Workflow functions of content management system enforced by client device

• US 10,649,960 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Xu, Tony, Grey, Kevin, Vorobev, Sergei, Liu, Haichen, Eisner, Stephen, Harris, Alexandra, Lucchesi, Blake, Sheikh, Waqas, Ausburn, Royce, Athanasiou, Panagiotis, Johnston, Zach, Jayasankar, Narmada, Valloppillil, Vinod
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, J. Brant
• Application Number:
  US16/182,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20190114287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• 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 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for providing workflow controls to shared content items stored on client devices, and enforcing content item check outs or content item locks for shared content items stored and accessed on client devices. The present technology further includes automatically locking a shared content item that is edited on a client device so that other team members cannot modify the content item. Accordingly, the present technology improves upon existing systems that provide workflow controls such as file check-in and checkout functionality by permitting users to access content items directly from the file system of their client device, and by providing automatic checkout and check-in functionality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

determining, based on an arranged workflow for reviewing a shared content item by one or more user accounts of a content management system, that the shared content item that is checked-out to a first client device associated with a first user account of the content management system should be checked-in without an explicit check-in instruction from the first user account; and

sending a synchronization communication to the content management system to be relayed to a second client device associated with a second user account, the synchronization communication indicating that the shared content item has been checked-in, wherein the arranged workflow is based on at least one input at a workflow control to establish a flow of review of the shared content item by the one or more user accounts.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in comprises:

determining, on the first client device, that the shared content item was open by an application to edit the shared content item, and that the shared content item is now closed.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one inputs to the workflow control set parameters for the flow of review, including an amount of time allocated to each of the one or more user accounts for reviewing the shared content item.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing an appearance of an icon representing the shared content item on the first client device from an icon to indicate that the shared content item is checked-out by the first user account of the first client device to an icon to indicate another status.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based on an output of a machine learned algorithm.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based at least in part on a determination that an amount of time allocated to the first user account has expired.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein an expiration of the amount of time allocated for the first user account is stored in metadata on the first client device in association with the shared content item.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions effective to cause one or more processors of a first client device to:

determine, based on an arranged workflow for reviewing a shared content item by one or more user accounts of a content management system, that the shared content item that is checked-out to a first client device associated with a first user account of the content management system should be checked-in without an explicit check-in instruction from the first user account; and

send a synchronization communication to the content management system to be relayed to a second client device associated with a second user account, the synchronization communication indicating that the shared content item has been checked-in, wherein the arranged workflow is based on at least one input at a workflow control to establish a flow of review of the shared content item by the one or more user accounts.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine that the shared content item should be checked-in further includes instructions to:

determine, on the first client device, that the shared content item was opened by an application to edit the shared content item, and that the shared content item is now closed.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one inputs to the workflow control set parameters for the flow of review, including an amount of time allocated to each of the one or more user accounts for reviewing the shared content item.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further including instructions to:

change an appearance of an icon representing the shared content item on the first client device from an icon indicating that the shared content item is checked-out by the first user account of the first client device to an icon to indicate another status.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based on an output of a machine learned algorithm.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based at least in part on a determination that an amount of time allocated to the first user account has expired.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein an expiration of the amount of time allocated to the first user account is stored in metadata on the first client device in association with the shared content item.

15. A system, the system comprising:

a first client device comprising one or more processors and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

determine, based on an arranged workflow for reviewing a shared content item by one or more user accounts of a content management system, that the shared content item that is checked-out to the first client device associated with a first user account of the content management system should be checked-in without an explicit check-in instruction from the first user account; and

send a synchronization communication to the content management system to be relayed to a second client device associated with a second user account, the synchronization communication indicating that the shared content item has been checked-in, wherein the arranged workflow is based on at least one input at a workflow control to establish a flow of review of the shared content item by the one or more user accounts.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions which cause the system to:

determine, on the first client device, that the shared content item was opened by an application to edit the shared content item, and that the shared content item is now closed.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one inputs to the workflow control set parameters for the flow of review, including an amount of time allocated to each of the one or more user accounts for reviewing the shared content item.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions which cause the system to:

change an appearance of an icon representing the shared content item on the first client device from an icon indicating that the shared content item is checked-out by the first user account of the first client device to an icon to indicate another status.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based on an output of a machine learned algorithm.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein determining that the shared content item should be checked-in is based at least in part on a determination that an amount of time allocated to the first user account has expired.