Ghost Entry File Sync for Seamless Remote Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
File management systems face challenges in efficiently managing disk space on client devices, requiring users to selectively download and delete files to prevent exceeding allocated space, and necessitating a dedicated application for remote file access, which complicates seamless browsing between local and remote files.
Innovation Solution
A file sync application determines which files to download by applying rules and ranking algorithms, creates 'ghost' entries for undownloaded files in the local file system, and attaches event handlers to intercept actions, allowing seamless browsing without a dedicated application and managing disk space by selecting files for deletion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated application is used to access remotely stored files, then remote file access functionality is provided, but device complexity increases and seamless browsing with local files is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the remote file system with the local file system by creating ghost entries that appear in the local file system browser. This allows native file browsing applications to access both local and remote files seamlessly without requiring a dedicated application, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining remote access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ghost entries as intermediary representations of remote files in the local file system. These ghost entries act as mediators that allow the file system to present remote files as if they were local, enabling seamless browsing without requiring users to switch between dedicated applications and native applications.
2Ease of operation
If all accessible files are downloaded to local storage, then seamless file access is enabled, but disk space requirements exceed allocated space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary metadata and file system structure information to create ghost entries, while leaving the actual file data on the remote server. This allows the local system to present and browse files conveniently without storing the full file contents, thereby maintaining ease of operation while reducing disk space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments file access into two parts: (1) local storage of minimal metadata and ghost entries for browsing and access control, and (2) remote storage of actual file data. This segmentation allows seamless file access through the ghost entries while minimizing local disk space usage by storing only essential information locally.
3Quantity of substance
If users manually select files for local storage, then disk space is optimized, but user time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by automatically creating and managing ghost entries based on the file system structure and user access patterns. The system automatically determines which files need ghost entries and maintains the local representation without requiring manual user selection or intervention, thereby optimizing disk space while eliminating user time investment.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various examples for downloading data objects by enforcing a threshold amount of allocated data. In one example, among others, an application downloads a first subset of the files from a remote file management system. A user interface displays file system entries that represent the first subset of downloaded files and a second subset of undownloaded files from the remote file management system. The application detects an event for a respective file system entry associated with a respective file from the second subset of undownloaded files. The respective file is downloaded from the remote management system.