Shared folder backed integrated workspaces

• US 9,395,892 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, Colin, Beausoleil, Sean, Pan, Matteus, Greze, Jean-Denis, DeVincenzi, Anthony, Johnson, Maxwell, Dubie, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US14/725,927
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709206-207, 709217-218, 709223-229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 : Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 : Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 : Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 : Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 : Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 : Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 : providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 : Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 : Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 : for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 : Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 : when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for shared folder backed integrated workspaces. In some implementations, a content management system can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates communications and content management into a single user interface. The user interface can include mechanisms that allow a user to provide input to generate a new workspace. The user interface can provide a mechanism to allow a user to view conversations related to the workspace and/or content items associated with the workspace. The user interface can present representations of content items associated with the workspace and allow the user to provide input to generate, view, edit, and share content items associated with the workspace.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by an online content management and distribution system, a shared-folder backed workspace that provides an integrated environment for manipulating content items in an online shared folder of the content management and distribution system and communicating with the authorized users of the online shared folder;

receiving, at the online content management and distribution system, a message associated with, and external to, a content item stored in the online shared folder of the workspace;

storing, by the online content management and distribution system, the message as a comment in metadata for the content item;

receiving a selection of the content item; and

causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a workspace graphical user interface of a client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an e-mail message and the content item is an attachment for the e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an email message associated with an email thread and the content item is an attachment to a previous email message in the email thread.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the chat message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a chat message reply to a previous chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the previous chat message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is stored separately from the content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is stored within the content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a graphical user interface of a client device comprises generating a preview image of the content item, sending the preview image and the content item comment to the client device, and causing the preview image of the content item to be displayed on the graphical user interface with the comment.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

generating, by an online content management and distribution system, a shared-folder backed workspace that provides an integrated environment for manipulating content items in an online shared folder of the content management and distribution system and communicating with the authorized users of the online shared folder;

receiving, at the online content management and distribution system, a message associated with, and external to, a content item stored in the online shared folder of the workspace;

storing, by the online content management and distribution system, the message as a comment in metadata for the content item;

in response to storing message, synchronizing the content item and content item metadata with at least one user device corresponding to an authorized user of the online shared folder;

receiving a selection of the content item; and

causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a workspace graphical user interface of a client device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the message is an e-mail message and the content item is an attachment for the e-mail message.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the message is an email message associated with an email thread and the content item is an attachment to a previous email message in the email thread.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the message is a chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the chat message.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the message is a chat message reply to a previous chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the previous chat message.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the metadata is stored separately from the content item.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the metadata is stored within the content item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a graphical user interface of a client device include instructions that cause generating a preview image of the content item, sending the preview image and the content item comment to the client device, and causing the preview image of the content item to be displayed on the graphical user interface with the comment.

17. An online content management and distribution system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

generating, by the online content management and distribution system, a shared-folder backed workspace that provides an integrated environment for manipulating content items in an online shared folder of the content management and distribution system and communicating with the authorized users of the online shared folder;

receiving, at the online content management and distribution system, a message associated with, and external to, a content item stored in the online shared folder of the workspace;

storing, by the online content management and distribution system, the message as a comment in metadata for the content item;

in response to storing the message, synchronizing the content item and content item metadata with at least one user device corresponding to an authorized user of the online shared folder;

receiving a selection of the content item; and

causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a workspace graphical user interface of a client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is an e-mail message and the content item is an attachment for the e-mail message.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is an email message associated with an email thread and the content item is an attachment to a previous email message in the email thread.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is a chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the chat message.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is a chat message reply to a previous chat message and the content item is referenced in a link included in the previous chat message.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the metadata is stored separately from the content item.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the metadata is stored within the content item.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause causing the content item and the comment to be presented on a graphical user interface of a client device include instructions that cause generating a preview image of the content item, sending the preview image and the content item comment to the client device, and causing the preview image of the content item to be displayed on the graphical user interface with the comment.