File sharing via link generation

• US 9,049,176 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferdowsi, Arash, Houston, Drew, Ying, Jonathan, Bartelma, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/217,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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

Users specify that a file set comprising their files, folders, or other content owned by the users should be made accessible via a link, such as a uniform resource locator (URL). The system which stores and provides access to the files accordingly creates a link that specifies the file set to be made accessible. The users may distribute the link to recipients with whom the file set is to be shared, and the distribution may be performed in any manner that the users choose.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executed by a file access server, comprising:

receiving a request from a user of a first client located remotely from the file access server in response to the user selecting a user interface element representing a request for a link providing access to a server folder, the server folder stored on the server and containing a first plurality of files;

responsive to receiving the request, generating a link specifying the server folder providing the link to the first client for distribution by the user to other clients;

receiving, from a second client located remotely from the first client, a first access request via the link;

responsive to receiving the first access request, providing a first representation of the server folder to the second client, the first representation including the first plurality of files;

receiving, by the file access server from the first client, a request to synchronize with the server folder a set of client files stored in a client folder, the set of client files including a plurality of new client files not stored in the server folder;

synchronizing, by the file access server, the server folder with the client folder, the synchronizing comprising creating a plurality of new server files in the server folder that correspond to the plurality of new client files;

receiving, from the second client, after the synchronizing, a second access request via the link; and

responsive to receiving the second access request, providing a second representation of the server folder to the second client, the second representation including the plurality of new server files, the first representation omitting the plurality of new server files.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing a representation of the server folder comprises providing a set of representations of files in the server folder, the representations being arranged according to file type.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element is a menu item within a file browser application of the first client, and wherein selecting the user interface element comprises selecting the menu item within a menu of the file browser application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the first client a web-based listing of files stored on the server, wherein the request for the link providing access to the server folder is specified using the web-based listing of the files in the server folder.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second client of a second user has been registered to the second user on the file access server;

receiving from the second client a request of the second user to obtain a separate copy of the server folder;

responsive to determining that the second client of the second user has been registered to the second user on the file access server, creating a copy of the server folder to an account of the second user on the file access server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first client, a request for a list of links that have been generated by the user; and

providing the first client with the list of links.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving from the first client a request to remove the link, removing the link;

receiving a third access request from the second client via the link; and

responsive to the removing of the link, denying access to the server folder.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request from the first client for a link providing access to the server folder;

responsive to receiving the second request, generating a second link specifying the server folder;

distributing the link to a first group of users and the second link to a second group of users different from the first group of users;

responsive to receiving from the first client a request to remove the link, removing the link; and

after removing the link;

denying access to the server folder via the link to members of the first group; and

permitting access to the server folder via the second link to members of the second group.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the first client a user interface comprising a user interface element representing transmitting the link to a social networking service; and

responsive to selection of the user interface element, transmitting the link for sharing with a user of the second client via the social networking service using an API of the social networking service.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the link specifying the server folder comprises creating, in a sharing database, an association between the link and an identifier of the server folder; and

providing a representation of the server folder to the second client comprises using the sharing database to identify the server folder associated with the link.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the link is associated with an identifier of an application, and wherein providing a representation of the server folder to the second client comprises:

determining the application based on the identifier; and

creating a representation of the server folder using the application.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program instructions embodied therein that when executed by a server perform actions comprising:

providing to a first client a user interface comprising a representation of a server folder, and a user interface element representing a request for a link providing access to the server folder;

responsive to a user of the first client selecting the user interface element, generating a link specifying the server folder providing the link to the first client for distribution by the user to other clients;

receiving, from a second client located remotely from the first client, a first access request via the link;

responsive to receiving the first access request, providing a first representation of the server folder to the second client, the first representation including the first plurality of files;

receiving a request to synchronize with the server folder a set of client files stored in a client folder, the set of client files including a plurality of new client files not stored in the server folder;

synchronizing the server folder with the client folder, the synchronizing comprising creating a plurality of new server files in the server folder that correspond to the plurality of new client files;

