Patent Application
20140006551
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data backup, and more particularly to a system and a method using a mobile application for backing up data.
2. Description of Related Art
As mobile devices become more powerful and convenient, users begin to store more of their personal data on the mobile device. For instance, built-in cameras in mobile devices have made it easier for users to take the pictures whenever the moment strikes. But, the problem with the mobile devices is that they can be easily lost, or the data may be negligently deleted, and consequently data backup is much more important than ever.
Conventional ways of backing up the data include using memory cards or external hard disks , or saving the data via email. However, the disadvantages of conventional backup techniques are the lack of mobility and flexibility in use, and in addition data can not be backed up instantly.
For the above noted reasons, and others, a need has arisen to propose a novel backup scheme that provides a mobile, customized, flexible, and convenient solution to users.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a system and a method for instantly backing up data.
According to one embodiment, a system includes a cloud storage, a mobile application installed in a mobile device and a local storage. The mobile application is launched to constantly check if data is processed in the mobile device. If the data is checked, the mobile application uploads the data from the mobile device to the cloud storage. The data in the cloud storage is downloaded to the local storage. The data in the cloud storage is deleted, after the data has been downloaded from the cloud storage to the local storage.
In the embodiment, the mobile device 120 may preferably be such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone or a tablet. The local storage 130 may generally be a computer such as, but not limited to, a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer or a pocket PC.
In the embodiment, the data connection 140 may preferably be such as, but not limited to, a WiFi connection (e.g., IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11b, etc.), a cellular data connection (e.g., CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX, LTE, etc), or a combination thereof. Moreover, in another embodiment of the present invention, if the mobile application 122 is launched for the first time, the mobile application 122 prompts a user to confirm whether to upload the data 124 to the cloud storage 110 automatically.
In another embodiment, in step 220, if the mobile application 122 is launched for the first time, the user is further prompted to confirm whether to upload the data 124 to the cloud storage 110 automatically.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, before uploading the data 124 to the cloud storage 110 in step 230, the method 200 further includes determining whether a data connection 140 between the mobile device 120 and the cloud storage 110 is available. If it is determined that the data connection 140 is available, the data 124 will instantly be uploaded to the cloud storage 112. On the other hand, if it is determined that the data connection 140 is not available, the data, which has been processed but hasn't been uploaded, will be kept in a record 128 and then be uploaded to the cloud storage 110 in accordance with the record 128 as soon as the data connection 140 becomes available.
As for step 240, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method 200 further includes launching a local application 132 installed in the local storage 130 to monitor if the data 112 has been downloaded to a backup folder 134 in the local storage 130. Also, if the data 112 has been downloaded to the local storage 130, the user may click the local application 132 to display the data 136 in the backup folder 134.
According to the embodiment described above, the system and the method provided in the present invention are capable of using the mobile application to instantly perform the data backup through the cloud storage to the local storage, therefore substantially protecting the data on the mobile device and providing flexibility and convenience in use.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is intended to be limited solely by the appended claims.
