Shared workspaces with selective content item synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10963430-B2
Application number	US-201815984968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2018
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Shared workspaces with selective content item synchronization. In one embodiment, for example, a personal computing device is configured to send a request to a server of a cloud-based content management system to join a shared workspace. The personal computing device then receives content item metadata about content items associated with the shared workspace. The content item metadata allows a user of the personal computing device to browse a content item-folder hierarchy for the content items even if only some but not all of the content items have been downloaded and stored at the personal computing device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a personal computing device comprising one or more processors and storage media storing one or more computer programs executed by the one or more processors to perform the method, performing operations comprising:
receiving content item metadata indicating a content item-folder hierarchy for a plurality of content items from a server of a cloud-based content management system;
wherein the plurality of content items is hosted with the cloud-based content management system;
wherein the plurality of content items is associated with a shared workspace to which the personal computing device is joined;
after the receiving the content item metadata, using the content item metadata to display actionable graphical user interface icons for the plurality of content items according to the content item-folder hierarchy;
wherein each actionable graphical user interface icon displayed corresponds to one of the plurality of content items and is configured to indicate at most one of the following content item states for the corresponding content item when displayed: that the corresponding content item is currently configured for offline access at the personal computing device, or that the corresponding content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device;
wherein the actionable graphical user interface icon displayed corresponding to a particular content item of the plurality of content items is configured to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device; and
while maintaining the configuration of the actionable graphic user interface icon to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device, and in response to a first request to open the particular content item configured for cloud access, downloading the particular content item to a content item cache at the personal computing device from one or more servers of the cloud-based content management system;
responsive to receiving an action to open and view without editing the particular content item downloaded in response to the first request to open, updating display of the actionable graphical user interface icon corresponding to the particular content item to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for offline access, wherein the action to open and view without editing is received within a threshold period of time of the first request to open.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the personal computing device being joined to the shared workspace, downloading some but not all of the plurality of content items from one or more servers of the cloud-based content management system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the personal computing device is a first personal computing device, the method further comprising:
based on a modification to a second particular content item of the plurality of content items at a second personal computing device that is not the first personal computing device, receiving a notification from a server of the cloud-based content management system; and
while maintaining the configuration of the actionable graphic user interface icon to indicate that the second particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the first personal computing device, and automatically based on the receiving the notification, downloading the second particular content item to the content item cache at the first personal computing device from one or more servers of the cloud-based content management system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the content item metadata specifies, for each content item of the plurality of content items, a path in the content item-folder hierarchy to the content item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each actionable graphical user interface icon is configured, when displayed, to indicate that the corresponding content item is accessible by only a plurality of user accounts associated with the shared workspace.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs for execution by a personal computing device comprising one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions configured for:
receiving content item metadata indicating a content item-folder hierarchy for a plurality of content items from a server of a cloud-based content management system;
wherein the plurality of content items is hosted with the cloud-based content management system;
wherein the plurality of content items is associated with a shared workspace to which the personal computing device is joined;
after the receiving the content item metadata, using the content item metadata to display actionable graphical user interface icons for the plurality of content items according to the content item-folder hierarchy;
wherein each actionable graphical user interface icon displayed corresponds to one of the plurality of content items and is configured to indicate at most one of the following content item states for the corresponding content item when displayed: that the corresponding content item is currently configured for offline access at the personal computing device, or that the corresponding content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device;
wherein the actionable graphical user interface icon displayed corresponding to a particular content item of the plurality of content items is configured to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device; and
while maintaining the configuration of the actionable graphic user interface icon to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the personal computing device, and in response to a first request to open the particular content item configured for cloud access, downloading the particular content item to a content item cache at the personal computing device from one or more servers of the cloud-based content management system;
responsive to receiving an action to open and view without editing the particular content item downloaded in response to the first request to open, updating display of the actionable graphical user interface icon corresponding to the particular content item to indicate that the particular content item is currently configured for offline access, wherein the action to open and view without editing is received within a threshold period of time of the first request to open.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6 , the instructions further configured for:
in response to the personal computing device being joined to the shared workspace, downloading some but not all of the plurality of content items from one or more servers of the cloud-based content management system.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6 , wherein the personal computing device is a first personal computing device, the instructions further configured for:
based on a modification to a second particular content item of the plurality of content items at a second personal computing device that is not the first personal computing device, receiving a notification from a server of the cloud-based content management system; and
while maintaining the configuration of the actionable graphic user interface icon to indicate that the second particular content item is currently configured for cloud access from the first personal computing device,

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• von Muhlen Marcio
• Underwood Iv George Milton
• Devincenzi Anthony
• Bunger Nils
• Dunn Colin
• Polselli Adam
• Jau Sam
• Borror Nathan

Classifications

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• H04L67/75

  Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display · CPC title

• G06F16/178

  Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• G06F16/168

  Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs (query results presentation G06F16/156) · CPC title