Native application collaboration

• US 9,846,528 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Eccleston, Matthew, Baesman, Robert, Tian, Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Ayesha Huertas
• Application Number:
  US14/635,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 3/0484 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

A secondary device receives presence information for a content item that is synchronized by a content management system with the secondary device and with a primary device. If a user of the primary device is present as indicated by the presence information, a collaboration element is displayed on the secondary device. Responsive to a user input at the collaboration element, a collaboration request is sent to the primary device, and collaboration information enabling collaborative interaction with an instance of the content item on the primary device is received.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a secondary device, presence information for a content item, the content item synchronized by a content management system with the secondary device and with a primary device;

responsive to the presence information indicating the presence of a user of the primary device, displaying in a user interface window of the secondary device a collaboration element;

responsive to receiving user input at the collaboration element, sending a collaboration request to the primary device;

receiving, by the secondary device, information corresponding to a region of a user interface window displayed by the primary device; and

displaying, by the secondary device within the user interface window of the secondary device, the received information such that the user interface window of the secondary device at least in part reflects the user interface window of the primary device and includes an instance of the content item on the primary device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information is provided to the secondary device by the content management system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information is displayed in a user interface element of the secondary device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is open in a native application executing on the primary device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is being viewed in a native application executing on the primary device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is being edited in a native application executing on the primary device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a second instance of the content item is open in a native application executing on the secondary device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the secondary device, an instruction to reload the content item to reflect changes made during a collaboration session, the collaboration session starting when the secondary device begins displaying the received information and ending when the secondary device stops displaying the received information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction to reload the content item to reflect changes made during the collaboration session is received responsive to the collaboration session ending.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information comprises a region of a display of the primary device occupied by the user interface window displaying an instance of the content item on the primary device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a second instance of the content item is open in a native application executing on the secondary device, the method further comprising:

overlaying the second instance of the content item with the region of the display of the primary device.

12. A system comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions;

a non-transitory, non-volatile storage medium containing instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving, by a secondary device, presence information for a content item, the content item synchronized by a content management system with the secondary device and with a primary device;

responsive to the presence information indicating the presence of a user of the primary device, displaying in a user interface window of the secondary device a collaboration element;

responsive to receiving user input at the collaboration element, sending a collaboration request to the primary device;

receiving, by the secondary device, information corresponding to a region of a user interface window displayed by the primary device; and

displaying, by the secondary device within the user interface window of the secondary device, the received information such that the user interface window of the secondary device at least in part reflects the user interface window of the primary device and includes an instance of the content item on the primary device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user presence information is provided to the secondary device by the content management system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence information is displayed in a user interface element of the secondary device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is open in a native application executing on the primary device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is being viewed in a native application executing on the primary device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence of the user of the primary device is indicated if the content item is being edited in a native application executing on the primary device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein a second instance of the content item is open in a native application executing on the secondary device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the secondary device, an instruction to reload the content item to reflect changes made during a collaboration session, the collaboration session starting when the secondary device begins displaying the received information and ending when the secondary device stops displaying the received information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instruction to reload the content item to reflect changes made during the collaboration session is received responsive to the collaboration session ending.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the received information comprises a region of a display of the primary device occupied by the user interface window displaying an instance of the content item on the primary device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein a second instance of the content item is open in a native application of the secondary device, the instructions further comprising:

overlaying the second instance of the content item with the region of the display of the primary device.

23. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by a content management system, a content item with a primary device and a secondary device;

responsive to receiving a collaboration request from the secondary device associated with the content item, sending the collaboration request to the primary device;

receiving, from the primary device, an acceptance of the collaboration request and information corresponding to a region of a user interface window displayed by the primary device, the region including an instance of the content item displayed by the primary device; and

sending the received information to the secondary device, wherein the secondary device is configured to display, within a user interface window of the secondary device, the received information such that the user interface window of the secondary device at least in part reflects the user interface window of the primary device and includes the instance of the content item displayed by the primary device.