Patent Publication Number: US-2007112923-A1

Title: File download systems and methods

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present disclosure relates generally to file management, and, more particularly to file download systems and methods for managing the authority of file download system in a network platform.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Recently, Using network has become a necessary part of life. Surfing websites and downloading files via electronic devices such as notebooks and PDAs with network capability is common.  
      Generally, when a user wants to download a file from a specific website, the website provides an interface for selecting whether to directly open the file or save the file. Any person has the authority without identification (ID) and a password for opening or saving file in his computer. In this case, anyone can possess the authority to download the file if he can connect to the file through his electronic device. If someone plans to steal manager confidential documents, he can illegally get identification and a password. Inputting the identification and the password has the authority for entering the website. When accessing the website, he can arbitrarily download any file he needs. Furthermore, the website has no security mechanism for his confidential files.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      File download systems and methods are provided.  
      An embodiment of a file download system comprises a client, an email box, and a content provider having at least one file. The content provider receives a download request for the file from the client, and transmits the file to the email box indicated by the content provider. The client connects to the email box and acquires the file therefrom.  
      In an embodiment of a file download method for use in a content provider having at least one file, identification data is inputted to the content provider. A download request for the file is received from a client to the content provider. The file according to the download request is transmitted to an email box indicated by the identification data of the content provider. The client connects to the email box and acquires the file therefrom.  
      File download systems and methods may take the form of program code embodied in a tangible media. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed method. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will become more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a file download system;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user password table;  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user authority table;  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user data table; and  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a file download method. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      File download systems and methods are provided.  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a file download system. The file download system  1000  comprises a content provider  1100 , at least one client  1200 , an email box  1300  owned by the client  1200 , and at least one file authority owner  1400 .  
      The content provider  1100  comprises a user password table  1110 , a user authority table  1120 , a user data table  1130 , a processing module  1140 , an interface  1150 , and a file database  1160  comprising at least one file  1161 . The content provider  1100  uses the user password table  1110  to authenticate a client upon login.  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user password table. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the data structure of the user password table  1110  comprises a user identification field  1111  and a password field  1112  for respectively storing a login account on the content provider  1100  and a corresponding password. The content provider  1100  uses the user authority table  1120  to determine whether a user has authority to download a specific file.  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user authority table. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the data structure of the user authority table  1120  comprises a user identification field  1111  and a file download authority field  1121  for respectively storing a login account on the content provider  1100  and authority to download a specific file.  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the data structure of a user data table. As shown in  Fig.4 , the data structure of the user data table  1130  comprises a user identification field  1111  and an email address field  1131  for respectively storing a login account on the content provider  1100  and an email address corresponding to the login account. The processing module  1140  performs user authentication according to the user identification  1111  and password  1112  input by a user, download authority determination to determine whether the user has authority to download specific data if the user passes the authentication and wants to download the specific data on the content provider  1100 , and file download by directly transmitting the specific data to an email box corresponding to the user. Additionally, the client  1200  can browse and request to download the file  1161  in the file database  1160  via the interface  1150 . It is understood that the file authority owner  1400  can be a system administrator of the content provider  1100  or personnel having authority for the file  1161 .  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart -showing an embodiment of a file download method. In step S 501 , the client  1200  inputs identification data, such as user identification and a password to log into the content provider  1100 . In step S 502 , the content provider  1100  authenticates the client  1200  according to the identification data inputted before. It is understood that the authentication is performed by checking whether the user identification is set in the user password table  1110 , and if so, determining whether the input password conforms to the set password of the user password table  1110 . If the authentication fails, proceeding to step S 503 , an error message is generated. In step S 504 , it is determined whether the client  1200  wants to apply for an account. If not, the procedure is completed. If so, the content provider  1100  generates an account for the client  1200  automatically, or based on direction of a system administrator. The procedure goes to step S 506 .  
      Judge whether the authentication passes in step S 502 . If so, go to step S 506 . In step S 506 , the client  1200  is granted to entry the content provider  1100 , and browses the file  1161  in the file database  1160  via the interface  1150 . In step S 507 , it is determined whether the client  1200  wants to download the file  1161 . It is understood that, in some embodiments, the client  1200  may generate a download request for the file  1161  by selecting a link (not shown) corresponding to the file  1161  in the interface  1150 . If the client  1200  does not want to download the file  1161 , the procedure returns to step S 506  the client  1200  can use the interface  1150  to browse other files in the file database  1160 . If the client  1200  wants to download the file  1161 , proceeding to step S 508 , the content provider  1100  determines whether the client  1200  has authority to download the file  1161  by checking whether the data recorded in the authority field  1121  of the user authority table.  1120  corresponding to the user identification  1111  of the client  1200  is valid in step S 509 . If so, proceeding to step S 510 , the content provider  1100  retrieves an email address inputted by the client  1200  from the user data table  1130  according to the user identification of the client  1200 , and transmits the file  1161  to the email box  1300  according to the retrieved email address. If not, proceeding to step S 510 , the content provider  1100  transmits a confirmation letter to the file authority owner  1400  for approving the download of the file  1161 . If the confirmation is not approved by the file authority owner  1400 , proceeding to step S 513 , the content provider  1100  transmits a letter of download denied to the email box  1300  inputted by the client  1200 . If the confirmation is approved by the file authority owner  1400 , proceeding to step S 510 , the content provider  1100  retrieves an email address of the client  1200  from the user data table  1130  according to the user identification of the client  1200 , and transmits the file  1161  to the email box  1300  according to the retrieved email address. It is understood that after the file authority owner  1400  makes a decision to the download confirmation, the file authority owner  1400  transmits a reply, a message or an email message comprising the confirmation result to the content provider  1100 , and the content provider  1100  determines the confirmation result accordingly. Therefore, the client  1200  can connect to the email box  1300 , and acquire the file  1161  transmitted from the content provider  1100  therefrom. It is understood that a system (not shown) providing the email box  1300  may have a user authentication mechanism. When the client  1200  connects to the email box  1300 , identification data must be input to the system for authentication to login the email box  1300  for acquiring the file  1161 .  
      The file download system and method of the present invention are disclosed. Compared to prior art, the file download system has a download mechanism for security. A user intends to download a file. The download request for the file is received from a client. The file is transmitted to an email box connected to the client. If anyone wants to download the file, he must possess the authority to download the file. If he has the authority, the file will be transmitted to a default email box set before. The file download system can prevent the file stolen by other people who intend to get the confidential file illegally. Moreover, the file download system of the present invention has a secure mechanism.  
      File download systems and methods, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., executable instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as products, floppy diskettes, CD-ROMS, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine thereby becomes an apparatus for practicing the methods. The methods may also be embodied in the form of program code transmitted over some transmission media, such as electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed methods. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to application specific logic circuits.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those who are skilled in this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.