Cloud content states framework

• US 10,402,375 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Raju, St. Pierre, Robert P., Perry, David Ben, Samji, Mohammed Amirali, Salowitz, Elizabeth P., Woo, Aaron Naoyoshi Sheung Yan, Rawat, Anshul, Lueders, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US15/213,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 707620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• 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]

Abstract

A cloud content states framework is described herein. In implementations, a framework is configured to perform operations for management of cloud content files at the computing device on behalf of cloud storage providers. The framework is operable to manage states for cloud content files accessible from multiple cloud storage services. The framework also manages and outputs state indicators with file system representations of the cloud content files. The states include at least a set of primary states indicative of synchronization status controlled by the framework. The states may also include custom states associated with cloud storage services that are defined via an interface exposed by the framework. In operation, states associated with cloud content files are recognized in connection with rendering a user interface with cloud content file representations. Then, state indicators that reflect the recognized states are exposed along with cloud content file representations in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device comprising:

implementing a framework for the computing device that is configured to;

manage states for cloud content files from multiple cloud storage providers, and output state indicator icons with file system representations of a cloud content file, wherein the states comprise;

a primary state, provided by the framework, that is indicative of a synchronization status of the cloud content file and a custom state, defined for a cloud storage provider of the cloud content file, that is associated with the content of the cloud storage provider, wherein an implementation of the framework executes operations that comprise;

identifying available slots for display of the state indicator icons in a user interface,

selecting one or more state indicator icons for the primary state based on the synchronization status of the cloud content file, wherein the selecting selects one or more slots of the available slots for display of the one or more state indicator icons,

in response to the selecting of the one or more slots for display of state indicator icons for the primary state, selecting one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file based on the available slots,

rendering the user interface configured to display file system representations of the cloud content file, and

exposing, via the user interface, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the primary state, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the custom state and the file system representations of the cloud content file.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the framework is a component of an operating system of the computing device.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the primary state is controlled by the operating system.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the state indicator icons for the primary state comprise icons indicating:

an available offline state of the cloud content file, a download state of the cloud content file, and an error state of the cloud content file.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

associating metadata with the cloud content file to reflect the primary state and the custom state.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein the exposing of the state indicator icons further comprises:

parsing the metadata to ascertain the primary state and the custom state associated with the cloud content file;

mapping the primary state and the custom state to corresponding state indicator icons for the primary state and the custom state; and

rendering items to represent the cloud content file in the user interface along with the corresponding state indicator icons.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the framework is configured to expose the one or more state indicator icons for the primary state and the one or more state indicator icons for the custom state across multiple different views of the file system representations available through one or more applications of the computing device.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

exposing an interface to enable registration of the multiple cloud storage providers with the framework and definition of custom states by the multiple cloud storage providers.

9. The method as described in claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining, via the user interface, state definitions defining one or more custom states for use with one or more of the multiple cloud storage providers, wherein the state indicator icons generate one or more icons associated with the custom state based on the state definitions.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the framework is configured to prioritize, from the available slots identified, a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file over a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein a number of state indicator icons associated with the custom state is selected for display based on a remaining amount of the available slots identified after the one or more slots of the available slots are selected for display of the state indicator icons for the primary state.

12. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the implementation of the framework further executes operations that comprise:

detecting an update to the synchronization status of the cloud content file, updating, based on the detected update to the synchronization status, a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file, and updating a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file based on the updated selection of the state indicator icons for the primary state.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory, operatively connected with the at least one processor, storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method that comprises;

implementing a framework on the system that is configured to;

manage states for cloud content files from multiple cloud storage providers, and output state indicator icons with file system representations of a cloud content file, wherein the states comprise;

a primary state, provided by the framework, that is indicative of a synchronization status for the cloud content file and a custom state, defined for a cloud storage provider of the cloud content file, that is associated with the content of the cloud storage provider, wherein an implementation of the framework executes operations that comprise;

identifying available slots for display of the state indicator icons in a user interface,

selecting one or more state indicator icons for the primary state based on the synchronization status of the cloud content file, wherein the selecting selects one or more slots of the available slots for display of the one or more state indicator icons,

in response to the selecting of the one or more slots for display of state indicator icons for the primary state, selecting one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file based on the available slots,

rendering the user interface configured to display file system representations of the cloud content file, and

exposing, via the user interface, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the primary state, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the custom state and the file system representations of the cloud content file.

14. The system as described in claim 13, wherein the framework is configured to prioritize, from the available slots identified, a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file over a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file.

15. The system as described in claim 13, wherein the state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file comprise icons indicating:

an available offline state of the cloud content file, a download state of the cloud content file, and an error state of the cloud content file.

16. The system as described in claim 13, wherein the executed method further comprises:

exposing an interface to enable registration of the multiple cloud storage providers with the framework and definition of custom states by the multiple cloud storage providers.

17. A computer-readable storage media that comprises instructions which, when executed by a client device, implements a cloud content manager module configured to perform operations comprising:

implementing a framework on the client device that is configured to;

manage states for cloud content files from multiple cloud storage providers, and output state indicator icons with file system representations of a cloud content file, wherein the states comprise;

a primary state, provided by the framework, that is indicative of a synchronization status for the cloud content file and a custom state, defined for a cloud storage provider, that is associated with the content of the cloud storage provider, wherein an implementation of the framework executes operations that comprise;

identifying available slots for display of the state indicator icons in a user interface,

selecting one or more state indicator icons for the primary state of a cloud content file based on the synchronization status of the cloud content file, wherein the selecting selects one or more slots of the available slots for display of the one or more state indicator icons,

in response to the selecting of the one or more slots for display of state indicator icons selected for the primary state, selecting, from available icons associated with the cloud storage provider, one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file,

rendering the user interface configured to display file system representations of the cloud content file, and

exposing, via the user interface, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the primary state, the one or more state indicator icons associated with the custom state and the file system representations of the cloud content file.

18. The computer-readable storage media as described in claim 17, wherein the framework is configured to prioritize, from the available slots identified, a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file over a selection of the one or more state indicator icons for the custom state of the cloud content file.

19. The computer-readable storage media as described in claim 17, wherein the state indicator icons for the primary state of the cloud content file comprise icons indicating:

an available offline state of the cloud content file, a download state of the cloud content file, and an error state of the cloud content file.

20. The computer-readable storage media as described in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

exposing an interface to enable registration of the multiple cloud storage providers with the framework and definition of custom states by the multiple cloud storage providers.