SYSTEM AND METHOD TO STORE THIRD-PARTY METADATA IN A CLOUD STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20140297700A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vongsouvanh, Alain, Wyrick, Robert Eugene, Jorgensen, Russell Blaine, Hicks, Justin Lee, Clark, Stephen Nowland
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A cloud storage system identifies and creates metadata associated with a stored file. On receiving a request to access the file with an application, the cloud storage system generates a metadata category associated only with the application, and creates metadata associated with the generated metadata category and corresponding to the file. On receiving a request to access file metadata, the cloud storage system identifies an application associated with the metadata access request, identifies a set of metadata categories associated with the identified application, filters metadata associated with the file based on the identified set of metadata categories, and provides the filtered metadata to the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing metadata associated with a file stored on a cloud storage system to a first application, comprising:

receiving a request to access metadata associated with the file;

identifying the first application, wherein the first application is associated with the request;

identifying a first set of metadata categories, wherein the first set of metadata categories is associated with the first application;

filtering metadata associated with the file based on the first set of metadata categories; and

providing the filtered metadata to the first application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first set of metadata categories and a second set of metadata categories, wherein the second set of metadata categories is not associated with the first application; and

generating metadata associated with the first application, wherein the generated metadata is in a metadata category in the first set of metadata categories.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is only associated with the first application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a second application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a first user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a second user associated with the request;

determining whether the second user is associated with the file; and

in response to determining that the second user is associated with the file, providing the filtered metadata to the first application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein metadata associated with at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is a predetermined function of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein metadata includes a text string.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein metadata includes a numerical value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein metadata includes a date and time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a second metadata category in the first set of metadata categories.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the first application is authorized to access the file.

13. A computer-implemented method of creating metadata associated with a file stored on a cloud storage system, comprising:

receiving a request to access the file with an application;

identifying the application;

generating a metadata category associated only with the application; and

creating metadata associated with the metadata category and corresponding to the file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the file is associated with a first user and the application is associated with a second user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second user is not allowed to edit any content associated with the file.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the metadata is based on a folder containing the file.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising deleting the metadata category in response to a user revoking permission of the application to access the file.

18. A cloud storage system, comprising:

a communication processor in communication with;

a file database for storing a plurality of files and metadata associated with each of the plurality of files; and

a user database for storing information associating at least one user with at least one file,

wherein the communication processor is configured to;

receive a request to access metadata associated with a file in the plurality of files;

identify a first application associated with the request;

identify a first set of metadata categories, wherein the first set of metadata categories is associated with the first application;

filter metadata associated with the file based on the first set of metadata categories; and

provide the filtered metadata to the first application.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication processor is further configured to generate a metadata category in the first set of metadata categories.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication processor is further configured to delete the metadata category in response to a user revoking permission of the first application to access the file.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication processor is further configured to generate a second set of metadata categories, wherein the second set of metadata categories is not associated with the first application.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is only associated with the first application.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a second application.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a first user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the communication processor is further configured to:

identify a second user associated with the request;

determine whether the second user is associated with the file; and

provide the filtered metadata to the first application in response to determining that the second user is associated with the file.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication processor is further configured to edit metadata associated with the file in response to the request.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein metadata associated with at least one metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is a predetermined function of time.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein metadata includes a text string.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein metadata includes a numerical value.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein metadata includes a date and time.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein a first metadata category in the first set of metadata categories is associated with a second metadata category in the first set of metadata categories.

32. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the file database is further configured for storing a folder associated with one or more files and metadata associated with the folder, and

the communication processor is further configured to edit one or more metadata categories based on metadata associated with the folder.

33. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication processor is further configured to verify that the first application is authorized to access the file.