Display of a plurality of files from multiple devices

• US 10,133,449 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Vivek, Dixon, Mark C., Thomas, Gibu, Chordia, Ashish, Gabriel, Nichole C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhargava, Anil K
• Application Number:
  US14/872,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

In a synchronization or back-up system that synchronizes and/or back-ups files from multiple computing devices, the present invention provides a method for (1) displaying files from multiple computing devices in a multi-view user interface and (2) enabling content and file operations to be performed on such files through the user interface. The multi-view interface includes a file-system view and one or more media-specific views. In the file-system view files are organized in the same way in which they are organized on the devices on which they are stored. The file-system view in the interface looks essentially the same as the file-system view on client devices. In the file-system view, users can perform file operations on files. In the media-specific view files are organized by media category. In one embodiment of the media-specific view, files are organized by metadata that relates to the files content. In the media-specific view, users can perform content operations on the files.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, on a first client device, a graphical user interface for enabling a user to interact with files synchronized between a synchronization server and a plurality of client devices, wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a selectable file-system view icon corresponding to a storage location; and

a selectable media-specific view icon corresponding to a media-type;

in response to detecting a selection of the file-system view icon, providing, via the graphical user interface, a file-system view comprising a first plurality of file indicators corresponding to a first plurality of files stored on the storage location, wherein the first plurality of files comprises multiple types of files and the storage location is on a second client device;

enabling interaction with the first plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the first plurality of files via the file-system view of the graphical user interface;

in response to detecting a selection of the media-specific view icon, providing, via the graphical user interface, a media-specific view comprising a second plurality of file indicators corresponding to a second plurality of files comprising only files of the media-type corresponding to the media-specific view, wherein the second plurality of files are located on a combination of the synchronization server and one or more of the plurality of client devices; and

enabling interaction with the second plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the second plurality of files via the media-specific view of the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media-type comprises one of:

photographs, music, videos, or documents.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file operation comprises one or more of deleting a file, copying a file, pasting a file, or moving a file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the file-system view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media-specific view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of file indicators displayed in the media-specific view are organized by artist or album regardless of a corresponding client device from the plurality of client devices on which the files from the first plurality of files are stored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the file operation comprises sharing a file with another user.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

provide on a first client device, a graphical user Interface for enabling a user to interact

with files synchronized between a synchronization server and a plurality of client devices, wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a selectable file-system view icon corresponding to a storage location; and

a selectable media-specific view icon corresponding to a media-type;

in response to detecting a selection of the file-system view icon, provide, via the graphical user interface, a file-system view comprising a first plurality of file indicators corresponding to a first plurality of files stored on the storage location, wherein the first plurality of files comprises

multiple types of files and the storage location is on a second client device;

enable interaction with the first plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the first plurality of files via the file-system view of the graphical user interface;

in response to detecting a selection of the media-specific view icon, provide, via the graphical user interface, a media-specific view comprising a second plurality of file indicators corresponding to a second plurality of files comprising only files of the media-type corresponding to the media-specific view, wherein the second plurality of files are located on a combination of the synchronization server and one or more of the plurality of client devices; and

enable interaction with the second plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the second plurality of files via the media-specific view of the graphical user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the media-type comprises one of:

photographs, music, videos, or documents.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the file operation comprises one or more of deleting a file, copying a file, pasting a file, or moving a file.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the file-system view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the media-specific view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of file indicators displayed in the media-specific view are organized by artist or album and regardless of a corresponding client device from the plurality of client devices on which the files from the first plurality of files are stored.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the file operation comprises sharing a file with another user.

15. A computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

provide, on a first client device, a graphical user interface for enabling a user to interact

with files synchronized between a synchronization server and a plurality of client devices, wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

a selectable file-system view icon corresponding to a storage location; and

a selectable media-specific view icon corresponding to a media-type;

in response to detecting a selection of the file-system view icon, provide, via the graphical user interface, a file-system view comprising a first plurality of file indicators corresponding to a first plurality of files stored on the storage location, wherein the first plurality of files comprises

multiple types of files and the storage location is on a second client device;

enable interactions with the first plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the first plurality of files via the file-system view of the graphical user interface;

in response to detecting a selection of the media-specific view icon, provide, via the graphical user interface, a media-specific view comprising a second plurality of file indicators corresponding to a second plurality of files comprising only files of the media-type corresponding to the media-specific view, wherein the second plurality of files are located on a combination of the synchronization server and one or more of the plurality of client devices; and

enable interactions with the second plurality of file indicators to allow a user to perform a file operation on one or more of the second plurality of files via the media-specific view of the graphical user interface.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the media-type comprises one of:

photographs, music, videos, or documents.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the file operation comprises one or more of deleting a file, copying a file, pasting a file, or moving a file.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the file-system view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the media-specific view is displayed in a portion of the graphical user interface.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the file operation comprises sharing a file with another user.