Unified activity service

• US 10,353,926 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Milvaney, Douglas L., Harris, Andrew W., Wong, Candy Hoi Mei, Shukla, Manish Kumar, Chattan, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saeed, Usmaan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich, Brian E.
• Application Number:
  US14/943,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 707737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a unified activity service. In one aspect, different files stored on different storage platforms may be rendered on different user interfaces. Multiple activities associated with each of the different files may be obtained from the activity service. In another aspect, activity metadata corresponding to the multiple activities may be stored in the activity service. Activities associated with the different files may include content changes in a file (e.g., edits and deletions), sharing a file, renaming a file, comments within a file, messaging, and conversations related to a file. The different storage platforms may be independent of the activity service.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to at least;

render, on a first user interface, a file stored on a first cloud storage provider;

obtain one or more activities associated with the file from an activity service, wherein the one or more activities include corresponding activity metadata, and wherein the file is stored on the first cloud storage provider and the one or more activities and the corresponding activity metadata are stored at the activity service, and wherein the first cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service;

display the one or more activities and the corresponding activity metadata associated with the file within a file activity feed of the file;

render, on a second user interface, another file stored on a second cloud storage provider;

obtain one or more activities associated with the another file from the activity service, wherein the one or more activities include corresponding activity metadata, and wherein the another file is stored on the second cloud storage provider and the one or more activities and the corresponding activity metadata are stored at the activity service, and wherein the second cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service and a different cloud storage provider than the first cloud storage provider;

display the one or more activities and the corresponding activity metadata associated with the another file within a file activity feed of the another file;

receive an indication of an occurrence of at least one activity associated with the another file stored on the second cloud storage provider;

generate activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the another file; and

send the generated activity metadata to the activity service for storing the generated activity metadata.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user interface and the second user interface are the same, and wherein the file is rendered on a client computing device, and wherein the another file is rendered on the client computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the file is rendered on a first client computing device, and wherein the another file is rendered on a second client computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to at least determine whether a user associated with the file has permission to access the one or more activities before obtaining the one or more activities associated with the file from the activity service.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to at least determine whether a user associated with the another file has permission to access the one or more activities before obtaining the one or more activities associated with the another file from the activity service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity metadata includes at least one of an identifier, a timestamp, a type, a location, and a link.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to at least:

receive an indication of an occurrence of at least one activity associated with the file stored on the first cloud storage provider;

generate activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the file; and

send the generated activity metadata to the activity service for storing the generated activity metadata.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to at least:

render, on a third user interface, another file stored on a third cloud storage provider; and

obtain one or more activities associated with the another file from the activity service, wherein the one or more activities include corresponding activity metadata, and wherein the another file is stored on the third cloud storage provider and the one or more activities and the corresponding activity metadata are stored at the activity service, and wherein the third cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service and a different cloud storage provider than the first cloud storage provider and the second cloud storage provider.

9. A computer-implemented method for storing activity metadata in an activity service, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an occurrence of at least one activity associated with a first file stored independently of the activity service, where the activity service is configured for storing the at least one activity and the activity metadata associated with the first file, and where the activity service is independent of a client computing device and a first cloud storage provider for hosting the first file;

generating activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the first file;

sending the generated activity metadata to the activity service for storing the generated activity metadata;

obtain, from the activity service, at least one activity and corresponding activity metadata associated with the first file for display within a file activity feed of the first file;

receiving an indication of an occurrence of at least one activity associated with a second file stored independently of the activity service and the first file, where the activity service is configured for storing the at least one activity and the activity metadata associated with the second file, and where the activity service is independent of a second cloud storage provider for hosting the second file;

generating activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the another file; and

sending the generated activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the another file to the activity service for storing the generated activity metadata; and

obtain, from the activity service, at least one activity and corresponding activity metadata associated with the another file for display within a file activity feed of the another file.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the file is stored on the client computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the file is stored on the first cloud storage provider.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the second file is stored on the second cloud storage provider.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the second cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service and the first cloud storage provider.

14. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method for storing activity metadata in an activity service, the method comprising;

receiving, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to at least one activity associated with a file stored on a first cloud storage provider;

storing, at the activity service, the activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the file stored on the first cloud storage provider, where the first cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service;

receiving, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to at least one activity associated with another file stored on a second cloud storage provider;

storing, at the activity service, the activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the another file stored on the second cloud storage provider, where the second cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service and a different cloud storage provider than the first cloud storage provider;

generating, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to a plurality of activities associated with the file stored on the first cloud storage provider;

sending the generated activity metadata to the first cloud storage provider;

generating, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to a plurality of activities associated with the another file stored on the second cloud storage provider; and

sending the generated activity metadata to the second cloud storage provider.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from a third party entity, a request for activity metadata corresponding to a plurality of activities associated with the file stored on the first cloud storage provider; and

sending the requested activity metadata to the third party entity, wherein the third party entity is independent of the activity service, the first cloud storage provider, and the second cloud storage provider.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the file stored on the first cloud storage provider has a first global identifier, and wherein the another file stored on the second cloud storage provider has a second global identifier.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the activity service stores activity metadata corresponding to a plurality of activities associated with a plurality of files stored on a plurality of cloud storage providers.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to at least one activity associated with another file stored on a third cloud storage provider; and

storing the activity metadata corresponding to the at least one activity associated with the another file stored on the third cloud storage provider.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the third cloud storage provider is independent of the activity service and a different cloud storage provider than the first cloud storage provider and the second cloud storage provider.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

generating, at the activity service, activity metadata corresponding to a plurality of activities associated with the another file stored on the third cloud storage provider; and

sending the generated activity metadata to the third cloud storage provider.