Proximity based content sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854384-B2
Application number	US-201414530492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A sharing user of a content management system can request to share a content item in his namespace. When such a request is made, the sharing user's client device broadcasts a notification that can be received by devices that are within a limited broadcast range of the sharing client device. A receiving user's client device that is within the limited broadcast range of the sharing client device receives the broadcasted notification. Based on the notification, the receiving client device obtains a token from the sharing client device that identifies the content item being shared by the sharing user. At the request of the receiving user, the receiving client device transmits the token to the content management system and requests that the content management system add the shared content item to the receiving user's namespace with the system. The receiving user can then access the item from his namespace.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
responsive to a receiving device of a receiving user being within a limited broadcast range of a sharing device, receiving, by the receiving device, a notification broadcast by the sharing device based on a sharing user requesting to share a content item, the notification broadcast by the sharing device without using contact information of the receiving device or the receiving user to broadcast, the content item stored in a first namespace with a content management system, the content management system being remote from the receiving device and the sharing device, the first namespace associated with the sharing user;
establishing, by the receiving device, a short-range connection with the sharing device based on the received notification;
receiving, by the receiving device from the sharing device via the short-range connection, an encrypted token comprising an encrypted identifier for the content item, the encrypted token encrypted by the sharing device based on a password provided by the sharing user to the sharing device;
responsive to receiving the encrypted token, prompting, by the receiving device, the receiving user to provide the password;
decrypting, by the receiving device, the encrypted token based on the password to generate a decrypted token, the decrypted token comprising an unencrypted identifier for the content item; and
transmitting, by the receiving device to the content management system, the decrypted token and a request that the content item be added to a second namespace with the content management system, the second namespace associated with the receiving user of the receiving device, wherein the content item is accessible to the receiving device via the second namespace.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is broadcast by the sharing device according to a short-range communication standard that has the limited broadcast range for transmitted communications.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving device receives the notification responsive to the receiving user requesting to scan for broadcast notifications.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content item is not stored on the sharing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the content management system a copy of the content item synchronized with the content item added to the second namespace; and
storing, by the receiving device, the received copy of the content item.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
responsive to the content item added to the second namespace being modified in the second namespace, receiving, by the receiving device, information indicating modifications made to the content item; and
modifying the stored copy of the content item based on the received information.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
responsive to the stored copy of the content item being modified, transmitting, by the receiving device to the content management system, information indicating modifications made to the stored copy, wherein the content item added to the second namespace is modified based on the transmitted information.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the content management system confirmation that the content item has been added to the second namespace.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by the receiving device of a receiving user, a notification broadcast by a sharing device based on a sharing user requesting to share a content item and the receiving device being within a limited broadcast range of the broadcast, the notification broadcast by the sharing device without using contact information of the receiving device or the receiving user to broadcast, the content item stored in a first namespace with a content management system, the first namespace associated with the sharing user, and the notification broadcast according to a short-range communication standard having the limited broadcast range;
obtaining, by the receiving device, based on the notification an encrypted token comprising an encrypted identifier for the content item, the encrypted token encrypted based on a password provided by the sharing user to the sharing device;
responsive to obtaining the encrypted token, prompting, by the receiving device, the receiving user to provide the password;
decrypting, by the receiving device, the encrypted token based on the password to generate a decrypted token, the decrypted token comprising an unencrypted identifier for the content item; and
transmitting, by the receiving device to the content management system, the decrypted token and a request that the content item be added to a second namespace with the content management system, the second namespace associated with the receiving user of the receiving device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification includes the encrypted token.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a sharing device from a sharing user, a request to share a content item stored in a first namespace with a content management system, the content management system remote from the sharing device, the first namespace associated with the sharing user;
receiving, by the sharing device from the sharing user, a password associated with the request to share the content item;
responsive to receiving the request and the password, generating, by the sharing device, an encrypted token comprising an encrypted identifier for the content item, the encrypted token encrypted based on the password;
broadcasting, by the sharing device, a notification with a limited broadcast range, the notification broadcast by the sharing device without using contact information of a receiving device or a receiving user to broadcast;
establishing, by the sharing device, a short-range connection with the receiving device of the receiving user that received the notification; and
transmitting, by the sharing device to the receiving device via the short-range connection, the encrypted token, the receiving device configured to prompt the receiving user to provide the password and to decrypt the encrypted token based on the password to generate a decrypted token, the decrypted token comprising an unencrypted identifier for the content item for the content item to be added to a second namespace with the content management system, the second namespace associated with the receiving user of the receiving device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the notification is broadcast according to a short-range communication standard that has the limited broadcast range for transmitted communications.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the notification is received by the receiving device based on being within the limited broadcast range of the notification.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the content item is not stored on the sharing device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a sharing device from a sharing user, a request to share a content item stored in a first namespace with a content management system, the content management system remote from the sharing device, the first namespace associated with the sharing user;
receiving, by the sharing device from the sharing user, a password associated with the request to share the content item;
responsive to receiving the request and the password, generating, by the sharing device, an encrypted token comprising an e

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• Zhang David
• Nguyen Huy

Classifications

• H04H20/61

  for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast · CPC title

• H04L63/067

  using one-time keys (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of one-time passwords H04L9/0863) · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04H60/15

  on receiving information · CPC title

• H04W4/008 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic