Desktop application for accessing a cloud collaboration platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10866931-B2
Application number	US-201414521134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods of a desktop application for accessing a cloud collaboration platform. The disclosed application utilizes a native desktop environment to provide a better cloud collaboration experience by making the cloud-based platform accessible for file editing, file opening/closing/previewing, moving files between the local desktop environment and a web application (e.g., native to the cloud-based platform), syncing folders or marking any folders or parents/children of any folders to sync and/or utilizing any of the collaborative features (e.g., emailing links or inviting collaborators to collaborate on a file directly via the desktop environment using native contacts or contacts in the web app environment).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to shared work items hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform via a client device communicatively coupled to the cloud-based collaboration platform via a computer network, the method comprising:
generating, by a first application executing on the client device, an integrated graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a list of a plurality of shared work items stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform and available to a user of the client device, the list of the plurality of shared work items comprising both shared work items having a synchronized local copy on the client device and shared work items not having a synchronized local copy on the client device, each work item comprising a file type of a plurality of different file types, each of the plurality of different file types associated with a different local application of a plurality of local applications executing on the client device, wherein the integrated GUI is generated in response to an input indicating a request by the user of the client device to access one or more of the plurality of shared work items;
causing display, via a display of the client device, of the integrated GUI;
receiving, by the first application, via an input device of the client device, a user input indicative of a request to access a selected shared work item from the plurality of shared work items listed in the integrated GUI;
determining, by the first application, if the selected shared work item is associated with a synchronized local copy stored at the client device in response to the user input; and
conditionally providing access, by the first application, to either a synchronized local copy of the selected shared work item or a downloaded temporary copy of the selected shared copy of the work item based on the determining, wherein;
if the selected shared work item is associated with a synchronized local copy:
causing a second application at the client device to open automatically the synchronized local copy of the selected shared work item, the second application comprising one of the plurality of local applications executing on the client device and selected from the plurality of local applications based on the file type of the selected shared work item; and

if the selected shared work item is not associated with a synchronized local copy:
downloading automatically, via a computer network, a temporary copy of the selected shared work item from a host server of the cloud-based collaboration platform to the client device;
causing the second application to open automatically the downloaded temporary copy of the selected shared work item:
detecting that the temporary copy of the selected shared work item has changed to a new version based on user edits to the temporary copy;
automatically uploading the new version of the temporary copy including the user edits to the cloud-based collaboration platform; and
automatically deleting the temporary copy at the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling editing of the selected shared work item via the second application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the integrated GUI includes features specific to an operating system of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the integrated GUI is displayed via a remote virtual desktop.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via an input device of the client device, a user input to create a new work item to be stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform;
identifying a third application at the client device configured to create the new work item;
detecting that a new work item has been created by the third application; and
automatically uploading the new work item to be stored at the cloud-based collaboration platform.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the user with an option to synchronize the selected shared work item with a synchronized local copy at the client device if a synchronized local copy is not available.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
facilitating the user with access to the selected shared work item stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform via an alternative viewing client if a synchronized local copy is not available.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second application at the client device is associated with a file type of the selected shared work item.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the synchronized local copy has changed to a new version; and
automatically uploading the new version of the synchronized local copy to the cloud-based collaboration platform.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each shared work item in the list having asynchronized local copy on the client device is identified with an icon in the integrated GUI.

11. A client device for facilitating access to shared work items hosted by a cloud-based collaboration platform, the client device comprising:
a processor;
a display device;
a storage device;
an input device configured to receive user inputs; and
a memory unit having a first application stored thereon, the first application including instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the client device to:
generate, by the first application, an integrated graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a list of a plurality of shared work items stored in the cloud-based collaboration platform and available to a user of the client device, the list of the plurality of shared work items comprising both shared work items having a synchronized local copy on the client device and shared work items not having a synchronized local copy on the client device, each work item comprising a file type of a plurality of different file types, each of the plurality of different file types associated with a different local application of a plurality of local applications executing on the client device, wherein the integrated GUI is generated in response to an input indicating a request by the user of the client device to access one or more of the plurality of shared work items;
cause display, via the display device, of the integrated GUI;
receive, via the input device, a user input indicative of a request to access a selected shared work item from the plurality of shared work items listed in the integrated GUI;
determine if the selected shared work item is associated with a synchronized local copy stored at the client device in response to the user input; and
conditionally provide access to either a synchronized local copy of the selected shared work item or a downloaded temporary copy of the selected shared copy of the work item based on the determining, wherein;
if the selected shared work item is associated with a synchronized local copy:
cause a second application at the client device to open automatically the synchronized local copy of the selected shared work item, the second application comprising one of the plurality of local applications executing on the client device and selected from the plurality of local applications based on the file type of the selected shared work item; and

if the selected shared work item is not associated with a synchronized local copy:
download automatically, via a computer network, a temporary copy of the selected shared work item from a host server of the cloud-based collaboration platform to the storage device;
cause the second application to open automatically the downloaded temporary copy of the selected shared work item;
detect that the temporary copy of the selected shared work item has changed to a new version;
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Assignees

• Box Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sang
• Self Matthew
• Knotts Ryan

Classifications

• G06F16/188

  Virtual file systems · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F16/178 Primary

  Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems · CPC title