Collection folder for collecting file submissions with comments

• US 10,192,063 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• 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): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maniwang, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US14/961,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709217-219
• 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. A submitter submits one or more files along with one or more comments associated with the one or more of submitted files. 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:

receiving from a client device associated with a collector, by a content management system, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, providing, by the content management system and to the client device associated with the collector, one or more prompts requesting information from the collector;

receiving, by the content management system, information responding to the prompts;

generating, by the content management system, a link to a designated collection folder using at least some of the information;

distributing, by the content management system, the link to client devices associated with the one or more submitters based on at least some of the information;

receiving, from a client device associated with a submitter from the one or more submitters, an indication of a selection of the link to the designated collection folder;

in response to the indication of the selection of the link, providing by the content management system, and to the client device associated with the submitter, a user interface window comprising a file selection element and a comment box;

based on the submitter selecting a file via the file selection element and entering a comment via the comment box within the user interface window, receiving, by the content management system, the file and the comment; and

associating the comment with the file within the content management system by generating metadata referencing a storage location of the comment and associating the metadata with the file, wherein the submitter has limited rights to the designated collection folder which comprises uploading rights for uploading one or more files to the designated collection folder and prohibits the submitter from viewing files uploaded by other submitters associated with the designated collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a plurality of comments with the file within the content management system by generating the metadata to reference a storage location of the plurality of comments and associating the metadata with the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information comprises:

a name for a file request; and

an email address for each submitter of the one or more submitters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the information responding to the prompts further comprises a message from the collector to the one or more submitters; and

distributing, by the content management system, the link to the client devices associated with the one or more submitters comprises distributing the message along with the link to the client devices associated with the one or more submitters.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the content management system, the file and the comment in the designated collection folder in an account associated with the collector.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing, by the content management system, the comment in a comment section displayed on the client device associated with the submitter.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising syncing, by the content management system, the file and the comment with the client device associated with the collector.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing, by the content management system, the comment in a user interface rendered on the client device associated with the collector when the collector opens the file associated with the comment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device associated with the collector, a second comment to associate with the file; and

associating the second comment with the file within the content management system by updating the metadata associated with the file to reference both the storage location of the comment and a storage location of the second comment.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

receive, from a client device associated with a collector, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, provide one or more prompts to the client device associated with the collector, wherein the one or more prompts request information from the collector;

receive information responding to the prompts;

generate a link to a designated collection folder in a content management system using at least some of the information;

distribute the link to client devices associated with the one or more submitters based on at least some of the received information;

receive, from a client device associated with a submitter from the one or more submitters, an indication of a selection of the link to the designated collection folder;

in response to the indication of the selection of the link, provide, to the client device associated with the submitter, a user interface window comprising a file selection element and a comment box;

based on the submitter selecting a file via the file selection element and entering a comment via the comment box within the user interface window, receive the file and the comment; and

associate the comment with the file within the content management system by generating metadata referencing a storage location of the comment and associating the metadata with the file, wherein the submitter has limited rights to the designated collection folder which comprises uploading rights for uploading one or more files to the designated collection folder and prohibits the submitter from viewing files uploaded by other submitters associated with the designated collection folder.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to associate a plurality of comments with the file within the content management system by generating the metadata to reference a storage location of the plurality of comments and associating the metadata with the file.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the received information comprises:

a name for a file request; and

an email address for each submitter of the one or more submitters.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the information further comprises a message from the collector to the one or more submitters; and

distributing the link to the client devices associated with the one or more submitters comprises distributing the message along with the link to the client devices associated with the one or more submitters.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to store the file and the comment in the designated collection folder in an account associated with the collector.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide the comment in a comment section displayed on the client device associated with the submitter.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to sync the file and the comment with the client device associated with the collector.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide the comment in a user interface rendered on the client device associated with the collector when the client device associated with the collector opens the file associated with the comment.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the submitter that enters the comment via the comment box does not have an account with the content management system.

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

receive, from a client device associated with a collector, a request to generate a link for use in collecting one or more files from one or more submitters;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, provide one or more prompts to the client device associated with the collector, wherein the one or more prompts request information from the collector;

generate a link to a designated collection folder in a content management system based on at least some information received in response to the one or more prompts;

distribute the link to client devices associated with the one or more submitters based on at least some of the information received in response to the one or more prompts;

receive, from a client device associated with a submitter from the one or more submitters, an indication of a selection of the link to the designated collection folder;

in response to the indication of the selection of the link, provide to the client device associated with the submitter, a user interface window comprising a file selection element and a comment box;

based on the submitter selecting a file via the file selection element and entering a comment via the comment box within the user interface window, receive the file and the comment; and

associate the comment with the file within the content management system by generating metadata referencing to a storage location of the comment and associating the metadata with the file, wherein the submitter has limited rights to the designated collection folder which comprises uploading rights for uploading one or more files to the designated collection folder and prohibits the submitter from viewing files uploaded by other submitters associated with the designated collection folder.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by at the least one processor, cause the computer system to:

sync the file and the comment with the client device associated with the collector; and

provide the comment in a user interface rendered on the client device associated with the collector when the collector opens the file associated with the comment.