INSERTING CONTENT INTO AN APPLICATION FROM AN ONLINE SYNCHRONIZED CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20160323217A1
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Subramani, Anand, Pai, Anvisha
• Granted Patent: US 9,929,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for inserting content into an application from an online synchronized content management system are disclosed. The system can receive text input into an application at a client device associated with the content management system. The text input can be, for example, keystrokes performed at the client device by a user, and the application can be, for example, an email client. The system can identify, within the text input, a predefined text string, such as an escape sequence, that is followed by a partial or full string that represents an identifier. The identifier may be associated with a content item that is stored in the online synchronized content management system. The system can then insert inside the application a link that points to the content item. The system can also insert code that is designed to render the content item as a dynamically updated preview.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving text input into an application at a device;

identifying, within the text input, a predefined text string followed by at least a portion of an identifier associated with a content item stored in an online synchronized content management system;

receiving from the online synchronized content management system, a link to the content item based on at least a portion of the identifier associated with the content item;

inserting, in the application, the link to the content item; and

inserting code into the application, the code being configured to render a preview of the content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined text string comprises one or more characters arranged in a predefined order.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the predefined text string and inserting the link are performed by one of a client application associated with the online synchronized content management system, a plugin, an extension, a desktop application, or a mobile application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is one of an email application, a web browser, a word processor, a text editor, a communicator, a text messenger, an instant messenger, or an operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the link in the application comprises replacing the predefined text string and the at least the portion of the identifier in the text input with the link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a hyperlink comprising a universal resource locator (URL) to the content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is hypertext markup language (HTML) code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the code comprises the link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview is one of an image, a video clip, or an audio clip representing at least a portion of the content item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the code into the application comprises:

determining a resource type of the content item;

selecting a code snippet from a plurality of code snippets, the code snippet corresponding to the resource type of the content item; and

inserting the code snippet into the application, the code snippet being configured to render the preview of the content item by using a rendering method that is appropriate for the resource type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview is generated by and retrieved from a server associated with the online synchronized content management system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview is updated when the content item is updated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the predefined text string comprises:

recognizing the predefined text string within the text input;

monitoring one or more keystrokes that follow the predefined text string to yield a partial key string;

identifying one or more content items, stored in the online synchronized content management system, that are related to the partial key string;

sorting the one or more content items according to a prioritization criterion to yield a sorted list of one or more content items;

presenting the sorted list of one or more content items; and

receiving a selection of the content item from the sorted list of one or more content items.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the partial key string corresponds to a portion of one of a filename, a user name, a file type, a metadata, or a file content.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the prioritization criterion pertains to one of access time, access duration, access frequency, relevance, preference, sharing status, file size, or string similarity.

7. (canceled)

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving text input into an application at a device;

identifying, within the text input, a predefined text string followed by at least a portion of an identifier associated with a content item stored in an online synchronized content management system;

receiving from the online synchronized content management system, a link to the content item based on at least a portion of the identifier associated with the content item;

inserting, in the application, the link to the content item; and

inserting code into the application, the code being configured to render a preview that represents at least a portion of the content item.

18. (canceled)

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving text input into an application at a device;

identifying, within the text input, a predefined text string followed by at least a portion of an identifier associated with a content item stored in an online synchronized content management system;

receiving from the online synchronized content management system, a link to the content item based on at least a portion of the identifier associated with the content item;

inserting, in the application, the link to the content item; and

inserting code into the application, the code being configured to render a preview of the content item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein identifying the predefined text string comprises:

recognizing the predefined text string within the text input;

monitoring one or more keystrokes that follow the predefined text string to yield a partial key string;

identifying one or more content items, stored in the online synchronized content management system, that are related to the partial key string; and

receiving a selection of the content item from the one or more content items.