CLOUD SERVICE ENABLED TO HANDLE A SET OF FILES DEPICTED TO A USER AS A SINGLE FILE IN A NATIVE OPERATING SYSTEM

• US 20130275398A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorman, Griffin, Asok, Satish, Self, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/693
• 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 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods method enabling file actions to be performed on a folder structure in a cloud-based service are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for representing the folder structure in a user interface to the cloud-based service as a file and enabling file actions to be performed on file representing the folder structure in the user interface to the cloud-based service. In one embodiment, the folder structure and associated content is stored on a server which provides the cloud-based service in a compressed file format which is able to preserve the metadata associated with the folder structure which indicates its representation as the file in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for enabling file actions to be performed on a folder structure in a cloud-based service hosted by a server, the method, comprising:

representing the folder structure in a user interface to the cloud-based service as a file;

wherein, the folder structure and associated content is stored in a compressed file format, on the server which provides the cloud-based service;

enabling the file actions to be performed on the file representing the folder structure by a user in the user interface to the cloud-based service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the folder structure is associated with metadata to indicate its representation as the file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, the folder structure is also represented as a file in its native operating system;

wherein, the metadata is set by the native operating system to indicate file representation of the folder structure in the native operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, compressing the folder structure and the associated content;

wherein, the associated content includes multiple files of different or same file types.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, the server receives the file in the compressed file format and determines that the file represents the folder structure by detecting a predetermined file extension.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, the predetermined file extension is not depicted in a file name shown in the user interface for the file structure represented as a file.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein, the compressing is performed at a device remote from the server;

the device from which the folder structure is uploaded to the server providing the cloud-based service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein, the predetermined file extension is appended at a device from which the folder structure is uploaded.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein, the predetermined file extension is appended via a desktop client from which the folder structure is uploaded;

wherein, the folder structure is represented in the desktop client user interface as a file.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein, the compressed file format preserves the metadata associated with the folder structure which indicates its representation as the file in the user interface;

wherein, the compressed file format includes the TAR compression file format;

wherein, the user interface is web-based.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, the folder structure includes a MAC package for the MAC operating system or iOS operating system;

wherein, the MAC package includes a file for Omnigraffle or iWork.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, the folder structure includes a hierarchy of folders or an application installation file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, the folder structure includes unstructured data or structured data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, the folder structure includes unstructured data or structured data for the Windows or Windows mobile operating systems.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein, the file actions include, one or more of, lock/unlock or download, of the file, assign the file or represented folder structure as or in a task.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein, the file is downloadable as a file in the compressed format.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, the file actions include, preview of the folder structure or the associated content by acting on the file used for representation or commenting on the file.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein, the folder structure is represented in the desktop client user interface as a file.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein, the cloud-based service includes a collaborative service deployed in an enterprise environment.

20. A method to enable a cloud service hosted by a server to handle a set of files depicted to a user as a single file in an operating system, the method, comprising:

generating a compressed file by compressing the set of files depicted as a single file in the operating system;

uploading the compressed file to a server for the cloud service;

wherein, the compressed file is identifiable by a file identifier as the single file which is depicted to represent the set of files depicted as the single file in the operating system such that the set of files is also presentable as the single file in a user interface to the cloud service.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, computing and storing a hash value of the compressed file;

wherein, the compressed file is generated by a desktop client of the cloud service.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, the user, via the desktop client is able to perform file actions on the set of files as if it were a single file.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein, the set of files are compressed in response to detecting associated metadata indicating that the set of files can be represented to the user as a single file in the operating system via a user interface;

wherein, a compressed format of the compressed file preserves the associated metadata.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising, using a file extension with the file identifier;

wherein, the file extension is detectable by the server for the cloud service that the compressed file includes the set of files depicted as the single file in the operating system;

wherein, the set of files are represented or stored by the operating system in a flat or branched folder structure.

25. A system for enabling file actions to be performed on a folder structure in a web-based collaboration environment, the system, comprising:

a server having a processing unit coupled to memory having stored thereon instructions which when executed by the processing unit causes the processor to;

represent the folder structure in a user interface to the web-based collaboration environment as a file;

wherein, the folder structure is also represented as a file in its native operating system;

wherein, the folder structure and associated content is stored on the server in a compressed file format;

enabling file actions to be performed on file representing the folder structure in the user interface to the web-based collaboration environment;

wherein, the file is downloadable in the compressed file format.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein, the associated content stored in the compressed file format is extractable via a browser that is native to the native operating system on a device remote from the server;

wherein, the file is downloadable to its native operating system on a remote device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein, the downloading is performed with a synchronization client, a mobile client, or a mobile browser.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein, the file is downloadable to a non-native operating system on a first device and re-uploadable to the server by the first device;

wherein, the file is subsequently downloadable to a second device and extracted to be operable in the native operating system on the second device.

29. A system to enable file actions to be performed on a folder structure in a cloud-based service, the system, comprising:

means for, compressing the folder structure and the associated content;

means for, receiving the file in the compressed file format;

means for, determining that the file represents the folder structure by detecting a predetermined file extension;

means for, representing the folder structure in a user interface to the cloud-based service as a file;

means for, storing the folder structure and associated content in a compressed file format;

wherein, the compressed file format preserves the metadata associated with the folder structure which indicates its representation as the file in the user interface.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising, means for, enabling file actions to be performed on file representing the folder structure in the user interface to the cloud-based service.