Facilitating access to content from group interactions

• US 9,609,043 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Homsany, Ramsey
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US14/044,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 726/29, 709/217, 709/204, 709/203, 715/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2885 Arrangements interfacing with optical systems optical network equipment H04B10/00; optical multiplexers H04J14/05 and H04J14/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates access to content. During operation, the system detects uploading of the content within a group interaction among a set of users. Next, the system aggregates the content into a centralized location. Finally, the system enables access to the content at the centralized location by one or more of the users.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to content, comprising:

detecting uploading of the content during a group interaction among a set of users, wherein;

the set of users comprises a first person and a second person; and

the group interaction comprises the first person using a first electronic device and the second person using a second electronic device to exchange a set of messages amongst the set of users;

wherein at least one of the messages in the set of messages comprises at least one of the following;

speech by one of the first person and the second person, writing by one of the first person and the second person, and typing by one of the first person and the second person;

in response to detecting the group interaction, automatically determining a first group of users based on the group interaction;

in response to determining the first group of users, automatically transferring, aggregating and storing the content of the group interaction within the first group into a centralized location; and

enabling access to the content at the centralized location by one or more of the users in the first group of users.

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

sharing the content at the centralized location with other users associated with the one or more of the users.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users and the other users is based on at least one of:

a relationship of the other users with the one or more of the users;

a set of permissions associated with the set of users and the other users;

or a set of preferences associated with the set of users and the other users.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein aggregating the content into the centralized location involves at least one of:

placing the content in the centralized location after the content is uploaded;

or

aggregating the content into the centralized location after the group interaction has completed.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein enabling access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users involves at least one of:

providing a link to the centralized location to the one or more of the users;

or

synchronizing the content at the centralized location with one or more electronic devices of the one or more of the users.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the centralized location is at least one of a local directory, a remote directory, a shared directory, or an online content management system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of an image, a document, audio, video, or a file.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1:

wherein the group interaction corresponds to a chat session that comprises the first user using a first instance of an application executing on the first electronic device to communicate with the second user using a second instance of the application executing on the second electronic device, wherein;

the first instance of the application receives a first set of typed messages from the first user and forwards each message in the first set of typed messages to the second instance of the application for display to the second user; and

the second instance of the application receives a second set of typed messages from the second user and forwards each message in the second set of typed messages to the first instance of the application for display to the first user; and

wherein the content was uploaded during the chat session by the first user to share amongst the set of users.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1:

wherein the group interaction comprises a message thread, wherein at least one message in the message thread corresponds to one of;

an email sent by the first user to the set of users, wherein the content corresponds to a file attachment to the email;

a forum post posted by the first user to a forum, wherein the content corresponds to a file attachment to a forum post that is accessible by the set of users.

10. A system for facilitating access to content, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement;

an aggregation apparatus configured to;

detect uploading of the content during a group interaction among a set of users, wherein;

the set of users comprises a first person and a second person; and

the group interaction comprises the first person using a first electronic device and the second person using a second electronic device to exchange a set of messages amongst the set of users;

wherein at least one of the messages in the set of messages comprises at least one of the following;

speech by one of the first person and the second person, writing by one of the first person and the second person, and typing by one of the first person and the second person; and

automatically determine a first group of users based on the group interaction in response to the detection;

in response to determining the first group of users, automatically transfer, aggregate and store the content of the group interaction within the first group into a centralized location; and

a management apparatus configured to enable access to the content at the centralized location by one or more of the users in the first group of users.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the management apparatus is further configured to:

share the content at the centralized location with other users associated with the one or more of the users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users and the other users is based on at least one of:

a relationship of the other users with the one or more of the users;

a set of permissions associated with the set of users and the other users;

or a set of preferences associated with the set of users and the other users.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein aggregating the content into the centralized location involves at least one of:

placing the content in the centralized location after the content is uploaded;

or

aggregating the content into the centralized location after the group interaction has completed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein enabling access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users involves at least one of:

providing a link to the centralized location to the one or more of the users;

or

synchronizing the content at the centralized location with one or more electronic devices of the one or more of the users.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the centralized location is at least one of a local directory, a remote directory, a shared directory, or an online content management system.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating access to content, the method comprising:

detecting uploading of the content during a group interaction among a set of users, wherein;

the set of users comprises a first person and a second person; and

the group interaction comprises the first person using a first electronic device and the second person using a second electronic device to exchange a set of messages amongst the set of users;

wherein at least one of the messages in the set of messages comprises at least one of the following;

speech by one of the first person and the second person, writing by one of the first person and the second person, and typing by one of the first person and the second person;

in response to detecting the group interaction, automatically determining a first group of users based on the group interaction;

in response to determining the first group of users, automatically transferring, aggregating and storing the content of the group interaction within the first group into a centralized location; and

enabling access to the content at the centralized location by one or more of the users in the first group of users.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

sharing the content at the centralized location with other users associated with the one or more of the users.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users and the other users is based on at least one of:

a relationship of the other users with the one or more of the users;

a set of permissions associated with the set of users and the other users;

or a set of preferences associated with the set of users and the other users.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein aggregating the content into the centralized location involves at least one of:

placing the content in the centralized location after the content is uploaded;

or

aggregating the content into the centralized location after the group interaction has completed.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein enabling access to the content at the centralized location by the one or more of the users involves at least one of:

providing a link to the centralized location to the one or more of the users;

or

synchronizing the content at the centralized location with one or more electronic devices of the one or more of the users.