Unregistered user account generation for content item sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344433-B2
Application number	US-201414331767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 15, 2014
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present technology involve the sharing of a content item though a synchronized content management system (CMS) without requiring a user to register or provide login credentials. For example, the CMS can receive a request from a first user of a computing device to share a content item with a second user. Instead of requiring the user to register or provide their login credentials, the CMS can generate an unregistered user account using a unique identifier associated with the computing device. Accordingly, in order to share the content item, the CMS can generate a link to retrieve the content item and send the link to the second user. Thus, creation of an unregistered user account can require no login credentials, thereby providing a simple, user friendly interface for initiating interactions with the CMS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a content management system, a request to share a content item with a user, the request being from a computing device unassociated with a user account;
generating, using a unique identifier associated with the computing device, an unregistered user account with the content management system;
uploading, by the content management system, the content item;
associating the content item with the unregistered user account;
receiving a registration request from the computing device;
converting the unregistered user account into a registered account;
receiving, by the content management system, a second registration request to associate a second computing device with the registered account; and
causing the second computing device to be associated with the registered account, wherein associating the second computing device with the registered account includes installing a client-side application on the second computing device, and wherein the content management system communicates with the computing device and the second computing device through a respective client-side application to synchronize data stored locally on each of the computing device and the second computing device with data stored in the content management system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring usage associated with the unregistered user account;
determining the usage exceeds a threshold usage limit; and
causing a prompt to be displayed on the computing device, the prompt prompting an unregistered user of the computing device to register with the content management system to remove the threshold usage limit.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling an unregistered user of the unregistered user account to at least one of password protect the link or set a time period after which the link expires.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is at least one of a device ID, a phone number, or an email address.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the threshold limit is at least one of a data per unit time limit, a cumulative data total limit, a sharable content item size limit, or a total number of content items sharable limit.

6. A computing system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:
receive, from a first user of a computing device, a request to share a content item with a second user;
determine that the computing device is not logged into a user account;
generate a ghost account using a unique identifier associated with the computing device;
upload and at least temporarily store the content item;
associate the content item with the ghost account;

receive a registration request from the computing device;
convert the ghost account into a registered account;
receive a second registration request to associate a second computing device with the registered account; and
cause the second computing device to be associated with the registered account, wherein associating the second computing device with the registered account includes installing a client-side application on the second computing device, and wherein the system communicates with the computing device and the second computing device through a respective client-side application to synchronize data stored locally on each of the computing device and the second computing device with data stored in the system.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing system to:
monitor usage associated with the ghost account;
determine the usage exceeds a threshold usage limit; and
cause a prompt to be displayed on the computing device, the prompt prompting the first user of the computing device to at least one of login to the user account or register with the system.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing system to:
receive login credentials from the first user;
associated the content item with the user account; and
remove the threshold usage limit.

9. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the computing system communicates with the computing device through at least one of a native client application associated with the system installed on the computing device or a plugin through at least one of a web browser or file system.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein at least the native client application or the plugin is preinstalled on the computing device.

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• Adams John
• Jain Aditi
• Pan Matteus

Classifications

• H04L63/0815

  providing single-sign-on or federations · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• G06Q10/101 Primary

  Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services · CPC title

• H04L63/108

  when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time · CPC title

• H04L63/102 Primary

  Entity profiles · CPC title