Systems and methods for providing shell communication in a cloud-based platform

• US 10,110,656 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Sawyer, David, Parmar, Kunal
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davanlou, Soheila (Gina)
• Application Number:
  US14/314,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for implementing an Iconizer in a cloud-based platform such as cloud based platform (e.g., cloud-based collaboration platform or cloud-based platform providing collaborative and/or file sharing services). The iconizer can facilitate the display on a graphical user interface (GUI) of certain features of the storage operation and synchronization to a user. Some embodiments contemplate methods for representing Unicode text in the file system operations in either Normal Form Composed (NFC) or Normal Form Decomposed (NFD). Various disclosed embodiments facilitate operations using either or both formats, or a combination of the two.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a graphical icon representative of a state of a local copy of a shared item, the shared item stored in a workspace hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform, the shared item shared with a plurality of collaborators via the workspace, the local copy of the shared item stored on a client device with a synchronization client, the synchronization client configured to enable synchronization between the shared item in the workspace and the local copy of the shared item at the client device, the method comprising:

detecting a change in an icon repository file from a first state to a second state, the change including a creation or a modification of an entry that is associated with the local copy of the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicative of a version of the entry and a value indicative of a synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item, and wherein the icon repository file is stored at the client device and automatically updated by the synchronization client in response to events received from the cloud-based collaboration platform, the received events indicative of modifications to one or more shared items stored in the workspace;

in response to the detected change, comparing the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file to the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file;

in determining the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file is different than the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file, identifying the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file;

generating a first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item, based on the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file; and

causing display, via a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client device, of the first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file is the same as the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state, ignoring the entry; and

continuing to display a second graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the icon repository file is not detected, displaying no graphical icons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item is selected from the group consisting of:

synchronized, unsynchronized, in-progress, hidden, and problem.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicative of the version of the entry is a 64-bit unsigned integer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state of the icon repository file corresponds with a first synchronization state of the workspace and the second state of the repository file corresponds with a second synchronization state of the workspace.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry in the icon repository file further comprises a value indicative of a traits tag.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file is different than the value indicating the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file, identifying the value indicative of the traits tag of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file;

generating a third graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item, based on the value indicative of the traits tag of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file;

causing display of the third graphical icon representative of the state of the local copy of the shared item; and

modifying a file permission to comply with the traits tag of the local copy of the shared item.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the value indicative of the traits tag of the local coy of the shared item is selected from the group consisting of:

locked, unlocked, and collaborating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry in the icon repository file further comprises a value indicative of a file path, the value indicative of the file path comprising a Normal Form Composed (NFC) or Normal Form Decomposed (NFD) file name.

11. A method for informing an iconizer at a client device of a change in status of a shared item stored in a workspace of a cloud-based collaboration platform using an icon repository file stored at the client device, the icon repository file monitored by the iconizer and updated by a synchronization client at the client device, the shared item being shared with a plurality of collaborators via the workspace, the synchronization client configured to enable synchronization between the shared item in the workspace and a local copy of the shared item at the client device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the synchronization client, an event received from the cloud-based collaboration platform, the event indicative of a modification to the shared item or the local copy of the shared item;

creating or modifying automatically, by the synchronization client, an entry in the icon repository file, in response to detecting the event, the entry corresponding to the local copy of the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicative of a version of the entry and a value indicative of a synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item corresponding to the entry, wherein the creation or modification of the entry is detectable by the iconizer;

incrementing, by the synchronization client, the value indicative of the version of the of the entry; and

setting, by the synchronization client, the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item based on the event;

wherein the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item is utilized by the iconizer to generate and display a graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting an event indicative of synchronization of the shared item with the local copy of the shared item;

incrementing the value indicative of the version of the of the entry; and

setting the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item to synchronized.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

counting a number of synchronized entries, the synchronized entries being those in which the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item is set to synchronized;

deleting the synchronized entries when the number of synchronized entries reaches a threshold number; and

resetting the number of synchronized entries.

14. A machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor on a client device, cause the processor to:

detect a change in an icon repository file from a first state to a second state, the change including a creation or a modification of an entry that is associated with a local copy of a shared item, wherein the shared item is stored in a workspace hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform and shared with a plurality of collaborators via the workspace, the local copy of the shared item stored at the client device, the client device including a synchronization client configured to enable synchronization between the shared item in the workspace and the local copy of the shared item at the client, wherein the entry comprises a value indicative of a version of the entry and a value indicative of a synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item, and wherein the icon repository file is stored at the client device and automatically updated by the synchronization client in response to events received from the cloud-based collaboration platform, the received events indicative of modifications to one or more shared items stored in the workspace;

in response to the detected change, compare the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file to the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file;

in determining the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file is different than the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file, identify the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file;

generate a first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item, based on the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item as it appears in the second state of the icon repository file; and

cause display, via a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client device, of the first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein if the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the first state of the icon repository file is the same as the value indicative of the version of the entry as it exists in the second state of the icon repository file, the processor is further caused to:

ignore the entry; and

continue to display a second graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

16. A client device for accessing, viewing, and/or modifying a local copy of a shared item, the shared item stored in a workspace hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform, the shared item shared with a plurality of collaborators via the workspace, the local copy of the shared item stored on the client device, the device comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

a network interface; and

a memory unit having stored thereon;

an icon repository file;

a synchronization client configured to enable synchronization between the shared item in the workspace and the local copy of the shared item at the client device, the synchronization client including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the client device to;

detect, via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based collaboration platform indicative of a modification to the shared item or the local copy of the shared item;

create or modify automatically an entry in the icon repository file, in response to detecting the event, the entry corresponding to the local copy of the shared item, wherein the entry comprises a value indicative of a version of the entry and a value indicative of a synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item corresponding to the entry, increment the value indicative of the version of the of the entry; and

set the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item based on the event; and

an iconizer including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the client device to;

detect the increment by the synchronization client of the value indicative of the version of the entry, in response to the detected increment, identify the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item;

generate a first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item based on the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item; and

display, via the display device, the first graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.

17. The client device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the client device to:

detect, via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based collaboration platform indicative of the synchronization of the shared item with the local copy of the shared item;

increment the value indicative of the version of the entry; and

set the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item to synchronized.

18. The client device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the client device to:

count a number of synchronized entries, the synchronized entries being those in which the value indicative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item is set to synchronized;

delete the synchronized entries when the number of synchronized entries reaches a threshold number; and

reset the number of synchronized entries.

19. The client device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization client further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the client device to:

detect, via the network interface, an event in the workspace hosted by the cloud-based collaboration platform indicative of a traits flag of the shared item;

modify the entry in the icon repository file, wherein the entry further comprises a value indicative of the traits flag;

increment the value indicative of the version of the entry;

set the value indicative of the traits flag to one from the group consisting of;

locked, unlocked, and collaborating; and

set a file permission to reflect the set value indicative of the traits flag.

20. The client device of claim 19, wherein the iconizer further comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause the client device to:

detect the increment by the synchronization client of the value indicative of the version of the entry;

identify the value indicative of the traits flag of the local copy of the shared item in response to the detected increment;

generate a second graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item based on the value indicative of the traits flag of the local copy of the shared item; and

display, via the display device, the second graphical icon representative of the synchronization state of the local copy of the shared item.