Patent Publication Number: US-2013249822-A1

Title: Electronic device and method for transmitting files using the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to communication technology, and more particularly to an electronic device and a method for transmitting files using the electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     People who use an electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone) may want to exchange data with other electronic devices via a wireless network (e.g., BLUETOOTH). For example, when a user views a file using a first electronic device, and wants to share the file with a friend who has a second electronic device, a connection between the first and second electronic devices needs to be established first, then the file in the first electronic device is chosen and transmitted to the second electronic device. Thus, it is inconvenient for the file to be shared with other people. Therefore, what is needed is an electronic device and a transmission method to overcome the aforementioned problem. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a first electronic device and a second electronic device including a transmitting system. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of function modules of the transmitting system included in the first and second electronic devices of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a transmitting method to transmit a file from the first electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a transmitting method to receive a file by the second electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of setting borderlines of a touch screen of the first electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     In general, the word module, as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY, flash memory, and hard disk drives. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a first electronic device  100  in communication with a second electronic device  200 . The first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200  may be mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, or other computing devices. 
     The first electronic device  100  includes a first touch screen  101 , a first storage device  102 , and a first processor  103 . The second electronic device  200  includes a second touch screen  201 , a second storage device  202 , and a second processor  203 . The first touch screen  101  and the second touch screen  201  may be touch panels, which support multi-touch, such as resistive touch screens or capacitive touch screens. 
     The first storage device  102  and the second storage device  202  may be used to store various data, such as files, images, videos, for example. 
     In some embodiments, both of the first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200  include a transmitting system  30 . The transmitting system  30  transmits specified data between the first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200 . Further details will be provided below. 
     The first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200  are generally controlled and coordinated by an operating system, such as UNIX, LINUX, WINDOWS, MAC OS X, ANDROID, SYMBIAN, an embedded operating system, or any other compatible operating systems. In other embodiments, the first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200  may be controlled by proprietary operating systems. All such operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution, perform memory management, provide a file system, networking, and I/O services, and provide a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), among other things. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of function modules of the transmitting system  30  included in the first electronic device  100  and the second electronic device  200  of  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, the transmitting system  30  may include a setting module  301 , a determination module  302 , a matching module  303 , a detection module  304 , a feedback module  305 , a sending module  306 , and a receiving module  307 . The modules  301 - 307  comprise computerized codes in the form of one or more programs that may be stored in each of the first storage device  102  and the second storage device  202 . The computerized code includes instructions that are executed by the first processor  103  or by the second processor  203  to provide functions for the modules. 
     In some embodiments, the first electronic device  100  may be a sender electronic device to transmit files to the second electronic device  200 , and the second electronic device  200  may be a recipient electronic device to receive the files from the first electronic device  100 . In other embodiments, the first electronic device  100  may be the recipient electronic device, and the second electronic device  200  may be the sender electronic device. 
     For simplicity in describing the transmitting system  30  below, the first electronic device  100  is considered as the sender electronic device and the electronic device  200  is considered as the recipient electronic device. 
     The word “borderlines” is defined to be one or more imaginary lines that limits a border of the first touch screen  101  of the first electronic device  100 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , lines indicating ⅛ or ¼ or ½ of half of a width of the first touch screen  101 , may be set as the borderlines. The setting module  301  sets one or more borderlines of the first touch screen  101  of the first electronic device  100 . In one embodiment, the setting module  301  sets the lines that indicate ¼ of half of the width of the first touch screen  101  as the borderlines. 
     The determination module  302  determines whether a file of the first electronic device  100  has been dragged outside of one of the borderlines. For example, if a user uses a mouse of the first electronic device  100  to drag and drop the file outside of one of the borderlines, the determination module  302  determines that the file needs to be shared with other electronic devices. 
     The matching module  303  generates a search signal to search one or more electronic devices that agree to receive the file when the file has been dragged outside of one of the borderlines. In one embodiment, the search signal may be a handshake signal or another kind of connection signal. The electronic devices that agree to receive the file will be considered as the recipient electronic devices. For simplification, it is assumed that the second electronic device  200  is the recipient electronic device that agrees to receive the file. 
