METADATA ENABLED THIRD-PARTY APPLICATION ACCESS OF CONTENT AT A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM VIA A NATIVE CLIENT TO THE CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM

• US 20130318125A1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Michael, Smith, Benjamin Campbell, Tan, Simon, Yao, Rico
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for methods, architectures and security mechanisms for a third-party application to access content in a cloud-based platform. In one embodiment, a method includes, receiving, at the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file. The method further includes transmitting the metadata to a server which is associated with the third-party application. The metadata enables the server to request the file from the cloud-based environment.

Claims

1. A method for a third-party application to access to a file in a cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file;

transmitting the metadata to a server which is associated with the third-party application, wherein the metadata enables the server to request the file from the cloud-based environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the file from the server,

wherein the portion of the file is to enable the third-party application to perform actions to the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is received from a mobile client of the cloud-based environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an accessed portion of the file back to the server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitted, accessed portion of the file is to be saved to the cloud-based environment.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

notifying a mobile client of the cloud-based environment to reload the file from the cloud-based environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received portion of the file comprises information that is capable to create a view of at least a partial content of the file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received portion of the file comprises data that are included the file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party application can receive an instruction from the cloud-based environment to delete the received portion of the file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party application is restricted to store the received portion of the file back to the cloud-based environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a single entity comprises the third-party application and the server associated with the third-party application.

12. A method for providing a third-party application with access to a file in a cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving, from the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file;

requesting the file from a server which hosts the cloud-based environment by transmitting the metadata to the server; and

transmitting at least a portion of the file to the third-party application for one or more actions to be performed on the portion of the file.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

before the transmitting, receiving the file from the server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an accessed portion of the file from the third-party application.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting the received, accessed portion of the file to the server.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the third-party application is listed in a list of approved third-party applications.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

keeping a history of the access, the history including at least information regarding which third-party application accessed what content.

18. A method for providing a third-party application with access to a file in a cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

upon a selection of the file from a user, transmitting metadata that identifies the file to a third-party application.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a message from the third-party application to reload the file from the cloud-based environment.

20. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

upon a selection of the file from a user, transmit metadata that identifies the file to a third-party application;

receive a message from the third-party application to reload the file from the cloud-based environment.

21. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file;

transmit the metadata to a server which is associated with the third-party application, wherein the metadata enables the server to request the file from the cloud-based environment.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive at least a portion of the file from the server,

wherein the portion of the file is to enable the third-party application to perform actions to the file.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the metadata is received from a mobile client of the cloud-based environment.

24. The medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

transmit an accessed portion of the file back to the server.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the transmitted, accessed portion of the file is to be saved to the cloud-based environment.

26. A system for providing a third-party application to access to a file in a cloud-based environment, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory circuitry coupled to the processors and having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the system to;

receive, from the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file;

request the file from a server which hosts the cloud-based environment by transmitting the metadata to the server; and

transmit at least a portion of the file to the third-party application for one or more actions to be performed on the portion of the file.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the system is further caused to:

before the transmitting, receiving the file from the server.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the system is further caused to:

receive an accessed portion of the file from the third-party application.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system is further caused to:

transmit the received, accessed portion of the file to the server.

30. A method for a third-party application to access content in a cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

receiving the content from the cloud-based environment;

creating a key content based on an authentication token that is received, and further based on a timestamp;

encrypting the content using the key; and

providing the encrypted content, along with the key, to the third-party application.

31. A system for providing a third-party application to access to a file in a cloud-based environment, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory circuitry coupled to the processors and having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the system to;

receive the file from the cloud-based environment;

create a key content based on an authentication token that is received, and further based on a timestamp;

encrypt the file using the key; and

provide the encrypted content, along with the key, to the third-party application.