CONTENT-ITEM LINKING SYSTEM FOR MESSAGING SERVICES

• US 20140297759A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Mody, Viraj
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

A client service, such as a plug-in to a browser, can alter a document retrieved from a compatible service to augment the document with services from an online content management service. When an application retrieves a compatible document, the client service can detect a document element within the document and alter the document to provide an activatable reference to the online content management service. For example, a client service can recognize an email composition webpage or an email display webpage and insert activatable references provide services from the online content management service. In email composition webpages, a reference can be a button that allows an email author to insert a link to a content item from the online content management service. In email display webpages, references can be added that allow attachments to be sent to the online content management service for storage.

Claims

1. A method executable by a browser executing on a computing system, the method comprising:

requesting authentication of an email author'"'"'s identity by an online content management service, the online content management service storing a plurality of content items;

receiving a set of credentials associated with the email author based at least in part on the authentication;

determining that a document is requested by the browser from a compatible email service;

determining that a document element is present in the document, the document element indicating an email composition section of the document;

inserting an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on a location of the document element in the document; and

in response to receiving an input indicating that the online content management service request element has been activated;

requesting a set of references to content items from the online content management service based at least in part on the credentials;

provide the set of references for selection;

receiving a selection of a reference from the set of references;

obtaining a link to the content item from the online content management service; and

inserting the link into the email composition section of the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the online content management service request element includes a button or link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the document element is an element that provides file attachment functionality.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying existing document styling to the online content management service request element.

5. A method executable at a client, the method comprising:

determining that a document is requested by a browser from a compatible messaging service;

determining that a document element is present in the document, the document element indicating messaging composition section of the document;

inserting an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on a location of the document element in the document; and

in response to receiving an input indicating that the online content management service request element has been activated;

selecting a content item from a plurality of content items stored by an online content management service;

obtaining a link to the selected content item from the online content management service; and

inserting the link into the messaging composition section of the document.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

requesting authentication of a user identity by the online content management service, the online content management service comprising one or more content items; and

receiving the set of content item references from the online content management service based at least in part on the user identity.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting a content item further comprises requesting representations of at least some of the plurality of content items through an application programming interface call to the online content management service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the link is a hypertext link providing a location of the content item for download.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein inserting the link into the messaging composition of the document further comprises inserting a picture representing at least a portion of the content item.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein inserting an online content management service request element further comprises inserting the online content management service request element within a parent element of the document element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the parent element is an email composition toolbar.

12. A computer system comprising:

a data storage medium configured to store a document retrieved from a service;

a processor coupled to the data storage medium and configured to;

determining that a document is requested by a browser from a compatible email service;

determining that a document element is present in the document, the document element indicating an email composition section of the document;

inserting an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on a location of the document element in the document; and

in response to receiving an input indicating that the online content management service request element has been activated;

selecting a content item from a plurality of content items stored by an online content management service;

obtaining a link to the selected content item from the online content management service; and

inserting the link into the email composition section of the document.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein inserting the link into the email composition section of the document further comprises inserting a preview of the content item into the email composition section of the document.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of content items are accessible to an account of the online content management service.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein inserting the online content management service request element further comprises adding a library that supports functionality of the content item request element.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining that the document is requested by the browser from the compatible email service further comprises determining that the document is requested using a URL of the compatible email service.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method comprising:

determining that an email attachment element is present in a document retrieved from an email service, the email attachment element providing a reference for retrieving an email attachment;

altering the document to provide an activatable storage request element configured to request an online content management service store the email attachment when activated;

providing the altered document for display;

receiving an input indicating activation of the storage request element; and

requesting that the online content management service download and store the email attachment based at least in part on the input.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the computer system comprises a browser;

and wherein a plug-in to the browser comprises the instructions.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein determining that an email attachment element further comprises periodically connecting to an update server to update detection instructions for the email attachment element.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

logging into an account of the online content management service; and

wherein requesting the online content management service download and store an email attachment further comprises storing the email attachment as a content item in the online content management service and associating the content item with the account.

21. A computer-readable storage medium having collectively stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method comprising:

determining that a document element is present in a document, the document element referencing a content item;

altering the document to provide a request element in the document based at least in part on the document element, the request element providing an input when activated;

receiving the input based at least in part on an activation of the request element; and

requesting that an online content management service store the content item associated with the document element based at least in part on the input.

22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the computer system comprises a browser;

and wherein a plug-in to the browser comprises the instructions.

23. The computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises detecting that the document is from a compatible service.

24. The computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein altering the document further comprises altering locations of tool elements in a toolbar to provide display space for the request element.