Content item-centric conversation aggregation in shared folder backed integrated workspaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016283567-A1
Application number	US-201615067477-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for shared folder backed integrated workspaces. In some implementations, a content management system can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates communications and content management into a single user interface. The user interface can include mechanisms that allow a user to provide input to generate a new workspace. The user interface can provide a mechanism to allow a user to view conversations related to the workspace and/or content items associated with the workspace. The user interface can present representations of content items associated with the workspace and allow the user to provide input to generate, view, edit, and share content items associated with the workspace.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of associating communications and content items with a shared-folder backed workspace in an online content management system comprising:
receiving, by the online content management system, first messages associated with a content item, the content item being associated with the shared-folder backed workspace; receiving, by the online content management system, a request to view messages associated with the content item; aggregating, by the online content management system, the first messages into a content item-specific message thread for the content item, the content item-specific message thread included in a message stream of the shared-folder backed workspace; and sending, by the online content management system, to a client device the content item-specific message thread.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message type is asynchronous messaging

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message type is real-time messaging.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein asynchronous messaging includes email.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein asynchronous messaging includes comments embedded in the content item.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein real-time messaging includes chat messaging.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first messages become associated with the content item by:
determining that the at least one first messages is associated with the content item when the content item is mentioned in the at least one of the first messages; and associating the message with the content item in the shared folder backed workspace.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the message stream of a shared-folder backed workspace provides an integrated environment for manipulating content items in the shared folder and communicating with the authorized users of the shared folder.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
generate, by an online content management system, a shared-folder backed workspace that provides an integrated environment for manipulating content items in an online shared folder and for communicating with authorized accounts of the online shared folder; receive, by the online content management system, a first message associated with a content item stored in the online shared folder; receive, by the online content management system, a request to view messages associated with the content item; aggregate, by the online content management system, the first message into a content item-specific message thread for the content item, the content item-specific message thread included in a message stream of the shared folder backed workspace; and send, by the online content management system, to a client device of an authorized user of the shared folder the content item-specific message thread.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first message type is asynchronous messaging.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first message type is real-time messaging.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein asynchronous messaging includes email.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein asynchronous messaging includes comments embedded in the content item.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein real-time messaging includes chat messaging.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first messages become associated with the content item by the instructions which cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the first message is associated with the content item when the content item is mentioned in at least one of the first messages; and associate the message with the content item in the shared folder backed workspace.

16 . A online content management system in communication a client device, the online content management system comprising:
a shared folder database configured to store content items and messages associated with a shared-folder backed workspace; a workspace server including instructions effective to cause one or more processors of the workspace server to:
detect an email on an email server including a content item and a message to be associated with the shared-folder backed workspace, store the content item in and the message in association with the shared-folder backed workspace,
detect a content item in the shared-folder backed workspace including comments stored therein, store the comments in association with the shared-folder backed workspace;

aggregate the stored messages or comments associated with the shared-folder backed workspace into a message stream accessible to an authorized client device.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the message and content item within the email become associated with the shared-folder backed workspace by the instructions which cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the message and the content item should be associated with the shared-folder backed workspace when the shared-folder backed workspace is mentioned in the email; and associate the message and the content item with the shared-folder backed workspace.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the message within the email becomes associated with the content item already in the shared-folder backed workspace by the instructions which cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the message should be associated with the content item in the shared-folder backed workspace when the shared-folder backed workspace or content item is mentioned in the email; and associate the message with the shared-folder backed workspace.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the workspace server includes instructions effective to cause one or more processors of the workspace server to:
present the shared-folder backed workspace in a web interface, the web interface for the shared-folder backed workspace being configured to provide an integrated environment for manipulating the content item in the shared-folder backed workspace and displaying the message stream.

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• Beausoleil Sean
• Pan Matteus
• Greze Jean-Denis
• Devincenzi Anthony

Classifications

• G06F40/166

  Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting · CPC title

• G06F40/134

  Hyperlinking · CPC title

• G06F40/123

  Storage facilities · CPC title

• G06F40/186

  Templates · CPC title

• G06F16/252

  between a Database Management System and a front-end application · CPC title