BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a peer-to-peer file sharing system and method between electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital photo frames (DPF) are becoming increasingly popular due to the convenience and ease of manipulation when browsing media files stored therein. When a user of the DPF wants to share a private media file with others, the media file must be uploaded to a remote public server in the Internet. Then the others can download the media file from the remote public server to their DPFs for browsing. However, the private media file will be exposed in the Internet, and it is insecure.
What is needed, therefore, is a peer-to-peer file sharing system and method between electronic devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a peer-to-peer file sharing system.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a peer-to-peer file sharing method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an embodiment of a peer-to-peer file sharing system includes a first electronic device, a first gateway 30 connected to the first electronic device for connecting the first electronic device to a network 50, a second electronic device, a second gateway 40 connected to the second electronic device for connecting the second electronic device to the network 50, and a server 70 connected to the network 50. In one embodiment, the first electronic device is a first digital photo frame 10, the second electronic device is a second digital photo frame 20, the network 50 may be the Internet or the local network, and so on. A plurality of media files, such as photos, videos, audios, can be stored in the first digital photo frame 10. Network information of digital photo frames connecting to the network 50 is stored in the server 70. The network information of digital photo frames includes identification information, address information, and so on, in which the identification information is the Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) of the digital photo frame, and the address information is the Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Referring to FIG. 1, when a media file in the first digital photo frame 10 needs to be transferred to the second digital photo frame 20, the UUID of the second digital photo frame 20 is required to be known. When the first digital photo frame 10 and the second digital photo frame 20 are turned on and connected to the network 50 through the first gateway 30 and the second gateway 40 respectively, the first digital photo frame 10 and the second digital photo frame 20 log on to the server 70 automatically for updating their network information.
Referring to FIG. 2, the first digital photo frame 10 sends the UUID of the second digital photo frame 20 and a request destination IP for querying the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20 to the server 70. The server 70 determines whether the UUID of the second digital photo frame sent by the first digital photo frame 10 is valid, if the UUID is valid, the server 70 will send the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20 to the first digital photo frame 10 according to the request destination IP. If the UUID is invalid, the server 70 will notify that the UUID is false, and the first digital photo frame 10 will send the UUID and the request destination IP to the server 70 again.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, when the first digital photo frame 10 receives the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20, the first digital photo frame 10 will send a data transfer request to the second digital photo frame 20 according to the IP address, and wait for a respond from the second digital photo frame 20. When the second digital photo frame 20 receives the data transfer request, the second digital photo frame 20 will reply whether receives the media file from the first digital photo frame 10, therefore establishing the connection between the two digital photo frames 10, 20. If the second digital photo frame 20 replies yes, the first digital photo frame 10 will transmit the media file to the second digital photo frame 20 directly. If the second digital photo frame 20 replies no, the connection between the two digital photo frames 10, 20 will be disconnected. When the second digital photo frame 20 receives the media file, the media file can be browsed.
Referring to FIG. 5, a flow chart of a peer-to-peer file sharing method includes the following steps:
- S1: The first digital photo frame 10 and the second digital photo frame 20 are turned on, and log on to the server 70 through the first gateway 30 and the second gateway 40 automatically to update their corresponding network information in the server 70;
- S2: The first digital photo frame 10 sends the UUID of the second digital photo frame 20 and the request destination IP for querying the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20 to the server 70;
- S3: The server 70 determines whether the UUID of the second digital photo frame sent by the first digital photo frame 10 is valid; if the UUID of the second digital photo frame is valid, go to step S4; if the UUID of the second digital photo frame is invalid, the server 70 notifies the first digital photo frame 10 that the UUID is false;
- S4: The server 70 sends the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20 to the first digital photo frame 10;
- S5: The first digital photo frame 10 sends a data transfer request for transmitting the media file to the second digital photo frame 20 according to the IP address of the second digital photo frame 20, and wait for the reply of the second digital photo frame 20;
- S6: The second digital photo frame 20 receives the data transfer request, and replies to the first digital photo frame 10 whether receives the media file from the first digital photo frame 10; if the second digital photo frame 20 replies yes, go to step S7; if the second digital photo frame 20 replies no, the connection between the two digital photo frames 10, 20 will be disconnected;
- S7: The first digital photo frame 10 transmits the media file to the second digital photo frame 20 directly.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of preferred embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the preferred embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
It is also to be understood that the above description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps. However, the indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps.
Patent Application
20100254631
