Wireless communication system and method using peer-to-peer connection to perform local file retrieval and provide authentication information to facilitate remote file retrieval

1. A method of short range wireless peer-to-peer file sharing facilitated by a local computing device, the method comprising:

the local computing device transmitting, to a peer computing device over a short range wireless communications link, a consolidated catalog of accessible files stored locally in the local computing device and remotely in a remote computing device;

the local computing device, after transmitting the consolidated catalog to the peer computing device, receiving from over the short range wireless communications link a request by the peer computing device to retrieve a selected one of the files; and

after receiving the request from the peer computing device and responsive to a determination that the selected one of the files is stored remotely in the remote computing device, the local computing device:

obtaining authentication credentials sufficient to permit access by the peer computing device to the selected one of the files in the remote computing device, the obtaining authentication credentials comprising the local computing device causing a temporary authentication to be created at the remote computing device; and

transmitting the authentication credentials to the peer computing device over the short range wireless communications link, wherein the peer computing device directly retrieves the selected one of the files from the remote computing device using the authentication credentials.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporary.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited according to an expiration date or time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited to when the peer computing device is in a prescribed geographic proximity to the local computing device.

5. A local computing device configured for short range wireless peer-to-peer file sharing, the device comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a file sharing application stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to enable the local computing device to:

transmit to a peer computing device, over a short range wireless communications link, a consolidated catalog of accessible files stored locally in the local computing device and remotely in a remote computing device;

after transmitting the consolidated catalog to the peer computing device, receive, from the peer computing device, a request to retrieve a selected one of the files, and

after receiving the request from the peer computing device and responsive to a determination that the selected one of the files is stored remotely in the remote computing device:

obtain authentication credentials sufficient to permit access by the peer computing device to the selected one of the files in the remote computing device, the obtaining authentication credentials comprising the local computing device causing a temporary authentication to be created at the remote computing device; and

transmit the authentication credentials to the peer computing device over the short range wireless communications link, wherein the peer computing device directly retrieves the selected one of the files from the remote computing device using the authentication credentials.

6. The local computing device of claim 5 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporary.

7. The local computing device of claim 5 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited according to an expiration date or time.

8. The local computing device of claim 5 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited to when the peer computing device is in a prescribed geographic proximity to the local computing device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, causes the computing device to implement the method of:

transmitting, to a peer computing device over a short range wireless communications link, a consolidated catalog of accessible files stored locally in the local computing device and remotely in a remote computing device;

after transmitting the consolidated catalog to the peer computing device, receiving from over the short range wireless communications link a request by the peer computing device to retrieve a selected one of the files; and

after receiving the request from the peer computing device and responsive to a determination that the selected one of the files is stored remotely in the remote computing device:

obtaining authentication credentials sufficient to permit access by the peer computing device to the selected one of the files in the remote computing device, the obtaining authentication credentials comprising the computing device causing a temporary authentication to be created at the remote computing device; and

transmitting the authentication credentials to the peer computing device over the short range wireless communications link, wherein the peer computing device directly retrieves the selected one of the files from the remote computing device using the authentication credentials.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporary.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited according to an expiration date or time.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the authentication credentials are temporally limited to when the peer computing device is in a prescribed geographic proximity to the local computing device.