Patent ID: 8457651

Claim:
A method for sharing files among a mobile device and nearby computing devices, comprising: activating a file sharing functionality; discovering nearby computing devices; establishing a wireless link with the discovered nearby computing devices; determining locations of the discovered nearby computing devices; displaying a radar map image including graphical indicators for the determined locations of the discovered nearby computing devices; detecting accelerations of the mobile device; identifying targeted computing devices based on the detected accelerations by: determining whether the mobile device completes a closed elliptical path based upon the detected accelerations; and identifying all computing devices proximate to the mobile device, regardless of proximity among the discovered nearby computing devices, as targeted computing devices when it is determined that the mobile device completes the closed elliptical path; determining a direction of rotation when the mobile device completes the closed elliptical path; transmitting a file sharing message to the targeted computing devices by: transmitting a file to the targeted computing devices when the mobile device is being moved in a first rotational direction; and transmitting a request for files to the targeted computing devices when the mobile device is being moved in a second rotational direction counter to the first rotational direction, wherein transmitting the file sharing message further comprises transmitting a selected file to the targeted computing devices by: displaying a prompt for a user verification of the targeted computing devices, wherein displaying the prompt for the user verification of the targeted computing devices comprises: receiving user identifiers from targeted computing devices via the established wireless link; using the received user identifiers to obtain images from a contact database; and displaying obtained images as prompts for the user verification of the targeted computing devices; and determining whether a user input indicates user verification of the targeted computing devices, wherein transmitting the selected file to the targeted computing devices is accomplished when the user input indicates user verification of the targeted computing devices.