Patent ID: 8412792

Claim:
A method for transferring digital files from a source user system in a communications network to a plurality of recipient user systems in said network through a server system that comprises mass storage for digital files and is connected to said network comprising: a. running an application program that comprises i.) a process for communicating requests for file transfer and caching events, ii.) a process for communicating lists of selected files, iii.) a process for uploading selected files to said server system, and iv.) a process for managing the uploaded files, b. communicating a request for a file transfer and caching event from said source user system to said server system via said application, c. communicating a list of selected files for transfer and caching from said source user system to said server system via said application, d. generating a destination network address unique to the selected files and the requested file transfer and caching event by said server system, e. allocating a cache within said mass storage to said source user system at the destination network address generated by said server system, f. communicating said destination network address to said source user system prior to completion of the file transfer and caching event by said server system wherein said source user system can communicate said destination network address to selected recipient user systems prior to completion of the file transfer and caching event, g. uploading the selected files from said source user system to said cache allocated within said mass storage provided by said server system at said destination network address using said file upload process running as a background task on said source user system wherein said source user system can execute other tasks during the uploading of the selected files, h. managing the cache allocated within said mass storage provided by said server system at the destination network address by said source user system wherein said source user system controls the content of the cache and monitors and controls access to the cache via said application, and i. downloading any or all of the contents of the cache allocated within said mass storage provided by said server system at the destination network address to one or more recipient user systems designated by said source user system, which recipient user systems access the cache at the destination network address provided by said source user system.