Automatic account selection
View Patent ↗A content item uploaded to a content management system from a client device can be assigned to one of multiple user accounts on which the client device is authorized. The user account can be selected based on account selection rules dictating selection of a user account based on various factors. For example, the account selection rules can dictate selection of a user account based on the type of user account; the type of content item; the client device that created the content item; the time the content item was created, modified, or uploaded; the location the content item was created, modified, or uploaded; etc. The account selection rules can be specified by a user or be heuristics based on general assumptions, data gathered regarding the user, and/or historical data gathered from content items already assigned to the user accounts. The content item can be assigned to the selected user account.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a content management system, a content item transmitted from a client application associated with the content management system for a client device, wherein the content management system maintains a first user account for a user and a second user account for the user and associates the first user account and the second user account with the client device;
identifying, by the content management system, at least the first user account and the second user account of the content management system associated with the client device;
selecting, by the content management system, the first user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the content item should be assigned to the first user account or the second user account based on metadata describing at least one of:
the first user account,
the second user account, or
the content item;
assigning automatically, by the content management system, the content item to the first user account, wherein the content item is associated with a first user account identifier in the content management system;
associating with the second user account, by the content management system, the content item; and
synchronizing, by the content management system with the client application of the client device, assignment information for the content item, wherein the assignment information is transmitted to the client application and identifies assignment of the content item to at least the first user account.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata indicating a preferred location of the first user account and metadata identifying a location of the content item; and
when the location of the content item is within the preferred location of the first user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the location of the content item identifies at least one of:
a geographic position where the content item was created;
a geographic position where the content item was modified; or
a geographic position of the client device when the content item was transmitted to the content management system.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the preferred location comprises a geographic region surrounding a work office of a user of the client device, and the first user account is a work user account.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the preferred location comprises a geographic region surrounding a home of a user of the client device, and the first user account is a personal user account.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing by the content management system with the client device comprises:
causing, by the content management system, that the client device assign the content item to the first user account.
7. A content management system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a content item and a second content item transmitted from a client application associated with the content management system for a client device, wherein the content management system maintains a first user account for a user and a second user account for the user and associates the first user account and the second user account with the client device;
identify at least the first user account and the second user account of the content management system associated with the client device;
select the first user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the content item should be assigned to the first user account or the second user account based on metadata describing at least one of:
the first user account,
the second user account, or
the content item;
assign automatically the content item to the first user account, wherein the content item is associated with a first user account identifier in the content management system;
select the first user account and the second user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the second content item should be associated to the first user account and the second user account;
associate the second content item to the first user account and the second user account; and
synchronize, with the client application of the client device, assignment information for the content item, wherein the assignment information is transmitted to the client application and identifies assignment of the content item to at least the first user account.
8. The content management system of claim 7 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata indicating a preferred client device of the first user account and metadata identifying a source client device of the content item; and
when the source client device of the content item is the preferred client device of the first user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
9. The content management system of claim 8 , wherein a source client device identifies at least one of:
a client device that created the content item;
a client device that modified the content item; or
a client device that transmitted the content item to the content management system.
10. The content management system of claim 9 , wherein the source client device of the first user account identifies at least one of:
a client device that created the content item;
a client device that modified the content item; or
a client device that transmitted the content item to the content management system.
11. The content management system of claim 7 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata indicating a restricted client device of the second user account and metadata identifying the client device; and
when the client device is the restricted client device of the second user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
12. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a client application of a client device of a content management system, a command to upload a content item to the content management system, wherein the content management system maintains a first user account for a user and a second user account for the user and associates the first user account and the second user account with the client device;
receiving, by the client device, a command to upload a second content item to the content management system;
identifying, by the client device, at least the first user account and the second user account associated with the user and the client device;
selecting, by the client device, the first user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the content item should be assigned to the first user account or the second user account based on metadata describing at least one of:
the first user account,
the second user account, or
the content item;
transmitting, by the client device to the content management system, assignment data for the content item identifying automatic assignment of the content item to the first user account; and
selecting, by the client device, the first user account and the second user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the second content item should be assigned to the first user account and the second user account;
transmitting, by the client device to the content management system, assignment data for the second content item identifying assignment of the second content item to the first user account and the second user account; and
synchronizing, by the content management system with the client device, assignment information for the content item that identifies assignment of the content item to at least the first user account.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata identifying a preferred content item type of the first user account and metadata identifying a content item type of the content item; and
when the content item type of the content item is equal to the preferred content item type of the first user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein a source time associated with the content item identifies at least one of:
a time of day the content item was created,
a day of a week the content item was created,
a calendar date the content item was created,
a time of day the content item was modified,
a day of a week the content item was modified,
a calendar date the content item was modified,
a time of day the content item was transmitted to the content management system from the client device,
a day of a week the content item was transmitted to the content management system from the client device, or
a calendar date the content item was transmitted to the content management system from the client device.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the first user account is a work user account and the source time of the first user account indicates a time range when a user of the client device is at work.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting the content item to the content management system.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata indicating a preferred time of the first user account and metadata identifying a source time of the content item; and
when the source time of the content item is within the preferred time of the first user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
18. A client device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a command to upload a content item to a content management system;
receive a command to upload a second content item to the content management system;
identify at least a first user account and a second user account associated with a user of the content management system and the client device;
select the first user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the content item should be assigned to the first user account or the second user account based on metadata describing at least one of:
the first user account,
the second user account, or
the content item;
appending automatically assignment data identifying assignment of the content item to the first user account; and
select the first user account and the second user account according to account selection rules that dictate whether the second content item should be assigned to the first user account and the second user account;
appending automatically assignment data identifying assignment of the content item to the first user account and the second user account; and
synchronizing, by the client device and the content management system, assignment information for the content item and the second content item that identifies assignment of the content item and the second content item to at least the first user account.
19. The client device of claim 18 , wherein selecting the first user account according to the account selection rules comprises:
comparing metadata indicating a preferred e-mail address of the first user account and metadata identifying a source e-mail address of the content item; and
when the source e-mail address of the content item matches the preferred e-mail address of the first user account, determining that the content item should be assigned to the first user account.
20. The client device of claim 19 , wherein the preferred e-mail address of the first user account identifies at least one of:
an entire e-mail address; or
an e-mail address domain.
21. The client device of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
transmit the content item to the content management system.
22. The client device of claim 19 , wherein the source e-mail address of the content item identifies at least one of:
an e-mail address at which the content item was received as an attachment; or
an e-mail address from which the content item was received as an attachment.