Automatic file storage and sharing

• US 10,506,046 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2019
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Mody, Viraj, Subramani, Anand, Ryazanov, Dima, Wen, Tina, Cayre, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US16/434,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Described embodiments enable the automatic uploading and sharing of objects via a content management system (CMS). A user of a client device may request to share an object via a user interface. Prior to the request, the object may be stored in a storage location of the client device that is not synchronized with the CMS. In one embodiment, client software detects a “click-and-drag” operation of an object and provide a sharing element into which an object may be dropped for sharing. The CMS receives the sharing request and may automatically initiate a sharing process comprising receiving the object from the client device, storing the object in the CMS, generating a link to the object, and sending the link to indicated or pre-determined recipient(s). In various embodiments, the objects are synchronized with the CMS and/or organized according to various object parameters within a directory of the CMS.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a client device, a sharing request for an object that is not synchronized with a content management system, the object displayed within a first interface that is provided by an operating system of the client device, the sharing request performed within the first interface, wherein a client application that is provided by the content management system and is executing on the client device, responsive to detecting the sharing request, transmits a command to the client device to display a sharing element within a second user interface generated by the client application; and

responsive to receiving the sharing request;

sending the object to the content management system for storage by the content management system; and

sending the sharing request to the content management system, which is configured to automatically generate and send to a recipient a link to a location of the content management system where the object is stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, further responsive to detecting the sharing request, displaying a plurality of additional sharing elements within the second user interface, each of the plurality of additional sharing elements associated with a particular recipient and configured to receive user input to address the sharing request to the particular recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is sent to the content management system via a synchronization operation between the object and the content management system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a folder of a file system of the client device comprises a plurality of previously shared objects stored in the content management system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of previously-shared objects has metadata comprising at least one of an associated recipient, a sharing date, and an original directory from which the object was shared, and the objects are organized according to the metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharing element is displayed within the second user interface over other interface elements displayed by the client application or the operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user modified a copy of the object stored in the content management system; and

in response to receiving the indication, performing a synchronization operation between the object stored in the content management system and the copy of the object.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations, the instructions comprising instructions to:

receive, at a client device, a sharing request for an object that is not synchronized with a content management system, the object displayed within a first interface that is provided by an operating system of the client device, the sharing request performed within the first interface, wherein a client application that is provided by the content management system and is executing on the client device, responsive to detecting the sharing request, transmits a command to the client device to display a sharing element within a second user interface generated by the client application; and

responsive to receiving the sharing request;

send the object to the content management system for storage by the content management system; and

send the sharing request to the content management system, which is configured to automatically generate and send to a recipient a link to a location of the content management system where the object is stored.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the object is sent to the content management system via a synchronization operation between the object and the content management system.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to, further responsive to detecting the sharing request, display a plurality of additional sharing elements within the second user interface, each of plurality of additional sharing elements associated with a particular recipient and configured to receive user input to address the sharing request to the particular recipient.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein a folder of a file system of the client device comprises a plurality of previously shared objects stored in the content management system.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of previously-shared objects has metadata comprising at least one of an associated recipient, a sharing date, and an original directory from which the object was shared, and the objects are organized according to the metadata.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

receive an indication that the user modified a copy of the object stored in the content management system; and

in response to receiving the indication, perform a synchronization operation between the object stored in the content management system and the copy of the object.

14. A system comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute instructions;

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

receiving, at a client device, a sharing request for an object that is not synchronized with a content management system, the object displayed within a first interface that is provided by an operating system of the client device, the sharing request performed within the first interface, wherein a client application that is provided by the content management system and is executing on the client device, responsive to detecting the sharing request, transmits a command to the client device to display a sharing element within a second user interface generated by the client application; and

responsive to receiving the sharing request;

sending the object to the content management system for storage by the content management system; and

sending the sharing request to the content management system, which is configured to automatically generate and send to a recipient a link to a location of the content management system where the object is stored.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

further responsive to detecting the sharing request, displaying a plurality of additional sharing elements within the second user interface, each of the plurality of additional sharing elements associated with a particular recipient and configured to receive user input to address the sharing request to the particular recipient.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the object is sent to the content management system via a synchronization operation between the object and the content management system.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein a folder of a file system of the client device comprises a plurality of previously shared objects stored in the synchronized folder.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of previously-shared objects has metadata comprising at least one of an associated recipient, a sharing date, and an original directory from which the object was shared, and the objects are organized according to the metadata.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sharing element is displayed within the second user interface over other interface elements displayed by the client application or the operating system.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

receiving an indication that the user modified a copy of the object stored in the content management system; and

in response to receiving the indication, performing a synchronization operation between the object stored in the content management system and the copy of the object.