MANAGING FLOW-BASED INTERACTIONS WITH CLOUD-BASED SHARED CONTENT

• US 20170048285A1
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: PEARL, Anne Elizabeth Hiatt, BLECHSCHMIDT, Jenica Nash, VINNIK, Natalia, WALDROP, Robert Kyle, DEVLIN, Sam Michael, CIPOLLA, Steven Luis, JALAGAM, Sesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,038,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• 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 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Systems for managing content in a cloud-based service platform. A server in a cloud-based environment is interfaced with storage devices that hold one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users. The stored objects comprise folders and files as well as other objects such as workflow objects that are associated with the folders or the files. The workflow objects comprise workflow metadata that describes a workflow as a set of workflow tasks to be carried out in a progression. Processing of a workflow task and/or carrying out a portion of the progression includes modification of shared content objects. The processing or modification events are detected through workflow events, which in turn cause one or more workflow responses to be generated. Workflow responses comprise updates to the workflow metadata to record progression through the workflow and/or workflow responses comprise updates to any one or more of the stored objects.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, over a network, at least one server in a cloud-based environment that is interfaced with one or more storage devices that store one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users, the stored objects comprising at least one shared content object being a folder or a file and at least one object being a workflow object that is associated with the folder or the file;

selecting, from the one or more stored objects, the at least one workflow object that is associated with the shared content object, the at least one workflow object comprising workflow metadata that describes a workflow as having a plurality of workflow tasks, wherein the workflow object and the shared content object have at least some shared attributes;

processing a workflow task of the workflow object, wherein the workflow task modifies the at least one shared content object;

detecting one or more workflow events in response to the processing of the workflow task, or in response to a modification of the at least one shared content object; and

generating one or more workflow responses based at least in part on the workflow events, the workflow responses comprising at least one update to the workflow metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow responses further comprise a progression to a next workflow state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the users are associated with two or more enterprises.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, over the network at least one of the workflow events from one or more user devices associated with the users.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivery, over the network, at least one of, a workflow alert, or a workflow view, to one or more user devices associated with the users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the workflow responses is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to the at least one workflow object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the workflow rules comprise at least one of, an event mapping, or a logic mapping.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one workflow object is selected based at least in part on at least one of the workflow events.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising codifying one or more object attributes in the metadata, the object attributes characterizing the shared content objects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow metadata characterizes at least one of, a state, a task, a trigger, a rule, a parent, an object, a user, an enterprise, a type, one or more permissions, one or more constraints, one or more messaging settings, or an environment.

11. A computer readable medium, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a set of acts the acts comprising:

accessing, over a network, at least one server in a cloud-based environment that is interfaced with one or more storage devices that store one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users, the stored objects comprising at least one shared content object being a folder or a file and at least one object being a workflow object that is associated with the folder or the file;

selecting, from the one or more stored objects, the at least one workflow object that is associated with the shared content object, the at least one workflow object comprising workflow metadata that describes a workflow as having a plurality of workflow tasks, wherein the workflow object and the shared content object have at least some shared attributes;

processing a workflow task of the workflow object, wherein the workflow task modifies the at least one shared content object;

detecting one or more workflow events in response to the processing of the workflow task, or in response to a modification of the at least one shared content object; and

generating one or more workflow responses based at least in part on the workflow events, the workflow responses comprising at least one update to the workflow metadata.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the workflow responses further comprise a progression to a next workflow state.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the users are associated with two or more enterprises.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of receiving, over the network at least one of the workflow events from one or more user devices associated with the users.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of delivery, over the network, at least one of, a workflow alert, or a workflow view, to one or more user devices associated with the users.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the workflow responses is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to the at least one workflow object.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the workflow rules comprise at least one of, an event mapping, or a logic mapping.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one workflow object is selected based at least in part on at least one of the workflow events.

19. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform a set of acts, the acts comprising,

accessing, over a network, at least one server in a cloud-based environment that is interfaced with one or more storage devices that store one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users, the stored objects comprising at least one shared content object being a folder or a file and at least one object being a workflow object that is associated with the folder or the file;

selecting, from the one or more stored objects, the at least one workflow object that is associated with the shared content object, the at least one workflow object comprising workflow metadata that describes a workflow as having a plurality of workflow tasks, wherein the workflow object and the shared content object have at least some shared attributes;

processing a workflow task of the workflow object, wherein the workflow task modifies the at least one shared content object;

detecting one or more workflow events in response to the processing of the workflow task, or in response to a modification of the at least one shared content object; and

generating one or more workflow responses based at least in part on the workflow events, the workflow responses comprising at least one update to the workflow metadata.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the workflow responses further comprise a progression to a next workflow state.