System and method for advanced search and filtering mechanisms for enterprise administrators in a cloud-based environment

• US 8,868,574 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Kiang, Andy, Tu, Kevin, Sheffield, Philip, Pandit, Anurag
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, BINH VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/953,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 707/754
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation

Abstract

A cloud-based platform (e.g., cloud-based collaboration and/or storage platform/service) is described that permits advanced searches with advanced filtering mechanisms to be performed by administrators or other authorized individuals, across an organization, enterprise, or other select groups of entities in a cloud environment, such as a cloud-based collaborative environment. Various types, categories, metadata, and filters can be specified for use in the advanced search within select folders, users'"'"' folders, or across a larger set/group of folders and/or users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first mapping between a first file extension and a file kind, and a second mapping between a second file extension and the file kind;

storing the first mapping and the second mapping in a mapping database;

receiving a particular file uploaded to a content repository of a cloud-based collaboration platform for an enterprise account;

identifying a particular file extension associated with the particular file;

determining, from the mapping database, a particular file kind to which the particular file extension maps;

storing the particular file kind as metadata for the particular file to be used during a given search;

responsive to a search request initiated by an administrator of the enterprise account, performing a search based on the file kind for files across users associated with the enterprise account, wherein the files are stored in the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform, wherein the search is performed independent of user permission, and

wherein results of the search yield content collaborated upon among multiple of the users associated with the enterprise account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a file kind category as a filter within the content repository of the cloud based collaboration platform, the filter for selection by the administrator initiating the search on the enterprise account within the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform;

upon selection of the file kind category as a filter, performing the search using the file kind category as a filter for the search.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the enterprise account is used by multiple users and established as a customer account of the cloud-based collaboration platform.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing one or more additional filter categories for selection by the administrator for the search;

performing the search using the one or more additional filter categories selected by the administrator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file kind is selected from one of the following kinds:

audio, document, image, presentation, spreadsheet, and video.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing to be displayed the results of the search.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

determine a first mapping between a first file extension and a file kind, and a second mapping between a second file extension and the file kind;

store the first mapping and the second mapping in a mapping database;

identify a particular file extension associated with a particular file that is uploaded to a content repository of a cloud-based collaboration platform for an enterprise account;

determine, from the mapping database, a particular file kind to which the particular file extension maps;

store the particular file kind as metadata for the particular file to be used during a given search;

responsive to a search request initiated by an administrator of the enterprise account, perform a search based on the file kind for files across user accounts associated with the enterprise account, wherein the files are stored in the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform, and

wherein results of the search yield content collaborated upon among multiple of the users associated with the enterprise account.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system:

provide a file kind category as a filter within the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform, the filter for selection by the administrator initiating the search on the enterprise account within the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform;

upon selection of the file kind category as a filter, perform the search using the file kind category as a filter for the search.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the enterprise account is used by multiple users and established as a customer account of the cloud-based collaboration platform.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:

provide one or more additional filter categories for selection by the administrator for the search;

perform the search using the one or more additional filter categories selected by the administrator.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the file kind is selected from one of the following kinds:

audio, document, image, presentation, spreadsheet, and video.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a display configured to display the results of the search.

13. A system comprising:

means for determining a first mapping between a first file extension and a file kind, and a second mapping between a second file extension and the file kind;

means for storing the first mapping and the second mapping;

means for receiving a particular file uploaded to a content repository of a cloud based collaboration platform for an enterprise account;

means for identifying a particular file extension associated with the particular file;

means for determining, from the mapping database, a particular file kind to which the particular file extension maps;

means for storing the particular file kind as metadata for the particular file to be used during a given search;

responsive to a search request initiated by an administrator of the enterprise account, means for performing a search based on the file kind for files across user accounts associated with the enterprise account, wherein the files are stored in the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform;

wherein, results of the search yield content collaborated upon among multiple of the users associated with the enterprise account.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the enterprise account is used by multiple users and established as a customer account of the cloud-based collaboration platform.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the file kind is selected from one of the following kinds:

audio, document, image, presentation, spreadsheet, and video.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for displaying the results of the search.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having programming instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a system to:

determine a first mapping between a first file extension and a file kind, and a second mapping between a second file extension and the file kind;

store the first mapping and the second mapping in a mapping database;

identify a particular file extension associated with a particular file that is uploaded to a content repository of a cloud-based collaboration platform for an enterprise account;

determine, from the mapping database, a particular file kind to which the particular file extension maps;

store the particular file kind as metadata for the particular file to be used during a given search;

responsive to a search request initiated by an administrator of the enterprise account, perform a search based on the file kind for files across user accounts associated with the enterprise account,

wherein the files are stored in the content repository of the cloud-based collaboration platform, and

wherein results of the search yield content collaborated upon among multiple of the users associated with the enterprise account.