Methods, systems, and computer program products for sharing a data object in a data store via a communication

• US 10,303,353 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motion Offense, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Motion Offense, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Sall, El Hadji M
• Application Number:
  US15/984,407
• Time in Patent Office: 373 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for sharing a folder and any contents (e.g. file(s)) thereof, via at least one communication. In an aspect, the folder and any contents (e.g. file(s)) thereof may be shared through a specific combination of capabilities or operations involving an email message and a file explorer interface without an attachment included with the at least one email message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at first node;

displaying a first user interface element, a second user interface element, and a third user interface element,

receiving information associated with at least one folder via the first user interface element,

sending, via at least one network, the information associated with the at least one folder,

receiving an object associated with at least one email address via the second user interface element,

sending, via the at least one network, the object associated with the at least one email address,

receiving an indication of a selection of the third user interface element, and

sending, via the at least one network, the indication of the selection of the third user interface element;

at a second node;

after the information associated with the at least one folder, the object associated with the at least one email address, and the indication of the selection of the third user interface element is sent from the first node via the at least one network;

receiving, via the at least one network, at least one email message identifying the at least one folder and including a reference to the at least one folder, without including a file attachment with the at least one email message,

after the information associated with the at least one folder, the object associated with the at least one email address, and the indication of the selection of the third user interface element is sent from the first node via the at least one network;

creating, utilizing code configured to be stored on a storage at the second node and further configured to cooperate with a file explorer interface, a representation of the at least one folder in a location among one or more folders on the file explorer interface, and

displaying the representation of the at least one folder in the location among the one or more folders on the file explorer interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object associated with the at least one email address includes the at least one email address or an alias, and the file explorer interface is displayed using a file explorer client application and not via a web page;

wherein the at least one email message is sent without including the file attachment with the at least one email message, and the storage at the second node does not store any file in response to the representation of the at least one folder being created, both for avoiding any file from having to be communicated to and stored at the second node until requested by at least one user at the second node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file explorer interface is displayed by a client-based file explorer application, and where the storage of the second node does not store any file in the at least one folder in response to the representation of the at least one folder being created.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the file explorer interface is displayed by a client-based file explorer application associated with an operating system.

5. A method, comprising:

at a first node;

causing display of at least one first interface with a first user interface element, utilizing first hypertext markup language-equipped code,

receiving an indication of at least one folder via the first user interface element, utilizing the at least one first interface,

causing display of at least one second interface with a second user interface element, utilizing second hypertext markup language-equipped code,

receiving indicia associated with at least one email address via the second user interface element, utilizing the at least one second interface, and

receiving an indication to share the at least one folder for causing to be sent, to a second node via at least one network, at least one email message identifying the at least one folder and including a reference to the at least one folder, without including any file in the at least one folder as an attachment of the at least one email message; and

at the second node;

causing, via particular code configured to be stored on a storage at the second node and further configured to cooperate with a file explorer interface, creation of a representation of the at least one folder in a location among one or more folders on the file explorer interface,

causing display of the representation of the at least one folder in the location among the one or more folders on the file explorer interface,

receiving an indication to open at least one file in the at least one folder, and

in response to detection of the indication to open at least one file in the at least one folder, causing retrieval of the at least one file via the at least one network for permitting display of the at least one file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicia associated with the at least one email address includes an alias associated with the at least one email address.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicia associated with the at least one email address includes the at least one email address.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one first interface and the at least one second interface are separate windows that are displayed utilizing a single web page.

9. The method of claim 5, and further comprising:

at the second node;

receiving an indication of a selection of the reference to the at least one folder, and

causing display of the at least one folder, utilizing third hypertext markup language-equipped code.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the location among the one or more folders at the second node is based on user input received via the at least one first interface at the first node.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the location among the one or more folders at the second node is determined by user input at the first node.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the location among the one or more folders at the second node is automatically determined.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one folder is identified as a result of search criteria received from a user.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one email message and the file explorer interface are caused to be displayed at the second node via separate interfaces for permitting access to the at least one folder via multiple different interfaces only after receiving an indication of a selection of the reference to the at least one folder.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the indication of the at least one folder is capable of being received in response to a first single user input, the indicia associated with the at least one email address is capable of being received in response to a second single user input that immediately follows the first single user input, and the indication to share the at least one folder is capable of being received in response to a third single user input that immediately follows the second single user input.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein, in response to the creation of the representation of the at least one folder being caused, an additional representation on the file explorer interface is caused to be created that represents the at least one file, where the file explorer interface is displayed by a file explorer client application without a web page.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one folder and the at least one file are stored and synchronized utilizing at least one server, and wherein the at least one email message is sent without including the at least one file as an attachment of the at least one email message, and the storage at the second node does not store the at least one file in response to the creation of the representation of the at least one folder being caused, both for avoiding the at least one file from having to be communicated to and stored at the second node until the at least one file is requested by a user at the second node using the additional representation.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of:

