Automatic content item upload

• US 9,613,047 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Sydell, Alex, Smith, Brian, Consalus, Kyle, Wen, Tina, Grue, Anthony (Tony)
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US13/766,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 707698
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures

Abstract

A client device can be configured to perform a local index search and a server index search to automatically identify and upload content items on the client device that have not been uploaded to an online content management system. A local index search can include creating a unique local identifier of a content item and searching a local upload index that includes the unique local identifier of each content item that has been uploaded. A server index search can include creating a unique server identifier of the content item and searching a server upload index that includes the unique server identifier of each content item stored on the online content management system. Content items that are determined to have not been uploaded to the online content management system based on the results of the two searches, can be uploaded to the content management system by the client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating, by a processor, a unique local identifier that identifies a first content item, wherein the unique local identifier is created from metadata associated with the first content item;

upon a determination that the unique local identifier does not exist in a local update index, wherein the local update index identifies each content item uploaded to an online content management system by a client device, creating, by the processor, a unique server identifier that identifies the first content item, wherein the unique server identifier is created from a hash output resulting from inputting at least a portion of the first content item in a hashing algorithm, wherein the unique server identifier is different than the unique local identifier; and

upon a determination that the unique server identifier does not exist in a server upload index, wherein the server upload index identifies the content items stored in the online content management system, uploading, by the processor, the first content item to the online content management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique local identifier is created from a file name associated with the first content item and a file size associated with the first content item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the first content item includes a first 8 kilobytes of the first content item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique server identifier is created by concatenating the hash output with a file size of the first content item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon a determination that the unique local identifier exists in the local update index, concluding that the first content item has already been uploaded to the online content management system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon a determination that the unique server identifier exists in the server upload index, concluding that the first content item has been uploaded to the online content management system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the server upload index is received from the online content management system upon initiating automatic-upload of content items.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving, from the online content management system, an upload error indicating that the first content item is already stored on the online content management system, receiving an updated server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the updated server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system; and

replacing the server upload index with the updated server upload index received from the online content management system.

10. A client computing device, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

create a unique local identifier that identifies a first content item, wherein the unique local identifier is created from metadata associated with the first content item;

upon a determination that the unique local identifier does not exist in a local update index wherein the local update index identifies each content item uploaded to an online content management system by a client device, create a unique server identifier that identifies the first content item, wherein the unique server identifier is created from a hash output resulting from inputting at least a portion of the first content item in a hashing algorithm, wherein the unique server identifier is different than the unique local identifier; and

upon a determination that the unique server identifier does not exist in a server upload index, wherein the server upload index identifies the content items stored in the online content management system, upload the first content item to the online content management system.

11. The client computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

upon a determination that the unique local identifier exists in the local update index, conclude that the first content item should not be uploaded to the online content management system.

12. The client computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

upon a determination that the unique server identifier exists in the server upload index, conclude that the first content item has been uploaded to the online content management system.

13. The client computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive the server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system.

14. The client computing device of claim 13, wherein the server upload index includes a first unique server identifier for a first content item originating from a second client computing device, different than the client computing device, the second client computing device running an alternate operating system, different than an operating system running on the client computing device, wherein the first content item is associated with an account authorized on the client computing device and the second client computing device.

15. The client computing device of claim 13, wherein the server upload index is received from the online content management system upon initiating automatic-upload of content items on the client computing device.

16. The client computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

upon receiving, from the online content management system, an upload error indicating that the first content item is already stored on the online content management system, receive an updated server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the updated server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system; and

replace the server upload index with the updated server upload index received from the online content management system.

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

create a unique local identifier that identifies a first content item, wherein the unique local identifier is created from metadata associated with the first content item;

upon a determination that the unique local identifier does not exist in a local update index, wherein the local update index identifies each content item uploaded to an online content management system by a client device, create a unique server identifier that identifies the first content item, wherein the unique server identifier is created from a hash output resulting from inputting at least a portion of the first content item in a hashing algorithm, wherein the unique server identifier is different than the unique local identifier; and

upon a determination that the unique server identifier does not exist in a server upload index, wherein the server upload index identifies the content items stored in the online content management system, upload the first content item to an online content management system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

upon a determination that the unique local identifier exists in the local update index, conclude that the first content item has been marked to not be uploaded to the online content management system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

upon a determination that the unique server identifier exists in the server upload index, conclude that the first content item has been uploaded to the online content management system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

receive the server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the server upload index is received from the online content management system upon initiating an automatic-upload application.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

upon receiving, from the online content management system, an upload error indicating that the first content item is already stored on the online content management system, receive an updated server upload index from the online content management system, wherein the updated server upload index identifies content items that are stored on the online content management system; and

replace the server upload index with the updated server upload index received from the online content management system.