     The determination module  302  further determines whether the first electronic device  100  receives a response signal from the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ), the response signal represents that the recipient electronic device agrees to receive the file. 
     The matching module  303  further establishes an electronic connection, such as a BLUETOOTH connection, between the first electronic device  100  and the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) when the first electronic device  100  receives the response signal from the recipient electronic device. 
     The sending module  306  sends the file to the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) when the first electronic device  100  is in electronic connection with the recipient electronic device, via a wireless network such as the BLUETOOTH. 
     The detection module  304  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) detects the search signal from the first electronic device  100 , and further detects a trigger signal to receive the file in response to the search signal. In one embodiment, the trigger signal is created in response to a touch/click/press operation on an icon displayed on the second touch screen  201  of the second electronic device  200 . The icon may be a circular icon, a triangular icon or, a rectangular icon. In one embodiment, the icon is a circular icon. 
     The feedback module  305  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) sends a response signal to the first electronic device  100  to agree to receive the file in response to the trigger signal. 
     The receiving module  306  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) receives the file from the first electronic device  100  when the first electronic device  100  is in electronic connection with the recipient electronic device. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a transmitting method to transmit a file from the first electronic device  100  of  FIG. 1 . Depending on the embodiment, additional blocks may be added, others deleted, and the ordering of the blocks may be changed. 
     In step S 1 , the setting module  301  sets one or more imaginary lines that limit a border of the first touch screen  101  of the first electronic device  100 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , lines indicating ⅛ or ¼ or ½ of half of a width of the first touch screen  101  may be set as the borderlines. In one embodiment, the setting module  301  sets the lines, which indicate ¼ of half of the width of the first touch screen  101  as the borderlines. 
     In step S 2 , the determination module  302  determines whether a file has been dragged outside of one of the borderlines. For example, if a user uses a mouse of the first electronic device  100  to drag and drop the file outside of one of the borderlines, the determination module  302  determines that the file needs to be shared with other electronic devices. If the file is determined to be shared with other electronic devices, step S 3  implemented, otherwise if the file is not determined to be shared with other electronic devices, the process ends. 
     In step S 3 , the matching module  303  generates a search signal to search one or more electronic devices that agree to receive the file when the file has been dragged outside of one of the borderlines. In one embodiment, the search signal may be a handshake signal or another kind of connection signal. The electronic devices that agree to receive the file will be considered as the recipient electronic devices. For simplification, it is assumed that the second electronic device  200  is the recipient electronic device that agrees to receive the file. 
     In step S 4 , the determination module  302  further determines whether the first electronic device  100  receives a response signal from the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ), the response signal represents that the recipient electronic device agrees to receive the file. In one embodiment, the determination module  302  determines whether the first electronic device  100  receives the response signal in a predetermined time period (e.g. 30 seconds). If the first electronic device  100  receives the response signal in the predetermined time period, step S 5  is implemented, otherwise, the process ends. 
     In step S 5 , the matching module  303  further establishes an electronic connection, such as a BLUETOOTH connection, between the first electronic device  100  and the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) when the first electronic device  100  receives the response signal from the recipient electronic device. The sending module  306  sends the file to the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) via a wireless network such as the BLUETOOTH. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a transmitting method to receive a file by the second electronic device  200  of  FIG. 1 . Depending on the embodiment, additional blocks may be added, others deleted, and the ordering of the blocks may be changed. 
     In step S 11 , the detection module  304  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) detects the search signal from the first electronic device  100 , and further detects a trigger signal to receive the file in response to the search signal. In one embodiment, the trigger signal is created in response to a touch/click/press operation on an icon displayed on the second touch screen  201  of the second electronic device  200 . The icon may be a circular icon, a triangular icon or, a rectangular icon. In one embodiment, the icon is a circular icon. 
     In step S 12 , the feedback module  305  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) sends a response signal to the first electronic device  100  to agree to receive the file in response to the trigger signal. 
     In step S 13 , the receiving module  306  in the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ) receives the file from the first electronic device  100  when the first electronic device  100  is in electronic connection with the recipient electronic device (e.g. the second electronic device  200 ). 
     Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.