System and method for information sharing using visual tags

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method for sharing source data, the method comprising:

optically capturing, by an optical device of a first device, an image of a visual tag from a second device, wherein the visual tag of the second device is located within close proximity of the optical device of the first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a visually encoded first token associated with the source data, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is based on the source data for sharing, wherein the first token is encoded by the second device to create the visual tag;

communicating, based on a first communication protocol, to a third device to download the source data using the retrieved first token;

accessing the source data by the first device after a time period to allow the third device to receive from the second device an approval by a user of the second device for the access of the source data,

wherein the second device is adapted to display the visual tag.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:

capturing of an image of a visually encoded second token associated with the source data from the second device located within close proximity of the first device;

decoding the visually encoded second token to retrieve the second token; and

communicating, based on a second communication protocol, to a server comprising a cloud server to download the source data using the retrieved second token, after the source data is transmitted to the server from the third device, in response to a request from the second device.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the first token or the second token comprises a metadata comprising one or more of an identifier of a source device, an identifier of the server, authentication information associated with the source device, authentication information associate with the server, an identifier of the source data, a path of the source data, an identifier of the source data transmitted to the server, or a path of the source data transmitted to the server, wherein the first token and the second token are expirable and are representations unique to one or more of the following: the source data, the second device, a user of the second device, and time related to creation or usage of the first token or the second token, wherein the source device contains the source data.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises:

communicating, based on the first communication protocol, to the third device to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the first token; and

communicating, based on the second communication protocol, to the server to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the second token.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the first device is a mobile device comprising one or more displays, a built-in camera, one or more processors, one or more network interfaces, and the non-transitory machine-readable medium, wherein a first one of the one or more network interfaces is configured to support communication based on the first communication protocol, wherein a second one of the one or more network interfaces is configured to support communication based on the second communication protocol, wherein the second device is a mobile device, wherein the third device is a computing device behind a firewall, wherein the first token and the second token do not exist prior to identifying the source data to be shared, wherein the first token and the second token are creatable in real time and are expirable, wherein each of the first and second communication protocols comprises one or more communication protocols.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the source data comprises at least one of a media file, a document, remote path information, remote desktop connection information, security information, device management information, or device configuration information.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the decoding the visual tag comprises decoding the visual tag encoded using quick response (QR) code, further comprising receiving a notification from the second device, the notification notifying the first device that the second device is ready to provide an image of the visual tag, wherein the receiving of a notification comprises receiving a message including a text message from the second device.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method for sharing source data, the method comprising:

obtaining an image of a visual tag from a first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a visually encoded first token associated with the source data, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is encoded by the first device to create the visual tag;

decoding the visual tag to retrieve the first token, wherein the retrieved first token comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

communicating, based on a first communication protocol, to a second device to download the source data using the retrieved first token;

opening the URL on a web browser to allow a determination as to whether the a device comprising the non-transitory machine-readable medium is enabled to download the source data using the retrieved first token.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the second device is a remote device, wherein the source data is stored in the remote device.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the source data is stored in the first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a quick response (QR) code.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 ,

wherein if the device is enabled to download, then the method comprises downloading the source data based on the retrieved first token,

wherein if the device is not enabled to download, then the method comprises communicating to the second device a request to download the source data and receiving the source data based on the request.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the retrieved first token comprises a uniform resource locator (URL), wherein the URL comprises an identifier of a device storing the source data, a path of the source data stored in the device, and authentication information.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first communication protocol comprises at least one of a peer-to-peer protocol, an interactive connectivity establishment protocol, a session initiation protocol, a near field communication protocol, a bluetooth protocol, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) protocol, an extendable messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), a push protocol, or a non-industry standard communication protocol.

14. An apparatus for sharing source data, the apparatus comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of a visual tag representing a first token associated with the source data from a display of a first device, located within close proximity of the camera, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is based on the source data for sharing, wherein the first token is encoded by the first device to create the visual tag;

a decoder configured to decode the visual tag to retrieve the first token;

a network interface configured to communicate, based on a first communication protocol, to a remote device to download the source data using the retrieved first token;

a download manager configured to access the source data by the apparatus after a time period to allow the remote device to receive from the first device an approval by a user of the first device for the access of the source data,

wherein the display of the first device is enabled to display the image of the visual tag to be captured by the camera.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the camera is a built-in camera, wherein the camera is further configured to capture an image of a second visual tag representing a second token associated with the source data from the first device located within a close proximity of the apparatus, wherein the decoder is further configured to decode the visual tag to retrieve the second token; and further comprising a second network interface configured to communicate, based on a second communication protocol, to a server comprising a cloud server to download the source data using the decoded second token, after the source data is transmitted to the server from the remote device, in response to a request from the first device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:

the first network interface is further configured to communicate, based on the first communication protocol, to the remote device to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the first token; and

the second network interface is further configured to communicate, based on the second communication protocol, to the server to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the second token.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the source data comprises at least one of a media file, a document, remote path information, remote desktop connection information, security information, device management information, or device configuration information.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first token comprises a metadata comprising one or more of the following: an identifier of the remote device, authentication information associated with the remote device, an identifier of the source data, or a path of the source data, wherein the first token is expirable and is a representation unique to one or more of the following: the source data, the first device, a user of the first device, and a time related to creation or usage of the first token.

