System and Method for Transferring Personalization Information Among Computer Systems

Abstract

A system and method transfers personalization information to a portable storage device from a first computer system, and then adds personalization information to a second computer system from the portable storage device.

1 . A computer implemented method for personalizing a computer system, said method comprising: 
 establishing a connection between a portable storage device and a first computer;    retrieving personalization information from the first computer and storing it to the portable storage device;    establishing a connection between the portable storage device and a second computer;    suppressing display of local personalization information that would normally be displayed on said second computer if the portable storage device were not connected to said second computer;    retrieving the personalization information stored on the portable storage device and displaying the retrieved personalization information on the second computer in place of the suppressed local personalization information;    receiving, at said second computer, at least one modification to said personalization information displayed on said second computer and recording said modification onto the portable storage device;    terminating the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer and restoring the local personalization information on said second computer such that said least one modification made to the personalization information at the second computer is not detectable at the second computer once the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer system is terminated;    reestablishing said connection between the portable storage device and said first computer; and    synchronizing the personalization information on the portable storage device with the personalization information on the first computer such that said at least one modification recorded to the portable storage device at the second computer is persisted to said first computer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving personalization information from the first computer and storing it to the portable storage device further includes: 
 identifying at least a portion of a source path on said first computer that does not already exist in a file storage of said portable storage device and creating said portion of the path on said portable storage device.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein establishing a connection between the portable storage device and a second computer further includes: 
 injecting an application residing on said portable storage device as a hook to an application that manages desktop and file system on said second computer.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein suppressing display of local personalization information that would normally be displayed on said second computer if the portable storage device were not connected to said second computer further includes: 
 hiding at least one of: a desktop icon, a file, a folder, an email, a shortcut and a universal resource locator that is displayed on said second computer prior to establishing said connection between the portable storage device and the second computer.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving the personalization information stored on the portable storage device and displaying the retrieved personalization information on the second computer in place of the suppressed local personalization information further includes: 
 designating at least one location on said portable storage device as the target of said personalization information displayed on the second computer.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein terminating the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer and restoring the local personalization information on said second computer further includes: 
 removing said personalization information displayed on the second computer that is stored on said portable storage device and instead displaying the suppressed personalization information.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein synchronizing the personalization information on the portable storage device with the personalization information on the first computer further includes: 
 transferring one or more files from file storage of said portable storage device into corresponding locations of file storage on said first computer if said one or more files have different properties from corresponding files on said file storage of said first computer.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 providing a user interface on said first computer subsequently to synchronizing said personalization information on the portable storage device with the personalization information on the first computer.    
     
     
         9 . A computer implemented method for personalizing a computer system, said method comprising: 
 establishing a connection between a portable storage device and a first computer;    retrieving personalization information from the first computer and storing it to the portable storage device;    establishing a connection between the portable storage device and a second computer;    suppressing display of local personalization information that would normally be displayed on said second computer if the portable storage device were not connected to said second computer;    retrieving the personalization information stored on the portable storage device and displaying the retrieved personalization information on the second computer in place of the suppressed local personalization information;    receiving, at said second computer, at least one change to said personalization information displayed on said second computer and recording said change on the portable storage device; and    terminating the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer and restoring the local personalization information on said second computer such that said least one change made to the personalization information at the second computer is not detectable at the second computer once the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer system is terminated.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein retrieving personalization information from the first computer and storing it to the portable storage device further includes: 
 identifying at least a portion of a source path on said first computer that does not already exist in a file storage of said portable storage device and creating said portion of the path on said portable storage device.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein establishing a connection between the portable storage device and a second computer further includes: 
 injecting an application residing on said portable storage device as a hook to an application that manages desktop and file system on said second computer.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein suppressing display of local personalization information that would normally be displayed on said second computer if the portable storage device were not connected to said second computer further includes: 
 hiding at least one of: a desktop icon, a file, a folder, an email, a shortcut and a universal resource locator that is displayed on said second computer prior to establishing said connection between the portable storage device and the second computer.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein retrieving the personalization information stored on the portable storage device and displaying the retrieved personalization information on the second computer in place of the suppressed local personalization information further includes: 
 designating at least one location on said portable storage device as the target of said personalization information displayed on the second computer.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein terminating the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer and restoring the local personalization information on said second computer further includes: 
 removing said personalization information displayed on the second computer that is stored on said portable storage device and instead displaying the suppressed personalization information.    
     
     
         15 . A method for synchronizing a computer with a portable storage device, said method comprising: 
 transferring personalization information from a first computer system to the portable storage device;    personalizing a second computer system with the personalization information retrieved from said portable storage device;    receiving, on the second computer, one or more modifications to the personalization information and persisting said one or more modifications onto said portable storage device; and    synchronizing the first computer system with the portable storage device such that the one or more modifications to the personalization information received at the second computer system are recorded to locations on said first computer from which said personalization information was first retrieved.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein synchronizing the first computer system with the portable storage device further includes: 
 terminating a connection between said second computer system and said portable storage device and establishing a connection between said first computer system and the portable storage device.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein synchronizing the personalization information on the portable storage device with the personalization information on the first computer further includes: 
 transferring one or more files from file storage of said portable storage device into corresponding locations of file storage on said first computer system if said one or more files have different properties from corresponding files on said file storage of said first computer system.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 providing a user interface on said first computer subsequently to synchronizing said first computer system with the portable storage device.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein synchronizing the first computer system with the portable storage device further includes: 
 deleting at least one file in at least one folder in a file storage of said first computer system that is not in a corresponding folder on said portable storage device; and    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein synchronizing the first computer system with the portable storage device further includes: 
 copying at least one file from at least one folder on said portable storage device to a corresponding folder on said first computer system.    
     
     
         21 . A computer implemented method for personalizing a computer system, said method comprising: 
 establishing a connection between a portable storage device and a first computer;    synchronizing personalization information between said first computer and said portable storage device such that at least one file stored on the portable storage device or on the first computer is updated in order to reflect a latest version of said file between the portable storage device and the first computer;    establishing a second connection between said portable storage device and a second computer; and    personalizing said second computer with the personalization information retrieved from said portable storage device.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein synchronizing the personalization information between the first computer and the portable storage device further includes: 
 transferring one or more files from file storage of said portable storage device into corresponding locations of file storage on said first computer system if said one or more files have different properties from corresponding files on said file storage of said first computer system.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 receiving one or more modifications to said personalization information on the second computer; and    recording said one or more modifications to the portable storage device.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 terminating the connection between said portable storage device and said second computer and restoring local personalization information on said second computer which was displayed prior to personalizing said second computer such that at least one modification made to the personalization information is not detectable on said second computer.