Local server for synced online content management system

• US 9,451,022 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Mahkovec, Ziga, Nayak, Rajeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Dailey, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/740,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• 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 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A client device can implement a client-side application for a server-side online content management system. The client-side application can communicate with the server-side online content management system to sync data stored locally on the client-side with data stored on the server-side. A local web server can be implemented on the client device to work in conjunction with the client-side application, such that the local web server can access the data stored locally. The client device can run a web browser that communicates with the local web server. A user of the client device can use the web browser to connect to the local web server to access the synced data stored locally on the client-side. Advantages of accessing the data stored locally using the web browser via the local web server include performance improvements, offline access to the data, and use of native client applications to interact with the data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing, on a client device, a client-side application configured to synchronize at least one content item between the client device and an online content management system;

executing, on the client device, a local web server accessible via a web browser on the client device and configured to communicate with the client-side application to interact with synchronized content items stored locally on the client device;

detecting, via the web browser, a request to open a content item;

sending, simultaneously, via the web browser;

a request to the online content management system to access a copy of the content item stored on the online management system, and

a request to the local web server to access a copy of the content item stored locally on the client device;

in the event the online content management system responds first, displaying via the web browser, the copy of the content item stored on the online content management system; and

in the event the local web server responds first, displaying via a native application on the client device the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a communication from the web browser to the online content management system; and

modifying at least a portion of the data stored on the online content management system based, at least in part, on the communication.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein:

the web browser accesses the local web server over a first secure web connection; and

the client-side application communicates with the online content management system over a second secure web connection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the first secure web connection and the second secure web connection, each comprise a secure hypertext transfer protocol connection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising

generating a preview of the at least a portion of the data stored locally.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the displaying via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application occurs while the client-side application is unable to communicate with the online content management.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the displaying via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application is based on a particular data type associated with the copy of the content item stored locally.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

computer readable instructions, stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium, that when executed by the processor are effective to cause the system to;

execute, on a client device, a client-side application configured to synchronize at least one content item between the client device and an online content management system;

execute, on the client device, a local web server accessible via a web browser on the client device and configured to communicate with the client-side application to interact with synchronized content items stored locally on the client device;

detect, via the web browser, a request to open a content item;

send, simultaneously, via the web browser;

a request to the online content management system to access a copy of the content item stored on the online management system, and

a request to the local web server to access a copy of the content item stored locally on the client device;

in the event the online content management system responds first, display via the web browser, the copy of the content item stored on the online content management system; and

in the event the local web server responds first, display via a native application on the client device the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the system to further:

send a communication from the web browser to the online content management system; and

modify at least a portion of the data stored on the online content management system based, at least in part, on the communication.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the web browser accesses the local web server over a first secure web connection; and

the client-side application communicates with the online content management system over a second secure web connection.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first secure web connection and the second secure web connection, each comprise a secure hypertext transfer protocol connection.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising generating a preview of the at least a portion of the data stored locally.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the display via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application occurs while the client-side application is unable to communicate with the online content management.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the display via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application is based on a particular data type associated with the copy of the content item stored locally.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

execute, on a client device, a client-side application configured to synchronize at least one content item between the client device and an online content management system;

execute, on the client device, a local web server accessible via a web browser on the client device and configured to communicate with the client-side application to interact with synchronized content items stored locally on the client device;

detect, via the web browser, a request to open a content item;

send, simultaneously, via the web browser;

a request to the online content management system to access a copy of the content item stored on the online management system, and

a request to the local web server to access a copy of the content item stored locally on the client device;

in the event the online content management system responds first, display via the web browser, the copy of the content item stored on the online content management system; and

in the event the local web server responds first, display via a native application on the client device the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein:

the web browser accesses the local web server over a first secure web connection; and

the client-side application communicates with the online content management system over a second secure web connection.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the first secure web connection and the second secure web connection, each comprise a secure hypertext transfer protocol connection.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions, when executed by a computing device, further cause the computing device to generate a preview of the at least a portion of the data stored locally.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the display via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application occurs while the client-side application is unable to communicate with the online content management.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the display via the native application the copy of the content item stored locally on the client device with the native application is based on a particular data type associated with the copy of the content item stored locally.