receiving, from the second client, after the synchronizing, a second access request via the link; and

responsive to receiving the second access request, providing a second representation of the server folder to the second client, the second representation including the plurality of new server files, the first representation omitting the plurality of new server files.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the actions further comprising:

receiving, from the first client, a request for a list of the links that have been generated by the user; and

providing the first client with the list of links.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the actions further comprising:

responsive to receiving from the first client a request to remove the link, removing the link;

receiving a second access request from the second client via the link; and

responsive to the removing of the link, denying access to the server folder.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the actions further comprising:

providing to the first client a user interface comprising a user interface element representing transmitting the link to a social networking service; and

responsive to selection of the user interface element, transmitting the link for sharing with a user of the second client via the social networking service using an API of the social networking service.

16. A file access server comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by the computer processor and performing actions comprising;

providing to a first client a user interface comprising a representation of a server folder, and a user interface element representing a request for a link providing access to the server folder;

responsive to a user of the first client selecting the user interface element, generating a link specifying the server folder providing the link to the first client for distribution by the user to other clients;

receiving, from a second client located remotely from the first client, a first access request via the link;

responsive to receiving the first access request, providing a first representation of the server folder to the second client, the first representation including the first plurality of files;

receiving, by the file access server from the first client, a request to synchronize with the server folder a set of client files stored in a client folder, the set of client files including a plurality of new client files not stored in the server folder;

synchronizing, by the file access server, the server folder with the client folder, the synchronizing comprising creating a plurality of new server files in the server folder that correspond to the plurality of new client files;

receiving, from the second client, after the synchronizing, a second access request via the link; and

responsive to receiving the second access request, providing a second representation of the server folder to the second client, the second representation including the plurality of new server files, the first representation omitting the plurality of new server files.

17. The computer server of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

receiving, from the first client, a request for a list of the links that have been generated by user; and

providing the first client with the list of links.

18. The computer server of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

responsive to receiving from the first client a request to remove the link, removing the link;

receiving a third access request from the second client via the link; and

responsive to the removing of the link, denying access to the server folder.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, by a file access server from a first client device, a folder including a plurality of files;

synchronizing, by the file access server, the folder and the included plurality of files with the first client device and a second client device;

receiving, by the file access server from the first client device, a request for a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the folder;

generating, by the file access server, a URL associated with the folder;

providing, by the file access server, the URL to the first client device for distribution to other client devices by a user of the first client device;

synchronizing, by the file access server, an addition of a file to the folder by the second client device;

receiving, from a requestor other than one of the synchronized first client device or second client device, a request for the folder via the URL; and

providing contents of the folder to the requestor, the contents including the plurality of files and the added file.

20. A computer-implemented method executed by a file access server, comprising:

registering, to a first user by the file access server, a plurality of client devices associated with the first user, the plurality of client devices comprising a first client device;

storing, by the file access server, a server folder containing a plurality of server copies of files;

providing to the first client device a user interface comprising a representation of the plurality of server copies of files in the server folder, and a user interface element representing a request for a link providing access to the server folder;

responsive to the first user selecting the user interface element, generating a uniform resource locator (URL) specifying the server folder providing the URL to the first client device for distribution by the user to other client devices;

receiving, from one of the plurality of client devices of the first user, a request to synchronize with the file access server a client folder corresponding to the server folder, the client folder containing an additional file not contained in the server folder;

synchronizing, by the file access server, the server folder with the client folder, the synchronizing comprising copying the additional file to the server folder;

identifying, by the file access server, other client devices of the plurality of client devices registered to the first user, other than the first client device;

synchronizing, by the file access server, the server folder of the first file with the other client devices, the synchronizing comprising copying the additional file from the server folder to the other client devices;

receiving, from a second user on a second client device located remotely from the server, an access request via the URL; and

responsive to receiving the access request, providing a representation of the plurality of server copies of files in the server folder and of the additional file to the second client device.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein generating the URL specifying the server folder comprises:

receiving indicia of a user identifier of the second user;

sending the URL to the second user using the user identifier.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising sending the URL to a system remote from the file access server.