Content-item linking system for messaging services

• US 9,300,611 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Mody, Viraj
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US13/851,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

sending, by a browser executing on a computing system, to a content management server associated with an online content management service, a request to access the online content management service for an email author, wherein the content management server stores a plurality of content items for the online content management service;

receiving, from the content management server, access information associated with the email author, the access information enabling access to an account with the online content management service;

accessing, by the browser, a document from a communication server of an email service, wherein the document includes an email composition section;

detecting, by scanning the email composition section, a document element in the document and a location corresponding to the document element, wherein the document element is associated with the email composition section and the document element is an attachment control that provides file attachment functionality;

inserting an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on the location of the document element detected in the document, wherein the online content management service request element is different from the document element detected in the document that is accessed from the email service; and

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

requesting, from the content management server, based on the access information associated with the email author, a set of references to content items accessible to the account from the online content management service;

providing the set of references for selection of one of the content items;

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

obtaining, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the content item stored by the content management server, wherein the content item corresponds to the selected reference; 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 a link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the online content management service request element includes:

modifying a source code of the document to insert the online content management service request element into the document, wherein the browser renders the document based on the source code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adapting a display format of the online content management service request element in the document based on a display format of the document element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating a selection of an additional reference from the set of references, the additional reference corresponding to an additional content item of the content items stored by the content management server;

obtaining, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the additional content item stored by the content management server; and

inserting, into the email composition section of the document, the link indicating the location of the additional content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is protected to enable the content item to be downloaded by a one or more designated recipients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is configured for a particular number of uses to access the content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is configured to indicate whether a recipient has access the content item.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a sharing menu toolbar into the document, wherein the online content management service request element is inserted into the document by adding the online content management service request element to the sharing menu toolbar.

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

receiving, from a content management server associated with an online content management service, access information associated with an email author, the access information enabling access to an account with the online content management service, wherein the content management server stores a plurality of content items for the online content management service;

accessing, by a browser executing on a computing system, a document from a communication server of a messaging service, wherein the document includes a messaging composition section;

detecting, by scanning the messaging composition section, a document element in the document and a location corresponding to the document element, wherein the document element is associated with the messaging composition section and the document element is an attachment control that provides file attachment functionality;

inserting an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on the location of the document element in the document, wherein the online content management service request element is different from the document element detected in the document that is accessed from the messaging service; and

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

requesting, from the content management server, based on the access information, reference information identifying content items accessible to the account from the online content management service;

selecting a content item from the content items identified by the reference information;

obtaining, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the selected content item stored by the content management server; and

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

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a set of references for selection, wherein the reference information includes the set of references, each reference of the set of references corresponding to a different one of the content items, and wherein the content item is selected based on interaction with a reference of the set of references corresponding to the content item that is selected.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the link is a hypertext link, and wherein interaction with the link enables the selected content item to be downloaded from the content management server.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein inserting the link into the messaging composition section of the document further comprises inserting a picture representing at least a portion of the selected content item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein inserting an online content management service request element further comprises inserting the online content management service request element within an email composition toolbar of the document element.

15. A computer system comprising:

a data storage medium configured to store one or more documents retrieved from a service; and

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

receive, from a content management server associated with an online content management service, access information associated with an email author, the access information enabling access to an account with the online content management service, wherein the content management server stores a plurality of content items for the online content management service;

access, by a browser executing on the processor, a document from a communication server of an email service, wherein the document includes an email composition section;

detect, by scanning the email composition section, a document element in the document and a location corresponding to the document element, wherein the document element is associated with the email composition section and the document element is an attachment control that provides file attachment functionality;

insert an online content management service request element into the document based at least in part on the location of the document element in the document, wherein the online content management service request element is different from the document element detected in the document that is accessed from the email service; and

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

request, from the content management server, based on the access information, reference information identifying content items accessible to the account from the online content management service;

select a content item from the content items identified by the reference information;

obtain, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the selected content item stored by the content management server; and

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

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein inserting the link into the email composition section of the document further comprises inserting a preview of the selected content item into the email composition section of the document.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a URL that is used to access the document from the communication server; and

determine, based on the URL, that the email service is a compatible email service.

18. A non-transitory 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:

receiving, from a content management server associated with an online content management service, access information associated with an email author, the access information enabling access to an account with the online content management service, wherein the content management server stores a plurality of content items for the online content management service;

accessing, by the computing system, a document from a communication server of an email service, wherein the document includes an email section;

detecting, by scanning the email section included in the document accessed from the communication server of the email service, an email attachment element in the document and a location corresponding to the email attachment element, wherein the email attachment element is associated with the email section and the email attachment element is an attachment control that provides file functionality;

altering the document to insert an activatable request element in the document based at least in part on the location of the email attachment element, wherein the activatable request element is different from the email attachment element detected in the document;

rendering the altered document for display;

in response to receiving an input indicating activation of the activatable request element,

requesting, from the content management server, based on the access information, reference information identifying content items accessible to the account from the online content management service;

selecting a content item from the content items identified by the reference information;

obtaining, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the selected content item stored by the content management server; and

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

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein detecting the location corresponding to the email attachment element further comprises periodically connecting to an update server to update detection instructions for the email attachment element.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the document includes a reference to an email attachment, and wherein based on determining that the activatable request element is activated, request the content management server associated with the online content management service to:

download the email attachment from the communication server; and

store the email attachment for the account with the online content management service.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing the account with the online content management service; and

wherein the email attachment is stored by the content management server as a content item for the account, and wherein the content item is stored in association with the account.

22. A non-transitory 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:

receiving, from a content management server associated with an online content management service, access information associated with an email author, the access information enabling access to an account with the online content management service, wherein the content management server stores a plurality of content items for the online content management service;

accessing, by the computing system, a document from a communication server of an email service, wherein the document includes an email section;

detecting, by scanning the email section included in the document accessed from the communication server of the email service, a document element in the document and a location corresponding to the document element, and wherein the document element is associated with the email section and the document element is an attachment control that provides file functionality;

altering the document to insert a request element in the document based at least in part on the location of the document element, wherein the request element is different from the document element detected in the document;

in response to receiving an input indicating activation of the request element,

requesting, from the content management server, based on the access information, reference information identifying content items accessible to the account from the online content management service;

selecting a content item from the content items identified by the reference information;

obtaining, from the content management server, a link indicating a location of the selected content item stored by the content management server; and

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

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the computer system comprises a browser, and wherein a plug-in to the browser comprises the executable instructions.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein altering the document further comprises altering a location of tool elements in a toolbar to provide display space for inserting the activatable request element.