Managing flow-based interactions with cloud-based shared content

• US 10,708,323 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearl, Anne Elizabeth Hiatt, Blechschmidt, Jenica Nash, Vinnik, Natalia, Waldrop, Robert Kyle, Devlin, Sam Michael, Cipolla, Steven Luis, Jalagam, Sesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Abedin, Normin
• Application Number:
  US16/049,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20180337966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Systems for managing content in a cloud-based service platform. A server in a cloud-based environment is interfaced with storage devices that hold one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users. The stored objects comprise folders and files as well as other objects such as workflow objects that are associated with the folders or the files. The workflow objects comprise workflow metadata that describes a workflow as a set of workflow tasks to be carried out in a progression. Processing of a workflow task and/or carrying out a portion of the progression includes modification of shared content objects. The processing or modification events are detected through workflow events, which in turn cause one or more workflow responses to be generated. Workflow responses comprise updates to the workflow metadata to record progression through the workflow and/or workflow responses comprise updates to any one or more of the stored objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow response further comprises a progression to a next workflow state.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, over the network at least one of a workflow event from the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising delivering, over the network, at least one of a second workflow alert or a second workflow view to the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the workflow response is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to at least one workflow object.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the workflow rules comprises at least one of an event mapping or a logic mapping.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the workflow task is selected based at least in part on at least one of a workflow event.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising codifying one or more object attributes in the metadata, the one or more object attributes characterizing the one or more shared content objects.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the metadata characterizes at least one of a state, a task, a trigger, a rule, a parent, an object, a user, an enterprise, a type, one or more permissions, one or more constraints, one or more messaging settings, or an environment.

11. A computer readable medium, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a set of acts of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the set of acts comprising:

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the workflow response further comprises a progression to a next workflow state.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of receiving, over the network, at least one of a workflow event from the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of delivering, over the network, at least one of a second workflow alert or a second workflow view to the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the workflow response is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to at least one workflow object.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the workflow rules comprises at least one of an event mapping or a logic mapping.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the workflow task is selected based at least in part on at least one of a workflow event.

19. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform a set of acts of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the set of acts comprising;

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.