Collection folder for collecting file submissions with comments

• US 10,713,371 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Mindy, Piyush, Pranav
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maniwang, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US16/222,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20190121992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• 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 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• 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 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles

Abstract

A content management system for collecting files from one or more submitters in a collection folder. A collector, who generates the collection folder, can invite one or more submitters to submit one or more files to the collection folder. A submitter submits one or more files along with one or more comments associated with the one or more of submitted files. The one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder. The limited rights can include uploading rights and prohibiting a submitter from viewing files that other submitters associated with the collection folder submitted. Thus, the collection folder is able to store files from the one or more submitters, but prevent them from viewing other'"'"'s submissions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a content management system, a link to a collection folder;

distributing, by the content management system, the link to the collection folder to a submitter client device associated with a submitter;

receiving, by the content management system, a file selected by the submitter and a first comment input by the submitter based on the submitter accessing the link to the collection folder on the submitter client device;

associating the first comment with the file within the content management system by generating metadata referencing a first storage location of the first comment and associating the metadata with the file; and

storing the file associated with the metadata in the collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage location referenced in the metadata associated with the file is a different location from the collection folder.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content management system, a second comment input by the submitter on the submitter client device; and

modifying the metadata associated with the file to further reference a second storage location of the second comment input by the submitter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a collector client device, a request to access the file stored in the collection folder; and

providing, to the collector client device, the file and the first comment based on receiving the request to access the file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the file and the first comment to the collector client device comprises providing a graphical user interface comprising a file portion for presentation of the file and a comment portion for presentation of comments.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a collector client device, a collector comment corresponding to the file stored in the collection folder; and

modifying the metadata associated with the file to further reference a storage location of the collector comment received from the collector client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a collector client device, a collector comment corresponding to the file stored in the collection folder; and

providing the collector comment to the submitter client device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, to a collector client device, a notification of the file and the first comment based on receiving the file and the first comment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on receiving an indication of the submitter selecting the link to the collection folder, providing to the submitter client device a file selection user interface that comprises a file selection icon and a comment icon; and

providing a comment box interface in response to receiving an indication of the submitter selecting the comment icon, wherein the submitter inputs the first comment via the comment box interface.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

generate a link to a collection folder;

distribute the link to the collection folder to a submitter client device associated with a submitter;

receive a file selected by the submitter and a first comment input by the submitter based on the submitter accessing the link to the collection folder on the submitter client device;

associate the first comment with the file by generating metadata referencing a first storage location of the first comment and associating the metadata with the file; and

store the file associated with the metadata in the collection folder.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first storage location referenced in the metadata associated with the file is a different location from the collection folder.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive a second comment input by the submitter on the submitter client device; and

modify the metadata associated with the file to further reference a second storage location of the second comment input by the submitter.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from a collector client device, a request to access the file stored in the collection folder; and

provide, to the collector client device, the file and the first comment based on receiving the request to access the file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein providing the file and the first comment to the collector client device comprises providing a graphical user interface comprising a file portion for presentation of the file and a comment portion for presentation of comments.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from a collector client device, a collector comment corresponding to the file stored in the collection folder; and

modify the metadata associated with the file to further reference a storage location of the collector comment received from the collector client device.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from a collector client device, a collector comment corresponding to the file stored in the collection folder; and

providing the collector comment to the submitter client device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

generate a link to a collection folder;

distribute the link to the collection folder to a submitter client device associated with a submitter;

receive a file selected by the submitter and a first comment input by the submitter based on the submitter accessing the link to the collection folder on the submitter client device;

associate the first comment with the file by generating metadata referencing a first storage location of the first comment and associating the metadata with the file; and

store the file associated with the metadata in the collection folder.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first storage location referenced in the metadata associated with the file is a different location from the collection folder.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

receive a second comment input by the submitter on the submitter client device; and

modify the metadata associated with the file to further reference a second storage location of the second comment input by the submitter.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

receive, from a collector client device, a request to access the file stored in the collection folder; and

provide, to the collector client device, the file and the first comment based on receiving the request to access the file,

wherein providing the file and the first comment to the collector client device comprises providing a graphical user interface comprising a file portion for presentation of the file and a comment portion for presentation of comments.