SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SHELL COMMUNICATION IN A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM

• US 20140379586A1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Sawyer, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 10,110,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/301
• 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 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for implementing an Iconizer in a cloud-based platform such as cloud based platform (e.g., cloud-based collaboration platform or cloud-based platform providing collaborative and/or file sharing services). The iconizer can facilitate the display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of certain features of the storage operation and synchronization to a user. Some embodiments contemplate methods for representing Unicode text in the file system operations in either Normal Form Composed (NFC) or Normal Form Decomposed (NFD). Various disclosed embodiments facilitate operations using either or both formats, or a combination of the two.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an icon representing a current state of a shared item stored locally on a client device with a synchronization client, the shared item shared with collaborators via a workspace hosted by a cloud-based platform, the method comprising:

detecting a change in a repository file from a first state to a second state, the change including a creation or a modification of an entry that is associated with the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicating a version of the entry and a value indicating a state of the shared item, and wherein the repository file is automatically updated by the synchronization client;

in response to the detected change, comparing the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file to the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the repository file;

if the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file is different than the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the repository file, identifying the value indicating the state of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file;

generating a new icon representing the current state of the shared item, based on the value indicating the state of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file; and

displaying the new icon representing the current state of the shared item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file is the same as the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state, ignoring the entry; and

continuing to display a current icon representing the current state of the shared item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the repository file is not detected, displaying no icons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicating the state of a share item is selected from the group consisting of:

synchronized, unsynchronized, in-progress, hidden, and problem.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicating the version of the entry is a 64-bit unsigned integer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state of the repository file corresponds with a first synchronization state of the workspace and the second state of the repository file corresponds with a second synchronization state of the workspace.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry in the repository file further comprises a value indicating a traits tag.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file is different than the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the repository file, identifying the value indicating the traits tag of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file;

generating an icon representing the current state of the shared item, based on the value indicating the traits tag of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file;

displaying the icon representing the current state of the shared item; and

modifying a file permission to comply with the traits tag of the shared item.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the value indicating the traits tag of the shared item is selected from the group consisting of:

locked, unlocked, and collaborating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry in the repository file further comprises a value indicating a file path, the value indicating a file path comprising a Normal Form Composed (NFC) or Normal Form Decomposed (NFD) file name.

11. A method for informing an iconizer of a change in status of a shared item at a synchronization client using a repository file monitored by the iconizer, the shared item being shared with collaborators and stored in a workspace hosted by a cloud-based platform, the method comprising:

detecting an event indicating a modification to the shared item;

creating or modifying an entry in the repository file, the entry corresponding to the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicating a version of the entry and a value indicating a state of the shared item corresponding to the entry, wherein the creation or modification of the entry is detected by an iconizer;

incrementing the value indicating the a version of the of the entry; and

setting the value indicating the state of the shared item to in-progress.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting an event indicating synchronization of the shared item;

incrementing the value indicating the a version of the of the entry; and

setting the value indicating the state of the shared item to synchronized.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

counting a number of synchronized entries, the synchronized entries being those in which the value indicating the state of the shared item is set to synchronized;

when the number of synchronized entries reaches a threshold number, deleting the synchronized entries; and

resetting the number of synchronized entries.

14. A machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor on a client device, cause the processor to;

detect a change in a repository file from a first state to a second state, the change including a creation or a modification of an entry that is associated with a shared item, wherein the shared item is stored locally on the client device and shared with collaborators via a workspace hosted by a cloud-based platform, wherein the entry comprises a value indicating a version of the entry and a value indicating a state of the shared item, and wherein the repository file is automatically updated by the synchronization client;

in response to the detected change, compare the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file to the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the repository file;

if the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file is different than the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the repository file, identify the value indicating the state of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file;

generate a new icon representing the current state of the shared item, based on the value indicating the state of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the repository file; and

display the new icon representing the current state of the shared item.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein if the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the repository file is the same as the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state, the processor is further caused to:

ignore the entry; and

continue to display a current icon representing the current state of the shared item.

16. A device for accessing, viewing, and or modifying a shared item, the shared item stored locally on the device and shared with collaborators via a workspace hosted by a cloud-based platform, the device comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

a network interface; and

a memory unit having stored thereon;

a repository file;

a synchronization client including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based platform indicating a modification to the shared item;

create or modify an entry in the repository file, the entry corresponding to the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicating a version of the entry and a value indicating a state of the shared item corresponding to the entry,

increment the value indicating the a version of the of the entry; and

set the value indicating the state of the shared item to in-progress; and

an iconizer including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect the increment by the synchronization client of the value indicating the version of the entry,

in response to the detected increment, identify the value indicating the state of the shared item;

generate a new icon representing the current state of the shared item, based on the value indicating the state of the shared item; and

display, via the display device, the new icon representing the current state of the shared item.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

detect, via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based platform indicating the synchronization of the shared item;

increment the value indicating the a version of the of the entry; and

set the value indicating the state of the shared item to synchronized.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

count a number of synchronized entries, the synchronized entries being those in which the value indicating the state of the shared item is set to synchronized;

when the number of synchronized entries reaches a threshold number, delete the synchronized entries; and

reset the number of synchronized entries.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to

detect, via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based platform indicating a traits flag of the shared item;

modify the entry in the repository file, wherein the entry further comprises a value indicating a traits flag;

increment the value indicating the a version of the of the entry;

set the value indicating the traits flag to one from the group consisting of;

locked, unlocked, and collaborating; and

set a file permission to reflect the set value indicating the traits flag.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the iconizer further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to

detect the increment by the synchronization client of the value indicating the version of the entry,

in response to the detected increment, identify the value indicating the traits flag of the shared item;

generate a new icon representing the current state of the shared item, based on the value indicating the traits flag of the shared item; and

display, via the display device, the new icon representing the current state of the shared item.