Activity feed for hosted files

• US 10,554,664 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamath, Kristen, Myhre, Kirk Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hee K
• Application Number:
  US15/199,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• 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 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• 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 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to generating an activity feed for an entity hosted at a file hosting server. The activity feed includes a plurality of entries that are representative of activities undertaken with respect to the entity over time.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory that has a file hosting application loaded therein, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the file hosting application, is configured to perform acts comprising;

causing content of a folder hosted by the file hosting application to be displayed on a display of a client computing device that is in network communication with the computing system, the content of the folder includes a plurality of identifiers for entities included in the folder;

receiving, from the client computing device, an indication that an identifier from amongst the plurality of identifiers has been selected by a user of the client computing device who has authenticated with the file hosting application, wherein the identifier represents an entity included in the folder, wherein the entity is simultaneously accessible to multiple client computing devices by way of the file hosting application;

responsive to receiving the indication, causing an activity feed for the entity to be displayed on the display of the client computing device, wherein the activity feed is displayed on the display together with the content of the folder, the activity feed comprises a plurality of chronologically-ordered entries that are representative of a plurality of activities undertaken with respect to multiple versions of the entity over time, wherein each entry in the plurality of chronologically-ordered entries comprises;

data that identifies a type of activity represented by the entry;

an identity of a user who performed the activity represented by the entry; and

data that identifies a time that the activity was performed with respect to the entity;

receiving a request to filter entries in the activity feed based upon the type of activity; and

in response to receiving the request, filtering entries in the activity feed such that the activity feed includes only entries that are representative of activities of the type of activity.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a second folder, and further wherein the plurality of activities are activities undertaken on files in the second folder.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a file, and further wherein the plurality of activities are activities undertaken on the file.

4. The computing system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of entries include an entry that indicates that a user who is authorized to access the file has caused the file to be shared, by way of the file hosting application, with at least one other user who previously was not authorized by the file hosting application to access the file.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the activity feed comprises a text entry field, the acts further comprising:

updating the activity feed to include an entry that is representative of a comment about the entity in response to the comment being submitted by way of the text entry field.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a file that is editable by way of a computer-executable application, the acts further comprising:

updating the activity feed to include an entry that is representative of a comment about the entity in response to the comment being submitted in the computer-executable application.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the computer-executable application is one of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, or a slide presentation application.

8. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the entity is a file, and further wherein the plurality of entries include an entry that indicates that the file has been referenced in an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication was initiated from a second client computing device operated by a second user who is authorized by the file hosting application to access the file.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a file, and further wherein the plurality of entries comprise an entry that includes a selectable link that is representative of a previous version of the file, the acts further comprising:

displaying the previous version of the file on the display of the client computing device responsive to receiving an indication that the selectable link has been selected.

10. A method comprising:

at a file hosting server that executes a file hosting application, and in response to receipt of a request to display content of a folder hosted by the file hosting application from a client computing device, causing identifiers for entities to be displayed on a display of the client computing device, wherein the folder includes the entities;

at the file hosting server, receiving an indication that a user of the client computing device has selected an identifier from the identifiers, wherein the identifier represents an entity in the entities, the entity accessible to the client computing device by way of the file hosting application, the file hosting application provides simultaneous access to the entity to multiple client computing devices operated by multiple users who are authorized by the file hosting application to access the entity;

responsive to receiving the indication, causing an activity feed for the entity to be displayed on the display of the client computing device, wherein the activity feed is displayed concurrently with the identifiers, and further wherein the activity feed comprises a plurality of entries that are representative of a plurality of activities undertaken with respect to the entity over time, entries in the plurality of entries are arranged in a sequence that corresponds to a sequence in which the activities were undertaken with respect to the entity, wherein each entry in the plurality of entries comprises;

data that identifies a type of activity represented by the entry;

an identity of a user who performed the activity represented by the entry; and

data that identifies a time that the activity was performed with respect to the entity;

receiving a request to filter entries in the activity feed based upon the type of activity; and

in response to receiving the request, filtering the entries in the activity feed such that the activity feed includes only entries that are representative of activities of the type of activity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request to filter entries in the activity feed based upon an identity of a second user who performed an activity represented by an entry in the plurality of entries; and

in response to receiving the request, filtering the entries in the activity feed such that the activity feed includes only entries that are representative of activities performed by the second user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein an entry in the plurality of entries comprises a selectable version identifier that is representative of a previous version of the entity, the acts further comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication that the selectable version identifier has been selected by the user of the client computing device, causing the previous version of the entity to be displayed on the display of the client computing device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the entity is a file, the acts further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user of the client computing device has set forth a comment about a portion of the file, the comment set forth in a computer-executable application executing on the client computing device that is usable to edit the file; and

updating the activity feed to include an entry that is representative of the comment being set forth about the portion of the file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the entry comprises:

the comment; and

the portion of the file.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the activity feed comprises a text entry field that is configured to receive comments about the entity, the method further comprising:

receiving a comment set forth about the entity in the text entry field of the activity feed; and

updating the activity feed to include an entry that includes the comment.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of entries includes an entry that indicates that a second user set forth a comment to the entity.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of entries includes an entry that indicates that a second user accessed but did not modify the entity.

18. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication that a user of a client computing device has authenticated with a file hosting application executing at a file hosting server, the file hosting application is configured to simultaneously provide access to a file hosted at the file hosting server to users who are authorized to access the file;

in response to receiving the indication that the user of the client computing device has authenticated with the file hosting application, causing a plurality of file identifiers to be displayed on a display of the client computing device, the plurality of file identifiers representative of a plurality of files hosted at the file hosting server;

receiving an indication from the client computing device that the user has selected a file identifier in the plurality of file identifiers;

in response to receiving the indication from the client computing device that the user has selected the file identifier in the plurality of file identifiers, causing an activity feed for a file represented by the file identifier to be displayed on the display of the client computing device, wherein the activity feed is displayed on the display concurrently with the plurality of file identifiers, the activity feed comprises a plurality of entries that are representative of a plurality of activities undertaken with respect to the file over time, the plurality of entries arranged in accordance with a chronology in which the activities were undertaken with respect to the file over time, wherein each entry in the plurality of entries comprises;

data that identifies a type of activity represented by the entry;

an identity of a user who performed the activity represented by the entry; and

data that identifies a time that the activity was performed with respect to the file;

receiving a request to filter entries in the activity feed based upon the type of activity; and

in response to receiving the request, filtering entries in the activity feed such that the activity feed includes only entries that are representative of activities of the type of activity.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of entries include an entry that indicates that a user who is authorized to access the file has caused the file to be shared, by way of the file hosting application, with at least one other user who previously was not authorized by the file hosting application to access the file.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the activity feed comprises a text entry field that is configured to receive comments about the file, the acts further comprising:

receiving a comment set forth about the file in the text entry field of the activity feed; and

updating the activity feed to include an entry that includes the comment.