Kernel event triggers

• US 10,705,889 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• 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): Spratt, Beau D
• Application Number:
  US15/475,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20180181266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 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 computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to open a content item locally stored on a client device, the request to open the content item by a native application executing on the client device that is suitable for opening the content item, the content item being stored with a reference to collaboration data on a server;

in response to the request and before opening the content item, communicating with the server to access the collaboration data which includes data that defines tasks;

opening the content item using the native application on the client device according to the collaboration data that defines tasks to be performed with respect to the content item;

synchronizing changes to the content item and the collaboration data to the server;

determining that at least one task in the data defining tasks is completed based on the changes; and

updating a collaboration graphical user interface to represent that the task is competed.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein

the determining that the task is completed is performed by detecting changes made to the content item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration data includes an instruction to open the content item in a read only mode.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration data includes a comment associated with the content item, the method further comprising:

detecting a modification to the content item; and

prompting the user to provide a comment summarizing the modification.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration data includes a modification restriction, the method further comprising:

detecting a modification to the content item;

determining that the modification to the content item is disallowed by the modification restriction; and

preventing saving the content item.

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

detecting the accessing of the content item, the detecting being accomplished by a kernel extension of a content management system client application.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein a portion of the collaboration data is displayed in a collaboration graphical user interface prior to the opening the content item.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 comprising:

displaying a collaboration graphical user interface with the opened content item.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the collaboration graphical user interface is presented by a separate application on the client device than an application that opened the content item on the client device.

10. A system comprising:

a work flow server;

a client device including a local file system, wherein the client device is configured to;

receive a request to open a content item locally stored on the local file system of the client device, the request to open the content item by a native application executing on the client device that is suitable for opening the content item, the content item being stored with work flow data, the work flow data referencing the work flow server;

in response to the request and before opening the content item, communicate with the work flow server according to the work flow data to download content item access instructions;

open the content item using the native application on the client device according to the content item access instructions, wherein the content item access instructions include displaying in a collaboration graphical user interface, collaboration data relative to the content item; and

update a collaboration graphical user interface to represent that a task is competed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the collaboration data includes a task associated with the content item, wherein the client device is configured to:

detect changes made to the content item; and

determine that the task is completed based on the changes.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the content item access instructions include an instruction to open the content item in a read only mode.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the collaboration data includes a comment associated with the content item, wherein the client device is configured to:

detect a modification to the content item; and

prompt the user to provide a comment summarizing the modification.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the content item access instructions include a modification restriction, wherein the client device is configured to:

detect a modification to the content item;

determine that the modification to the content item is disallowed by the modification restriction; and

prevent saving the content item.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the client device is configured to:

detect the accessing of the content item, the detecting being accomplished by a kernel extension of a content management system client application.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions are effective for causing a client device to:

receive a request to open a content item locally stored on a client device, the request to open the content item by a native application executing on the client device that is suitable for opening the content item, the content item being stored with a reference to collaboration data on a server;

in response to the request and before opening the content item, communicate with the server to access the collaboration data which includes data that defines tasks;

prior to opening the content item, display in a collaboration graphical user interface, a portion of the collaboration data relative to the content item;

open the content item by the native application; and

update a collaboration graphical user interface to represent that the task is competed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the collaboration data includes a task associated with the content item, wherein the instructions are effective for causing the client device to:

detect changes made to the content item; and

determine that the task is completed based on the changes.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the collaboration data includes an instruction to open the content item in a read only mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the collaboration data includes a comment associated with the content item, wherein the instructions are effective for causing the client device to:

detect a modification to the content item; and

prompt the user to provide a comment summarizing the modification.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the collaboration data includes a modification restriction, wherein the instructions are effective for causing the client device to:

detect a modification to the content item;

determine that the modification to the content item is disallowed by the modification restriction; and

prevent saving the content item.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions are effective for causing the client device to:

detect the accessing of the content item, the detecting being accomplished by a kernel extension of a content management system client application.