Determining presence in an application accessing shared and synchronized content

• US 10,594,788 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Larabie-Belanger, Maxime
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiusano, Andrew T
• Application Number:
  US16/115,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A device collects presence information and other interaction information from an application viewing a content item synchronized with a content management system. The interaction information indicates interactions of a device with respect to a content item, and includes presence information obtained from a native application such as whether the content item is being viewed by the user on a user interface element or the user interface element is modifying the content item. A presence management module receives presence events indicating possible change of presence with respect to a user interface window associated with a process and a synchronized content item. Such presence events include a change in focus of a user interface element indicating that a user is viewing the content item, and changes to a content item indicating a user is editing the content item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first presence application executed by a processor on a first device, an event associated with a user interface element of a native application separate from the first presence application, wherein the first presence application is configured to monitor a plurality of user interaction types with content items displayed within user interface elements of each of a plurality of different native applications executing as separate processes from the first presence application;

determining, by the first presence application, that a content item synchronized with a second device and with a content management system has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application based on the received event; and

in response to the determination that the content item has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application, sending, by the first presence application, presence information identifying the synchronized content item to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been opened, and wherein the presence information indicates that the content item has been opened by the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been closed, and wherein the presence information indicates that the content item has been closed by the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the user interface element of the native application has changed from inactive to active, and wherein the presence information indicates that a user of the first device is viewing the content item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the user interface element of the native application has changed from active to inactive, and wherein the presence information indicates that a user of the first device is no longer viewing the content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been edited, and wherein the presence information describes the edit to the content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been saved, and wherein the presence information indicates that the content item has been saved.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been renamed, and wherein the presence information indicates a new name of the content item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been moved, and wherein the presence information indicates a new location of the content item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been deleted, and wherein the presence information indicates that the content item has been deleted.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that a comment has been made on the content item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that a title of the user interface element has changed, and wherein the presence information includes the title of the user interface element.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information further includes a chat message from the first device to the second device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence information further includes a message indicating a user'"'"'s intent to interact with the content item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving a presence event indicating a change in state of a user'"'"'s presence associated with a user interface element of a native application that is separate from the first presence application and that is interacting with a content item synchronized to a content management system and to one or more other devices, wherein the first presence application is configured to monitor a plurality of user interaction types with content items displayed within user interface elements of each of a plurality of different native applications executing as separate processes from the first presence application;

determining whether the presence event indicates that the content item synchronized to the content management system has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application; and

in response to the determination that the content item has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application, send the change in state of a user'"'"'s presence to the content management system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the user interface element of the native application has changed from inactive to active, and wherein the presence information indicates that a user of the first device is viewing the content item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the user interface element of the native application has changed from active to inactive, and wherein the presence information indicates that a user of the first device is no longer viewing the content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been edited, and wherein the presence information describes the edit to the content item.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising;

receiving, by the first presence application, an event associated with a user interface element of a native application separate from the first presence application, wherein the first presence application is configured to monitor a plurality of user interaction types with content items displayed within user interface elements of each of a plurality of different native applications executing as separate processes from the first presence application;

determining, by the first presence application, that a content item synchronized with a second device and with a content management system has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application; and

in response to the determination that the content item has been interacted with via the user interface element of the native application, sending presence information identifying the content item to the second device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein determining that the content item synchronized with the second device has been interacted with comprises determining that the content item has been edited, and wherein the presence information describes the edit to the content item.