REQUESTING MODIFICATION RIGHTS TO A LINKED FILE SET

• US 20140215568A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirigin, Ivan, Adeagbo, Olumakinde Adegboyega
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1794 Details of file format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• 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 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A computer implemented system and method of sharing files between a link sharer and a link recipient over a network. The method comprises generating, in response to a request by a link sharer, a file sharing link to a file set, where the link does not provide a link recipient the ability to modify the contents of the linked file set. In response to receiving an indication that the generated link has been activated by a link recipient, displaying a representation of the linked file set with a display element configured to send a request for modification rights to the linked file set when activated by the link recipient. In response to receiving the request for modification rights, either automatically granting modification rights to the linked file set or sending notice to the link sharer indicating that the link recipient is requesting modification rights to the linked file set.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of sharing files between al ink sharer and a link recipient, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to a request from the link sharer, generating, by a content management system, a file sharing link to a file set associated with an account for the link sharer on the content management system, wherein the link provides the link recipient with read-only access to the file set;

receiving, by the content management system, an indication that the file sharing link has been activated by a link recipient;

at least partially in response to receiving the link activation indication, displaying, by the content management system, a representation of the file set along with a display element that may be activated to send a request to provide modification rights to the file set;

receiving, by the content management system, an indication that the display element has been activated;

at least partially in response to receiving the indication that the display element has been activated, granting, by the content management system, the link recipient modification rights to the file set;

at least partially in response to granting modification rights, associating, by the content management system, the file set with an account of the link recipient, the association converting the read only file set to a shared file set, with the shared file set being non-read only; and

synchronizing, by the content management system, the file set with at least one client device authorized on the account of the link recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein granting modification rights is automatically provided in response to determining that certain permission criteria have been satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

granting modification rights is automatically provided in response to determining that at least one permission criteria has been satisfied;

and

the at least one permission criteria comprises one or more criteria selected from a group consisting of;

(1) the link sharer and the link recipient are members of a contacts associated with the link sharer; and

(3) the link sharer has previously manually granted the link recipient permission to directly upload files to the file set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

granting modification rights is automatically provided in response to determining that at least one permission criteria have been satisfied;

and

the at least one permission criteria comprises one or more criteria selected from a group consisting of;

the link sharer and the link recipient are members of a common group on a social media web site;

the link recipient is within a list of contacts associated with the link sharer; and

the link sharer has previously manually granted the link recipient permission to directly upload files to the file set; and

membership m a common group further comprises the link sharer and the link recipient being members of the same social media group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining whether predetermined permission criteria that have been specified by the link sharer have been satisfied;

and

at least partially in response to determining that the permission criteria have not been satisfied, requesting authorization from the link sharer to grant the link recipient modification rights to the file set.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the file set is a shared folder within the context of a synched file sharing system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the file set is a shared folder within the context of a synched file sharing system; and

the modification rights include one or more rights selected from a group consisting of;

adding files to the shared folder;

deleting files from the shared folder; and

editing files that are stored within the shared folder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed via computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more steps of the method are executed by one or more computer servers comprising at least one processor and memory.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a message to the link sharer indicating that the link recipient has requested modification rights to the file set.

10. A computer implemented method of sharing files between a link sharer and a link recipient comprising the steps of:

at least partially in response to receiving a request to share a file set associated with an account for the link sharer on the content management system, generating a file set sharing link;

at least partially in response to receiving an indication that the file sharing link has been activated by a link recipient, displaying a representation of the linked file set and a display element that is configured to send a request for modification rights to the linked file set when activated by the link recipient; and

executing a step that selected from a group consisting of;

automatically granting the link recipient modification rights to the linked file set; and

sending notice to the link sharer indicating that the link recipient is requesting modification rights to the linked file set;

after granting modification rights, converting the read only file set to a shared file set by associating the file set with an account of the link recipient, with the share file set being non-read only; and

synchronizing the file set with at least one client device authorized on the account of the link recipient.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein automatically granting modification rights to the linked file set is at least partially based on satisfaction of at least one permission criteria.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

automatically granting modification rights to the linked file set is at least partially based on satisfaction of at least one permission criteria;

and

the at least one permission criteria is based on whether the link recipient is a registered user of a file sharing system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the file set is a shared folder that is shared among multiple users within the context of a synched file sharing system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is executed via computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more steps of the method are executed by one or more computer servers comprising at least one processor and memory.

16. A system for sharing files across a network, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

at least partially in response to receiving a request to share a file set associated with an account for the link sharer on the content management system, generate a file set sharing link;

at least partially in response to receiving an indication that the file set sharing link has been activated by a link recipient, display a representation of the linked file set along with a display element that may be activated by the link recipient to send a request for modification rights to the linked file set; and

one of;

automatically grant the link recipient modification rights to the linked file set;

send notice to the link sharer indicating that the link recipient is requesting modification rights to the linked file set;

after granting modification rights, convert the read only file set to a shared file set by associating the file set with an account of the link recipient, with the shared file set being non-read only; and

synchronize the file set with at least one client device authorized on the account of the link recipient.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the file set comprises one or more files associated with an account of the link sharer.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the modification rights provide the link recipient with at least one permission selected from a group consisting of:

the ability to add files to the file set;

delete files from the file set;

edit files in the file set; and

move files between file sets.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the link is further configured to facilitate allowing the link recipient to engage in an activity selected from a group consisting of:

viewing one or more files in the file set; and

downloading copies of the content locally to a link recipient'"'"'s computer.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein

the automatic grant of modification rights to the linked file set is at least partially based on satisfaction of at least one permission criteria;

and

the at least one permission criteria is based on whether the link recipient'"'"'s e-mail is included in a contact list associated with the link sharer.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to notify the link sharer when modification rights have been granted.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine whether predetermined permission criteria that have been specified by the link sharer have been satisfied; and

at least partially in response to determining that the permission criteria have not been satisfied, send the notice to the link sharer.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein on the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether predetermined permission criteria that have been specified by the link sharer have been satisfied;

at least partially in response to determining that the permission criteria have not been satisfied, send notice to the link sharer that a request for modification rights to the linked file set is pending approval; and

in response to receiving approval to grant modification rights to the file set from the link sharer, grant the link recipient modification rights to the file set.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the file set is a shared folder within the context of a synched file sharing system; and

the modification rights include one or more rights selected from a group consisting of;

adding files to the shared folder;

deleting files from the shared folder; and

editing files that are stored within the shared folder.

25. A computer-implemented method of sharing one or more files between a link sharer and a link recipient, the one or more files being stored within a folder associated with an account for the link sharer and the method comprising the steps of:

in response to a request from the link sharer, generating a link to the folder, wherein the link does not provide the link recipient with shared access to the folder;

receiving an indication that the link has been activated by the link recipient;

at least partially in response to receiving the link activation indication, displaying a representation of the one or more files along with a display element that may be activated to send a request to provide shared rights to the folder;

receiving an indication that the display element has be activated;

at least partially in response to receiving the indication that the display element has been activated, granting the link recipient shared rights to the folder;

converting the read only file set to a shared file set by associating the file set with an account of the link recipient, with the shared file set being non-read only; and

synchronizing the file set with at least one client device authorized on the account of the link recipient.