Patent ID: 7779130

Claim:
A method performed by a data acquisition device, which is configured to generate at least two different types of data objects, to distinguish between the at least two different types of data objects, and to selectively and automatically transfer only some of the data objects, including a new data object to a user storage device and based upon a determination of data object type, the method comprising: detecting that a new data object has been created and stored on the data acquisition device; determining a type of the new data object from a plurality of available types, wherein the plurality of available types comprise a sound data object type, a voice data object type, an image data object type, and a video data object type; accessing a configuration file which specifies which type of data objects are to be stored locally and which type of data objects are to be stored remotely, and determining that the configuration file specifies that the new data object is of a particular type that should be stored remotely at a user storage device; establishing a communication session with an online connection service and communicating with the online connection service to obtain a list of available user storage devices associated with the data acquisition device wherein the list includes a network address for each available user storage device on the list, as well as a communication protocol that the data acquisition device must use to communicate with each available user storage device, and wherein one of the available user storage devices is accessible via a direct point-to-point link whereas the other available user storage devices are accessible via an intermediate proxy server; selecting, from the list, an available user storage device on which to store the new data object based on the selected user storage device being accessible via a direct point-to-point link rather than via an intermediate proxy server; establishing a communication session with the selected user storage device using the network address corresponding to the selected user storage device via a direct point-to-point link; and sending the new data object to the selected user storage device for storage therein.