Kernel event triggers

• US 10,452,456 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: von Muhlen, Marcio, Valloppillil, Vinod, Bunger, Nils
• Primary Examiner(s): Onat, Umut
• Application Number:
  US15/475,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20180181448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1794 Details of file format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• 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 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/30 : Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 : Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

The present technology pertains to responding to a kernel level file event for a content item and presenting a file event window associated with the content item. A client device can detect the kernel level file event for the content item. This can be accomplished using a kernel extension on a client device that is networked with a content management system. The client device can then retrieve data associated with the content item, including an instruction for the content item. The client device can then perform the instruction. This instruction can be to retrieve collaboration data from the content management system and present the collaboration data in a file event window.

Claims

1. A system for enforcing instructions for handling or presenting a content item on a client device, wherein synchronized copies of the content item are stored in association with a user account at a content management system server, and at least one storage of the client device that is authorized to access the user account at the content management system server, the system comprising:

the client device including the at least one storage including software code for an operating system, a content management system client application, a kernel extension of the content management system client application, and a content item application, and the client device including at least one processor configured to execute the software code, when executed, causing the at least one processor to;

detect a kernel level file open event for the content item in the at least one storage of the client device, wherein the event is the result of a file open command that originates in a user interface to a local file system of the operating system;

interrupt the kernel level file open event for the content item in the at least one storage of the client device; and

in response to the interrupting the kernel level file open event, retrieve from the at least one storage an instruction specific to the content item for presenting the content item in cooperation with the content management system server;

the client application to contact the content management system server according to the instruction;

present by the client application an option to receive an alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

receive a selection of the option to receive the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

request the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device from the server;

receive the alternate version from the server, wherein the alternate version is a modified version of the content item; and

open the alternate version of the copy of the content item according to the instruction.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is a local file system browsing application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction includes a location at the content management system server containing a further file event instruction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction was created at the content management system server, and causes the client application to open the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device in a limited access mode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction was created at the content management system server, and causes the client application to open the copy of the content item after presenting collaboration data pertinent to the content item.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the collaboration data is work flow data that includes tasks associated with the content item.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the work flow data causes the client application to determine whether the content item is open by another user by communicating with the server, and when it is determined that the content item is open by another user, open the file as read-only or disallow saving of the content item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction was created at the content management system server, and causes the client application to decrypt the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction specific to the content item is retrieved using metadata for the content item that refers to the storage location of the instruction associated with the content item.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the client application to determine whether the content item is open by another user by communicating with the server, and when it is determined that the content item is open by another user, open the content item as read-only.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the client application to receive acceptance of conditions prior to opening the content item.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions effective to cause a computing device to:

detect a kernel level file open event for a content item in the computer readable storage of the client device that originates from an interface to a local file system of an operating system of the client device, wherein copies of the content item exist at a content management system server and in the computer readable storage of the client device;

interrupt the kernel level file open event for the content item in the computer readable storage of the client device; and

in response to the interrupting the kernel level file open event, retrieving from the computer readable storage of the client device an instruction for presenting the content item in cooperation with the content management system server;

contact the content management system server according to the instruction;

present by the client application an option to receive an alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

receive a selection of the option to receive the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

request the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device from the server;

receive the alternate version from the server, wherein the alternate version is a modified version of the content item; and

open the alternate version of the copy of the content item according to the instruction.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage of claim 12 wherein the interface is a local file system browsing application.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a kernel level file open event for a content item in the storage of the client device that originates from an interface to a local file system of an operating system of the client device, wherein copies of the content item exist at a content management system server and in the computer readable storage of the client device;

interrupting the kernel level file open event for the content item in the storage of the client device; and

in response to the interrupting the kernel level file open event, retrieving from the storage of the client device an instruction for handling or presenting the content item in cooperation with the content management system server;

contacting the content management system server according to the instruction;

present by the client application an option to receive an alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

receive a selection of the option to receive the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device;

request the alternate version of the copy of the content item stored at the at least one storage of the client device from the server;

receive the alternate version from the server, wherein the alternate version is a modified version of the content item and

opening the alternate version of the copy of the content item according to the instruction.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the interface is a local file system browsing application.