19. An apparatus for sharing source data, comprising:

a processor operable to obtain an image of a visual tag from a first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a visually encoded first token associated with the source data, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is encoded by the first device to create the visual tag;

the processor operable to decode the visual tag to retrieve the first token, wherein the retrieved first token comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

the processor operable to communicate, based on a first communication protocol, to a second device to download the source data using the retrieved first token; and

the processor is operable to open the URL on a web browser to allow a determination as to whether the apparatus is enabled to download the source data using the retrieved first token.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the second device is a remote device, wherein the source data is stored in the remote device, wherein the visual tag comprises a quick response (QR) code.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the source data is stored in the first device.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein if the apparatus is enabled to download, then the processor is operable to download the source data based on the retrieved first token,

wherein if the apparatus is not enabled to download, then the processor is operable to communicate to the second device a request to download the source data and to receive the source data based on the request.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the URL comprises an identifier of a device storing the source data, a path of the source data stored in the device, and authentication information.

24. A method for sharing source data, comprising:

optically capturing, by an optical device of a first device, an image of a visual tag from a second device, wherein the visual tag of the second device is located within close proximity of the optical device of the first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a visually encoded first token associated with the source data, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is based on the source data for sharing, wherein the first token is encoded by the second device to create the visual tag;

decoding the visual tag to retrieve the first token;

communicating, based on a first communication protocol, to a third device to download the source data using the retrieved first token; and

accessing the source data by the first device after a time period to allow the third device to receive from the second device an approval by a user of the second device for the access of the source data,

wherein the second device is adapted to display the visual tag.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the method comprises:

capturing of an image of a visually encoded second token associated with the source data from the second device located within close proximity of the first device;

decoding the visually encoded second token to retrieve the second token; and

communicating, based on a second communication protocol, to a server comprising a cloud server to download the source data using the retrieved second token, after the source data is transmitted to the server from the third device, in response to a request from the second device.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first token or the second token comprises a metadata comprising one or more of an identifier of a source device, an identifier of the server, authentication information associated with the source device, authentication information associate with the server, an identifier of the source data, a path of the source data, an identifier of the source data transmitted to the server, or a path of the source data transmitted to the server, wherein the first token and the second token are expirable and are representations unique to one or more of the following: the source data, the second device, a user of the second device, and time related to creation or usage of the first token or the second token, wherein the source device contains the source data.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the method comprises:

communicating, based on the first communication protocol, to the third device to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the first token; and

communicating, based on the second communication protocol, to the server to download the source data within a time period prior to an expiration of the second token.

28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the source data comprises at least one of a media file, a document, remote path information, remote desktop connection information, security information, device management information, or device configuration information.

29. The method of claim 24 , wherein the decoding the visual tag comprises decoding the visual tag encoded using quick response (QR) code, further comprising receiving a notification from the second device, the notification notifying the first device that the second device is ready to provide an image of the visual tag, wherein the receiving of a notification comprises receiving a message including a text message from the second device.

30. A method for sharing source data, comprising:

obtaining an image of a visual tag from a first device, wherein the visual tag comprises a visually encoded first token associated with the source data, wherein the first token is a non-public token, wherein the first token is encoded by the first device to create the visual tag;

decoding the visual tag to retrieve the first token, wherein the retrieved first token comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

communicating, based on a first communication protocol, to a second device to download the source data using the retrieved first token; and

opening the URL on a web browser to allow a determination as to whether the a device communicating to the second device is enabled to download the source data using the retrieved first token.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the second device is a remote device, wherein the source data is stored in the remote device.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the source data is stored in the first device.

33. The method of claim 30 ,

wherein if the device is enabled to download, then the method comprises downloading the source data based on the retrieved first token,

wherein if the device is not enabled to download, then the method comprises communicating to the second device a request to download the source data and receiving the source data based on the request.

34. The method of claim 30 , wherein the retrieved first token comprises a uniform resource locator (URL), wherein the URL comprises an identifier of a device storing the source data, a path of the source data stored in the device, and authentication information.

35. The method of claim 30 , wherein the first communication protocol comprises at least one of a peer-to-peer protocol, an interactive connectivity establishment protocol, a session initiation protocol, a near field communication protocol, a bluetooth protocol, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) protocol, an extendable messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), a push protocol, or a non-industry standard communication protocol.