response to receiving said identification,
creating a word set representing information about said file;
uploading said file for storage at a location that is accessible through a web server;
and
based on said word set, generating a search index entry for said file, wherein said search index is associated with a public search engine;
wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of (a) sending said instructions over transmission media, (b) receiving said instructions over transmission media, (c) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium, and (d) executing the instructions.

4 more elements

receiving identification of a folder for storing one or more unhosted files;
in response to receiving said identification,
creating word sets representing information about one or more files in said folder;
and
based on said word sets, generating a search index entry for each of said one or more files, wherein said search index is associated with a public search engine;
wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of (a) sending said instructions over transmission media, (b) receiving said instructions over transmission media, (c) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium, and (d) executing the instructions.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

User content feeds from user storage devices to a public search engine

Life of this patent

User content feeds from user storage devices to a public search engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17