File management system and collaboration service and integration capabilities with third party applications

• US 9,519,526 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Ghods, Sam, Jourda, Florian, Levie, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Leroux, Etienne
• Application Number:
  US13/646,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/104.1, 709/227, 711/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A system and method for providing a file management service for collaboration is disclosed. The method for providing a file management service for collaboration, which may be implemented on a system, includes, for example, providing a client through which a user accesses a file through the file management service, further providing, by the file management service via the client, the user with collaboration capability of the file with other users, and/or controlling editing of the file by other users based on whether it is specified as being shared by the user. In one embodiment, the file management service further enables integration of a third-party service with the file management service and the third-party service is accessible for use with the file via the file management service.

Claims

1. A method of a web-based file management system for collaboration, accessible via a website, comprising:

presenting options to perform one or more actions on a shared file stored on the web-based file management system for collaboration;

receiving a selection of the one or more actions to be performed on the shared file;

wherein, the selected one or more actions include a set of commands configured to cause a third-party web-based application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file; and

providing the third-party web-based application with access to the shared file along with the set of commands to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file;

wherein, the web-based file management system for collaboration enables integration with the third-party web-based application via a configuration interface;

presenting options via the configuration interface to set values for one or more pre-defined parameters, the configuration interface accessible to a developer of the third-party web based application;

receiving, via the configuration interface, input values for the one or more predefined parameters; and

in response to receiving the selected one or more actions, generating the set of commands configured to cause the third-party web-based application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file, based on the received input values for the one or more predefined parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, the web-based file management system for collaboration is accessible via a wireless client.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

restricting the one or more actions that may be performed on the shared file based on permission information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an option to enable posting or transmitting the shared file to another web-based media.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting information regarding one or more actions previously performed on the shared file.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein, the information includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a version history of the shared file, a use history of the shared file, a history of collaborators granted access to the shared file, permissions information history of the shared file, and a collaborator user access level history of the shared file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, the one or more actions include one or more from the group consisting of:

create a new shared file, overwrite the shared file, organize the shared file into a folder, re-name the shared file, move the shared file, edit the shared file, display the shared file, delete the shared file, add a collaborator user to the shared file, remove a collaborator user from the shared file, change a permission information for the shared file, and change a collaborator user access level for the shared file.

8. A method for providing a file management service for collaboration, comprising:

providing access to a shared file hosted by the file management service;

wherein, access enables collaboration on the shared file by a plurality of collaborator users via the file management service;

wherein, collaboration includes enabling one or more actions to be performed on the shared file;

receiving selections of the one or more actions to be performed on the shared file;

controlling the one or more actions to be performed on the shared file based on set permissions;

wherein, the selected actions include a set of commands configured to cause a third-party application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file;

providing the third-party application with access to the shared file along with the set of commands to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file;

wherein, the file management service enables integration with the third-party application via a configuration interface;

presenting options via the configuration interface to set values for one or more pre-defined parameters, the configuration interface accessible to a developer of the third-party web based application;

receiving, via the configuration interface, input values for the one or more predefined parameters; and

in response to receiving the selected one or more actions, generating the set of commands configured to cause the third-party application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file based on the received input values for the one or more predefined parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the client is provided through a wireless device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting information regarding one or more actions previously performed on the shared file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, the information includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a version history of the shared file, a use history of the shared file, a history of collaborators granted access to the shared file, permissions setting history of the shared file, and a collaborator user access level history of the shared file.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein, the one or more actions include one or more from the group consisting of:

create a new shared file, overwrite the shared file, organize the shared file into a folder, re-name the shared file, move the shared file, edit the shared file, display the shared file, delete the shared file, add a collaborator user to the shared file, remove a collaborator user from the shared file, change a permission setting for the shared file, and change a collaborator user access level for the shared file.

13. A computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

present options to perform one or more actions on a shared file stored on a web-based file management system for collaboration;

receive a selection of the one or more actions to be performed on the shared file;

wherein, the selected one or more actions include a set of commands configured to cause a third-party web-based application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file; and

provide the third-party web-based application with access to the shared file along with the set of commands to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file;

wherein, the web-based file management system for collaboration enables integration with the third-party web-based application via a configuration interface;

present options via the configuration interface to set values for one or more pre-defined parameters, the configuration interface accessible to a developer of the third-party web based application;

receive, via the configuration interface, input values for the one or more predefined parameters; and

in response to receiving the selected one or more actions, generate the set of commands configured to cause the third-party web-based application to perform the selected one or more actions on the shared file based on the received input values for the one or more predefined parameters.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to further:

present options to enable posting or transmitting the shared file to another web-based media.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to further:

present information regarding one or more actions previously performed on the shared file.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a version history of the shared file, a use history of the shared file, a history of collaborators granted access to the shared file, permissions information history of the shared file, and a collaborator user access level history of the shared file.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein, the one or more actions include one or more from the group consisting of:

create a new shared file, overwrite the shared file, organize the shared file into a folder, re-name the shared file, move the shared file, edit the file, display the shared file, delete the shared file, add a collaborator user to the shared file, remove a collaborator user from the shared file, change a permission information for the shared file, and change a collaborator user access level for the shared file.

18. A method comprising:

presenting, by a server computer operating as part of a web-based file management system for collaboration, a graphical configuration interface that enables integration with a third-party web-based application, the graphical configuration interface accessible to a developer of the third-party web-based application, the graphical configuration interface including options to set values for one or more pre-defined parameters that define a service of the third-party web-based application, the service including an action that the third-party web-based application can take on a shared file stored in the web-based file management system;

receiving, by the server computer, via the graphical configuration interface, input values for the one or more predefined parameters;

in response to receiving the input values, generating and storing, by the server computer, a set of commands configured to cause the third-party web-based application to perform the action on the shared file;

presenting, by the server computer, a graphical user interface that includes options to perform one or more actions on the shared file stored on the web-based file management system for collaboration, the graphical user interface accessible to collaborator users of the shared file;

receiving, by the server computer, via the graphical user interface, a selection of the action to be performed on the shared file;

in response to receiving the selection of the action, automatically transmitting, by the server computer, via a computer network, a copy of the shared file along with the set of commands to perform the selected action on the copy of the shared file, to the third-party web-based application; and

receiving, by the server computer, via the computer network, from the third-party web-based application, an updated copy of the shared file, once the third-party web-based application has performed the action.