Bookmarking shared file and folder links

• US 9,626,340 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirigin, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US13/725,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 715200, 715205, 715206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking

Abstract

A document management system that is adapted to allow users to share files or folders by: (1) creating a link to the files or folders; and (2) sharing the link with other users. In particular embodiments, the system is adapted to keep track of any links generated by, sent by, and/or received by a particular user. The system may display a listing of the links upon request by a user, so that the user may re-use or deactivate the links, or modify attributes of the links. Having a centralized listing of the links may be particularly advantageous in helping a user keep track of the files and folders that they have shared and received.

Claims

1. A synchronized content management system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by said one or more processors, cause the synchronized content management system to;

store information regarding a plurality of file sharing links associated with the synchronized content management system, wherein the plurality of file sharing links provide access to files that are stored in the synchronized content management system; and

selectively display a listing of said plurality of file sharing links, wherein the listing displays;

in association with a first link, from the plurality of file sharing links, shared with a first link recipient from a first link sharer;

a first location of a first respective file referenced by the first link, the first location being at the synchronized content management system;

a first identification of the first link sharer who shared the first link with the first link recipient;

a second identification of the first link recipient; and

in association with a second link, from the plurality of file sharing links, shared by a second link sharer with the first link sharer;

a second location of a second respective file referenced by the second link, the second location being at the synchronization content management system;

a third identification of the second link sharer who shared the second link with the first link sharer; and

the first identification of the first link sharer.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the listing further presents in association with each of the first link and the second link a respective date in which a respective one of the first link and the second link was last activated.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to automatically store information regarding at least one of the plurality of shared links at least partially in response to a user sending or receiving the at least one of the plurality of shared links.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the listing further displays a first date when the first link was generated and a second date when the second link was received.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to automatically store information regarding the first link from the plurality of file sharing links at least partially in response to the first link sharer sending the first link.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of file sharing links comprises a set of one or more file sharing links that have been saved as favorites associated with a user account at the synchronized content management system.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to provide a user account with one or more rights associated with the displayed list of file set sharing links, said one or more rights selected from a group consisting of:

deactivating one of the plurality of file set sharing links;

deleting a file set sharing link from the plurality of file set sharing links; and

organizing the listing of the plurality of file set sharing links based on a predetermined criterion.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a plurality of file set sharing links that are configured to allow a link sharer account to provide a link recipient account with viewing access to a linked file set when a respective link is activated, where files of the linked file set are stored in a synchronized content management system;

capturing information regarding said plurality of generated file set sharing links;

at least partially in response to a request from a user, displaying a list of file set sharing links associated with the user, said list comprising said plurality of generated file set sharing links and at least one received link that a link sharer shared with the user, wherein the list identifies a link recipient and a link sharer and;

in association with at least one first link shared with a first link recipient from a first link sharer;

a first location of a first respective file referenced by the first link;

a first identification of the first link sharer who shared the first link with the first link recipient;

a second identification of the first link recipient; and

in association with a second link shared by a second link sharer with the first link sharer;

a second location of a second respective file referenced by the second link;

a third identification of the second link sharer who shared the second link with the first link sharer; and

the first identification of the first link sharer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing one or more rights associated with the displayed list of file set sharing links, said one or more rights selected from a group consisting of:

deactivating one of the plurality of file set sharing links;

deleting a file set sharing link from the plurality of file set sharing links; and

organizing the listing of the plurality of file set sharing links based on a predetermined criterion.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the capturing of information regarding the plurality of file set sharing links is performed automatically as the plurality of file set sharing links are generated.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying the listing of the plurality of file set sharing links is carried out within the context of a synched file sharing system.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing a user account the ability to organize the listing based on a predetermined criteria.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein one or more steps of the method are executed by one or more computer servers comprising at least one processor and memory.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the step of generating a file set sharing link at least partially in response to receiving a request to generate a file set sharing link.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

at least partially in response to receiving a request to share a file set, generating a file set sharing link, wherein said file set sharing link is configured to provide a first link recipient with at least access to a linked file set, where files of the linked file set are stored in a file sharing system;

capturing information associated with said generated file set sharing link;

capturing information associated with said first link recipient;

associating said first link recipient information with said captured information associated with said file set sharing link; and

at least partially in response to a request to view said information associated with said generated file set sharing link, displaying a list of file set sharing links, wherein the list comprises;

in association with a first link shared with the first link recipient from a first link sharer;

a first location of a first respective file referenced by the first link;

a first identification of the first link sharer who shared the first link with the first link recipient;

a second identification of the first link recipient; and

in association with a second link shared by the first link recipient with a second link recipient;

a second location of a second respective file referenced by the second link;

the second identification of the first link recipient who shared the second link with the second link recipient; and

a third identification of the second link recipient.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the step of capturing information associated with said generated file set sharing link is performed automatically at the time said link is generated.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the step of capturing information associated with said first link recipient is performed when said first link recipient manually submits a request to save said first link.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said list further comprises all file set sharing links associated with said first link recipient, the request being received from a user account associated with the first link recipient.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising providing a user account with one or more rights associated with the displayed list of file set sharing links, said one or more rights selected from a group consisting of:

deactivating one of the plurality of file set sharing links;

deleting a file set sharing link from the plurality of file set sharing links; and

organizing the listing of the plurality of file set sharing links based on a predetermined criterion.