said at least one first interface is an email interface;

said at least one second interface is an email interface;

said at least one first interface is a single interface;

said at least one second interface is a single interface;

said at least one first interface is different from the said at least one second interface;

said at least one first interface include a plurality of first interfaces;

said at least one second interface includes a plurality of second interfaces;

said display of the at least one first interface is caused by serving the at least one first interface via the at least one network;

said display of the at least one second interface is caused by serving the at least one first interface via the at least one network;

said first hypertext markup language-equipped code is included in a first web page and the second hypertext markup language-equipped code is included in a second web page;

said indication of the at least one folder is generated based on a user selection of the at least one folder;

said indication of the at least one folder is generated based on a user at least one of searching or locating the at least one folder;

said indication of the at least one folder is generated based on a user input in connection with a folder-related user interface element associated with the at least one folder;

said indication of the at least one folder is generated based on a user entry of text associated with the at least one folder;

said indication of the at least one folder includes a name of the at least one folder;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is generated based on a user selection of the at least one email address;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is generated based on a user locating the at least one email address;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is generated based on a user input in connection with an email-related user interface element;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is generated based on a user entry of text associated with the at least email message;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is received before the indication of the at least one folder;

said indicia associated with the at least one email address is received after the indication of the at least one folder;

said indicia includes a text string that is associated with the at least one email address;

said indication to share is generated by a user selection of a mount button;

said indication to share indicates a desire of a user to begin a sharing process;

said indication to share indicates a desire of a user to continue a sharing process;

said indication to share is generated in connection with a drag and drop operation;

said indication to share is received, utilizing the at least one second interface;

said at least one email message is generated based on the receipt of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder, by being generated in response to the receipt of all of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network;

said at least one email message is generated based on the receipt of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder vi, by being generated only after the receipt of all of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network;

said representation is created based on the receipt of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network, by being created in response to the receipt of all of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network;

said representation is created based on the receipt of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network, by being created only after the receipt of all of the indication of the at least one folder, the indicia associated with the at least one email address, and the indication to share the at least one folder via the at least one network;

said representation includes a folder icon;

said representation includes a folder visual element;

said representation is created based on at least one aspect of the at least one email message;

said indication to open the at least one file includes a selection of the at least one file;

said indication to open the at least one file includes a selection of the at least one file and a detection of a selection of an open user interface element;

said storage at the second node does not store the at least file until after the retrieval of the at least one file;

said storage at the second node includes at least one of volatile memory or non-volatile memory;

said file explorer interface is associated with an email interface that displays the at least one email message;

said file explorer interface is part of an email interface that displays the at least one email message;

said file explorer interface is accessed via an email interface that displays the at least one email message;

said email message includes a mount descriptor;

the at least one file is retrieved via the at least one network from a server in communication between the first node and the second node;

the at least one file is retrieved via the at least one network from a server in communication between the first node and a third node;

said reference includes a uniform resource identifier;

or

said reference includes a link.

19. A method, comprising:

at a first node;

sending a communication over at least one network that results in display of a first user interface element, a second user interface element, and a third user interface element,

receiving information associated with at least one data object via the first user interface element,

receiving at least one object associated with at least one email address via the second user interface element,

receiving a message associated with a selection of the third user interface element, and

causing to be sent, to a second node via the at least one network, at least one email message identifying the at least one data object and including a reference to the at least one data object, without including a file attachment with the at least one email message; and

at the second node;

causing, utilizing code configured to be stored on a storage at the second node and further configured to cooperate with a file explorer interface of a client-based file explorer application, creation of a representation of the at least one data object in a location among one or more folders on the file explorer interface, and

causing display of the representation of the at least one data object in the location among the one or more folders on the file explorer interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the email message is sent without including the file attachment with the at least one email message, for avoiding the at least one file from having to be communicated to the second node until the at least one file is requested by a user at the second node.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the storage at the second node does not store any file in the at least one data object in response to the creation of the representation of the at least one data object being caused.