System and method for managing distribution of media files

Abstract

A system, method and technique are provided for managing distribution of digital images and other media. A host computer may store a library of media files, including digital images, such as those captured by a digital camera of a user. One or more applications may run on the host computer, or on an Internet service that communicates with the host computer, in order to enable management, sharing and distribution of images stored on the host computer. A remote device may be operated by the user or guest to cause remotely viewed images that reside on the host computer to be transferred to a print service or other third-party service with a corresponding network location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for sharing content items, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:
 identifying a plurality of content items that are stored on a personal network of a user, the personal network including one or more devices and at least a first folder in which one or more content items in the plurality of content items are provided;   determining a set of permissions for the first folder based on user input, the set of permissions identifying one or more recipients that are permitted to access the first folder using a device that is external to the personal network;   in response to one or more requests from a device of a first recipient of the one or more recipients, (i) providing content data to enable the device of the first recipient to display a rendition of each of the one or more content items; and (ii) performing an action specified by at least one of the one or more requests of the first recipient, the action including providing a copy of at least a first content item of the one or more content items to a network location that is external to the personal network of the user and specified by the one or more requests, wherein the copy is provided without a computer on the personal network uploading the copy to an intermediate computer or the device of the first recipient downloading the copy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the plurality of content items includes scanning at least the one or more devices for content items. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing content data includes providing a thumbnail image of at least the first content item. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content item corresponds to a video. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first folder is provided on a host computer that is operated by the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein performing the action is performed by the host computer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising scanning, on the host computer, one or more other computing devices that are part of the personal network of the user in order to identify the plurality of content items. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the action includes providing the copy to a third-party service. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the first recipient using an email address of the first recipient. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device of the recipient is a roaming device. 
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising:
 a memory that stores a set of instructions;   one or more processors that execute the instructions to:
 identify a plurality of content items that are stored on a personal network of a user, the personal network including one or more devices and at least a first folder in which one or more content items in the plurality of content items are provided; 
 determine a set of permissions for the first folder based on user input, the set of permissions identifying one or more recipients that are permitted to access the first folder using a device that is external to the personal network; 
 in response to one or more requests from a device of a first recipient of the one or more recipients, (i) provide content data to enable the device of the first recipient to display a rendition of each of the one or more content items; and (ii) perform an action specified by at least one of the one or more requests of the first recipient, the action including providing a copy of at least a first content item of the one or more content items to a network location that is external to the personal network of the user and specified by the one or more requests, wherein the copy is provided without a computer on the personal network uploading the copy to an intermediate computer or the device of the first recipient downloading the copy. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors identify the plurality of content items by scanning at least the one or more devices for content items. 
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors provide the content data by providing a thumbnail image of at least the first content item. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the first content item corresponds to a video. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer system includes a host computer operated by the user on which the first folder is provided. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein host computer performs the action specified by at least one of the one or more requests of the first recipient. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to scan, on the host computer, one or more other computing devices that are part of the personal network of the user in order to identify the plurality of content items. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors perform the action by providing the copy to a third-party service. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions by identifying the first recipient using an email address of the first recipient. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the device of the recipient is a roaming device. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, that when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 identifying a plurality of content items that are stored on a personal network of a user, the personal network including one or more devices and at least a first folder in which one or more content items in the plurality of content items are provided;   determining a set of permissions for the first folder based on user input, the set of permissions identifying one or more recipients that are permitted to access the first folder using a device that is external to the personal network;   in response to one or more requests from a device of a first recipient of the one or more recipients, (i) providing content data to enable the device of the first recipient to display a rendition of each of the one or more content items; and (ii) performing an action specified by at least one of the one or more requests of the first recipient, the action including providing a copy of at least a first content item of the one or more content items to a network location that is external to the personal network of the user and specified by the one or more requests, wherein the copy is provided without a computer on the personal network uploading the copy to an intermediate computer or the device of the first recipient downloading the copy.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein identifying the plurality of content items includes scanning at least the one or more devices for content items. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein providing the content data includes providing a thumbnail image of at least the first content item. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the first content item corresponds to a video. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the personal network includes a host computer operated by the user on which the first folder is provided. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein the host computer includes the one or more processors that execute the instructions to perform the action specified by at least one of the one or more requests of the first recipient. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the host computer, cause the host computer to scan one or more other computing devices that are part of the personal network of the user in order to identify the plurality of content items. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein performing the action includes providing the copy to a third-party service. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to identify the first recipient using an email address of the first recipient. 
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the device of the recipient is a roaming device.