Seamless editing and saving of online content items using applications

• US 10,088,990 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Lynch, Sean, Smith, Brian, Fushman, Ilya, Boning, Josiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US15/065,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20160188177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A user viewing an online content item using an online content client application can, from within that application, launch an operating application to operate on the content item. The operating application can interact with the online content management provider to obtain a current copy of the content item and to save a modified content item back to the online content management service, e.g., if the user instructs the operating application to save the item. Interactions between the client application, the operating application and the online content management service can occur without requiring the user to manually initiate upload or download of any content items. Operations on an online content item can also be initiated from within an operating application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a client application on a user device, an edit control request for a first content item stored in a first user account of a content management system;

in response to detecting the edit control request for the first content item, displaying, by the client application, a selection interface operable to present a set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers;

receiving, via the selection interface, a selection of a preferred editing application from the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers, the preferred editing application being different than the client application, the preferred editing application configured to communicate with the client application to request performance of a set of one or more activities involving the first content item;

providing the preferred editing application access to the first content item via the client application and allowing interaction between the preferred editing application and the first content item through the client application, wherein the access provided is based on link information maintained by the content management system and associated with the first user account;

determining whether the link information maintained by the content management system identifies the preferred editing application, when the link information does not identify the preferred editing application, restricting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application thereby preventing the preferred editing application from performing at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item; and

when the link information identifies the preferred editing application, permitting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application thereby allowing the preferred editing application to perform the at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application identifies the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers for presentation on the selection interface based on a file type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application identifies the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers for presentation on the selection interface based on one or more classes of operation which may be performed on the first content item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application presents the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers on the selection interface based on whether each application has been linked.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application recommends the preferred editing application based on crowdsourced data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application recommends the preferred editing application based on past user behavior.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more activities further includes creation of a new content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one activity includes modification of the first content item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one activity includes saving an edited version of the first content item over an earlier version of the first content item in a cloud storage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the preferred editing application has not been linked, requesting that a user link the preferred editing application after the step of configuring the client application to prevent the preferred editing application to perform the at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code for causing a processor to perform the steps of:

detecting, by a client application on a user device, an edit control request for a first content item stored in a first user account of a content management system;

in response to detecting the edit control request for the first content item, displaying, by the client application, a selection interface operable to present a set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers;

receiving, via the selection interface, a selection of a preferred editing application from the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers, the preferred editing application being different than the client application, the preferred editing application configured to request performance of a set of one or more activities involving the first content item;

providing the preferred editing application access to the first content item via the client application and allowing interaction between the preferred editing application and the first content item through the client application, wherein the access provided is based on link information maintained by the content management system and associated with the first user account;

determining whether the link information maintained by the content management system identifies the preferred editing application, when the link information does not identify the preferred editing application, restricting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application thereby preventing the preferred editing application from performing at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item; and

when the link information identifies the preferred editing application, permitting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application, thereby permitting the preferred editing application to perform the at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the client application identifies the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers for presentation on the selection interface based on a file type.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the client application identifies the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers for presentation on the selection interface based on whether each application has been linked.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the client application recommends the preferred editing application based on crowdsourced data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the client application recommends the preferred editing application based on past user behavior.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of one or more activities further includes creation of a new content item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one activity includes modification of the first content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one activity includes saving an edited version of the first content item over an earlier version of the first content item in a cloud storage.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program code is further configured to cause the processor to perform the step of, if the preferred editing application has not been linked, requesting that a user link the preferred editing application after the step of configuring the client application to prevent the preferred editing application to perform the at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item.

20. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing program code executable by the processor, the program code when executed by the processor performing the steps of;

detecting, by a client application on a user device, an edit control request for a first content item stored in a first user account of a content management system;

in response to detecting the edit control request for the first content item, displaying, by the client application, a selection interface operable to present a set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers;

receiving, via the selection interface, a selection of a preferred editing application from the set of one or more selectable editing application identifiers, the preferred editing application being different than the client application, the preferred editing application configured to communicate with the client application to request performance of a set of one or more activities involving the first content item;

providing the preferred editing application access to the first content item via the client application and allowing interaction between the preferred editing application and the first content item through the client application, wherein the access provided is based on link information maintained by the content management system and associated with the first user account;

determining whether the link information maintained by the content management system identifies the preferred editing application, when the link information does not identify the preferred editing application, restricting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application thereby preventing the preferred editing application from performing at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item; and

when the link information identifies the preferred editing application permitting access to the first content item by the preferred editing application thereby allowing the preferred editing application to perform the at least one activity of the set of one or more activities involving the first content item.