Collection folder for collecting file submissions in response to a public file request

• US 10,102,388 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Mindy, Piyush, Pranav
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolly, Kendall
• Application Number:
  US14/961,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles

Abstract

A content management system for collecting files from one or more submitters in a collection folder. A collector, who generates the collection folder, can invite one or more submitters to submit one or more files to the collection folder in response to a public file request. The one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder. The limited rights can include uploading rights and prohibiting a submitter from viewing files that other submitters associated with the collection folder submitted. Thus, the collection folder is able to store files from the one or more submitters, but prevent them from viewing other'"'"'s submissions.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

providing, by a content management system, a file request widget to a third-party website that causes the third-party website to display a file request widget icon;

based on a user of the third-party website interacting with the file request widget icon, receiving, by the content management system from the third-party website, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters,

in response to receiving the request to generate the link based on the user interacting with the file request widget icon;

creating a collection folder associated with an account of the user on the content management system, wherein the collection folder is accessible by the user and the one or more submitters; and

generating a file request link associated with the collection folder;

providing, by the content management system to the third-party website, the file request link, wherein providing the file request link causes the file request widget to embed the file request link on the third-party website;

receiving, by the content management system, at least one file based on a submitter accessing the file request link; and

storing, by the content management system, the at least one file in the collection folder, wherein the one or more submitters haves limited rights to the collection folder, the limited rights permitting a first submitter of the one or more submitters to upload and view a first file to the collection folder, prohibiting a second submitter of the one or more submitters from viewing the first file that is stored in the collection folder, and permitting the second submitter to upload and view a second file to the collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the content management system, computer code needed to implement the file request widget on the third-party website; and

providing, by the content management system to the third-party website, the computer code for use in displaying the file request widget icon on the third-party web site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file request link is a universal resource locator (URL) and the file request link is embedded as hypertext in the third-party website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the file request widget to the third-party website causes the third-party website to display the file request widget icon in a social networking post on the third-party website.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party website is a social networking website.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the at least one file in the collection folder comprises:

generating, by the content management system, a unique filename for the at least one file, the unique filename comprising a name identifying the submitter; and

associating the unique filename with the at least one file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited rights to the collection folder further comprise permitting the first submitter to view files the first submitter uploaded and one or more additional files, wherein the one or more additional files are designated by the user as viewable by the first submitter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the collection folder, by the content management system, at least partially in response to receiving a deactivating command from the user, wherein deactivating the collection folder prohibits the one or more submitters from accessing the collection folder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the submitter does not have an account with the content management system.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

provide, by a content management system, a file request widget to a third-party website that causes the third-party website to display a file request widget icon,

based on a user of the third-party website interacting with the file request widget icon, receive, by the content management system from the third-party website, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

in response to receiving the request to generate the link based on the user interacting with the file request widget icon;

create a collection folder associated with the user on the content management system, wherein the collection folder is accessible by the user and the one or more submitters; and

generate a file request link associated with the collection folder;

provide, by the content management system to the third-party website, the file request link, wherein providing the file request link causes the file request widget to embed the file request link on the third-party website;

receive, by the content management system, at least one file based on a submitter accessing the file request link; and

store, by the content management system, the at least one file in the collection folder, wherein the one or more submitters haves limited rights to the collection folder, the limited rights permitting a first submitter of the one or more submitters to upload and view a first file to the collection folder, prohibiting a second submitter of the one or more submitters from viewing the first file that is stored in the collection folder, and permitting the second submitter to upload and view a second file to the collection folder.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

generate, by the content management system, computer code needed to implement the file request widget on the third-party website; and

provide, by the content management system to the third-party website, the computer code for use in displaying the file request widget on the third-party web site.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the file request link is a universal resource locator (URL) and the file request link is embedded as hypertext in the third-party website.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the third-party website is a social networking website.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein storing the at least one file in the collection folder comprises:

generating, by the content management system, a unique filename for the at least one file, the unique filename comprising a name identifying the submitter; and

associating the unique filename with the file.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the limited rights to the collection folder further comprise permitting the first submitter to view files the first submitter uploaded and one or more additional files, wherein the one or more additional files are designated by the user as viewable by the first submitter.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the content management system is a synchronized content management system.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

provide, by a content management system, a file request widget to a third-party website that causes the third-party website to display a file request widget icon;

based on a user of the third-party website interacting with the file request widget icon, receive, by the content management system from the third-party website, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

in response to receiving the request to generate the link based on the user interacting with the file request widget icon;

create a collection folder associated with an account of the user on the content management system, wherein the collection folder is accessible by the user and the one or more submitters; and

generate a file request link associated with the collection folder;

provide, by the content management system to the third-party website, the file request link, wherein providing the file request link causes the file request widget to embed the file request link on the third-party website;

receive, by the content management system, at least one file based on a submitter accessing the file request link; and

store, by the content management system, the at least one file in the collection folder, wherein the one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder, the limited rights permitting a first submitter of the one or more submitters to upload and view a first file to the collection folder, prohibiting a second submitter of the one or more submitters from viewing the first file that is stored in the collection folder, and permitting the second submitter to upload and view a second file to the collection folder.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

generate, by the content management system, computer code needed to implement the file request widget on the third-party website; and

provide, by the content management system to the third-party website, the computer code for use in displaying the file request widget icon on the third-party website.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the third-party website is a social networking website.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein providing the file request link causes the file request widget to embed the file request link in a social networking post on the third-party website.