DESKTOP APPLICATION FOR ACCESSING A CLOUD COLLABORATION PLATFORM

• US 20150112927A1
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Sang, Self, Matthew, Knotts, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 10,866,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods of a desktop application for accessing a cloud collaboration platform. The disclosed application utilizes a native desktop environment to provide a better cloud collaboration experience by making the cloud-based platform accessible for file editing, file opening/closing/previewing, moving files between the local desktop environment and a web application (e.g., native to the cloud-based platform), syncing folders or marking any folders or parents/children of any folders to sync and/or utilizing any of the collaborative features (e.g., emailing links or inviting collaborators to collaborate on a file directly via the desktop environment using native contacts or contacts in the web app environment).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to work items hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform via a native application on a client device, the method comprising:

generating, via the native application, an integrated interactive interface including a list of a plurality of work items stored in a cloud-based collaboration platform; and

displaying, via a display device, the integrated interactive interface;

wherein, some of the plurality of work items are associated with synchronized local copies stored at the client device;

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to access one or more or more of the plurality of work items; and

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein access includes enabling editing of the selected work item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated interactive interface includes features specific to an operating system of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated interactive interface is displayed via a remote virtual desktop.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a user input to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;

identifying a local application at the client device configured to create the new work item;

detecting that a new work item has been created via the local application; and

automatically uploading the new work item to be stored at the cloud-based collaboration platform.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a user input to access a selected work item from the plurality of work items listed in the integrated interactive interface; and

detecting if the selected work item is associated with a synchronized local copy, wherein,

if a synchronized local copy is available;

facilitating the user with access to the synchronized local copy via a local application at the client device; and

if a synchronized local copy is not available;

facilitating the user with access to the selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform via a local application at the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a user input to access a selected work item from the plurality of work items listed in the integrated interactive interface; and

detecting if the selected work item is associated with a synchronized local copy, wherein,

if a synchronized local copy is not available;

providing the user with an option to synchronize the selected work item with a synchronized local copy at the client device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a user input to access a selected work item from the plurality of work items listed in the integrated interactive interface; and

detecting if the selected work item is associated with a synchronized local copy, wherein,

if a synchronized local copy is not available;

facilitating the user with access to the selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform via an alternative viewing client.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the local application is associated with a file type of the selected work item.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein facilitating the user with access to the synchronized local copy includes:

automatically opening the synchronized local copy via the local application;

receiving, via the input device, a user input configured to edit the synchronized local copy;

detecting that the synchronized local copy has changed to a new version; and

automatically uploading the new version of the synchronized local copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein facilitating the user with access to the selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform includes:

automatically identifying a local application at the client device configured to facilitate networked access to the work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;

automatically downloading to the client device, via a network, a temporary copy of the selected work item;

automatically opening the temporary copy of the selected work item via the identified local application;

receiving, via the input device, a user input configured to edit the temporary copy of the selected work item;

detecting that the temporary copy of the selected work item has changed to a new version;

automatically uploading the new version of the temporary copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform; and

automatically deleting the temporary copy at the client device.

12. A system for facilitating access to work items hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform, the system comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

an input device configured to receive user inputs; and

a memory unit having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the system to;

generating, by the processor, an integrated interactive interface including a list of a plurality of work items stored in a cloud-based collaboration platform; and

display, via the display device, the integrated interactive interface;

wherein, some of the plurality of work items are associated with synchronized local copies stored on the memory unit;

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to access one or more or more of the plurality of work items; and

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein access includes enabling editing of the selected work item.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory unit further has stored thereon, an operating system, wherein the integrated interactive interface includes features specific to the operating system.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory unit has instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor cause the system to display the interactive interface via a remote virtual desktop.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory unit has instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to further:

receive, via the input device, a user input to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;

identify a local application stored in the memory unit configured to create the new work item;

detect that a new work item has been created via the local application; and

automatically upload the new work item to be stored at the cloud-based collaboration platform.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory unit has instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to further:

receive, via the input device, a user input to access a selected work item from the plurality of work items listed in the integrated interactive interface; and

detect if the selected work item is associated with a synchronized local copy stored in the memory unit, wherein,

if a synchronized local copy is available;

facilitate the user with access to the synchronized local copy via a local application stored in the memory unit; and

if a synchronized local copy is not available;

facilitate the user with access to the selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform via a local application stored in the memory unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the local application is associated with a file type of the selected work item.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions causing the system to facilitate the user with access to the synchronized local copy, include instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

automatically open the synchronized local copy via the local application;

receive, via the input device, user inputs configured to edit the synchronized local copy;

detect that the synchronized local copy has changed to a new version; and

automatically upload the new version of the synchronized local copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the instructions causing the system to facilitate the user with access to the selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform, include instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

automatically identify a local application stored in the memory unit configured to facilitate networked access to the work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;

automatically download, via a network, a temporary copy of the selected work item;

automatically open the temporary copy of the selected work item via the identified local application;

receive, via the input device, user inputs configured to edit the temporary copy of the selected work item;

detect that the temporary copy of the selected work item has changed to a new version;

automatically upload the new version of the temporary copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform; and

automatically delete the temporary copy from the memory unit.

21. A system for facilitating access to work items hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform via a client device, the system comprising:

means for generating an integrated interactive interface including a list of a plurality of work items stored in a cloud-based collaboration platform; and

means for displaying the integrated interactive interface;

wherein, some of the plurality of work items are associated with synchronized local copies stored at the client device;

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to access one or more or more of the plurality of work items; and

wherein, the integrated interactive interface is configured to enable a user to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving a user input to access a selected work item from the plurality of work items listed in the integrated interactive interface; and

means for detecting if the selected work item is associated with a synchronized local copy at the client device, wherein,

means for facilitating the user with access to a synchronized local copy via a local application stored at the client device if a synchronized local copy is available; and

means for facilitating the user with access to a selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform via a local application stored at the client device, if a synchronized local copy is not available.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for facilitating the user with access to a synchronized local copy includes:

means for automatically opening the synchronized local copy via the local application;

means or receiving a user input configured to edit the synchronized local copy;

means for detecting that the synchronized local copy has changed to a new version; and

means for automatically uploading the synchronized local copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for facilitating the user with access to a selected work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform includes:

means for automatically identifying a local application at the client device configured to facilitate networked access to the work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;

means for automatically downloading to the client device a temporary copy of the selected work item;

means for automatically opening the temporary copy of the selected work item via the identified local application;

means for receiving a user input configured to edit the temporary copy of the selected work item;

means for detecting that the temporary copy of the selected work item has changed to a new version;

means for automatically uploading the new version of the temporary copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform; and

means for automatically deleting the temporary copy at the client device.