IP Library Granted Patent US 11,468,013
Granted Patent B2
US 11,468,013 · App. 15/977,340 · Granted Oct 11, 2022

Prioritizing content item synchronization based on sharing

Inventor: Dwayne Litzenberger (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
G06F16/178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,468,013
App. No.
15/977,340
Granted
Oct 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Content items queued for synchronization between a client device and a content management system can be automatically prioritized to improve the sharing process. That is, the content items can be prioritized based on whether a share link has been created to the content item. A share link can enable a user to access the shared content item from a content management system. Content items that have been shared using a share link can be given higher priority to be synchronized prior to content items that have not been shared. The queued content items can be synchronized in the synchronization order resulting from the prioritization. Further, multiple shared content items queued for synchronization can be sub-prioritized based on one or more sub-prioritization criteria.

Claims (64)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a client device, a plurality of content items queued for synchronization with a content management system to provide the plurality of content items to the content management system, the plurality of content items queued for synchronization according to a first synchronization order by the client device storing the plurality of content items, the first synchronization order dictating synchronization based on a share status of the plurality of content items, wherein a subset of the plurality of content items has the share status and the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status is synchronized prior to content items with no share status;

determining, by the client device, a second synchronization order within the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status using metadata to identify a sub-prioritization criteria for a first content item and at least one second content item, wherein the sub-prioritization criteria includes determining a first sharing request time of the first content item and a second sharing request time of the at least one second content item; and

synchronizing, by the client device, the plurality of content items with the content management system, wherein when the second sharing request time is earlier in time than the first sharing request time, use the first sharing request time and the second sharing request time as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order and synchronize the at least one second content item prior to the first content item and then the content items with no share status are synchronized according to the first synchronization order.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prioritizing synchronization of the first content item and the at least one second content item based on the first content item having a first share status indicating that a share link to the first content item has been requested by the client device and the at least one second content item having a second share status indicating that a share link to the at least one second content item has been requested by the content management system;

indicating, via the first share status, that the share link to the first content item was shared with a user account associated with the client device;

indicating, via the second share status, that the share link to the at least one second content item was shared with the user account associated with the client device; and

synchronizing the first content item and the at least one second content item with the content management system according to the first and second synchronization orders.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a current location of the client device;

determining that the current location is within a predetermined distance of a known location; and

using the current location to determine a third synchronization order that includes the determination that the current location is within the predetermined distance of the known location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second synchronization order includes uploading the first content item and the at least one second content item from the client device to the content management system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first content item size of the first content item and a second content item size of the at least one second content item; and

when the first content item size is larger than the second content item size, use the first content item size and the second content item size as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order, wherein the at least one second content item is uploaded prior to the first content item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to determining the second synchronization order, pausing synchronization of the first content item; and

after determining the second synchronization order, cancelling synchronization of the first content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-prioritization criteria further comprises a type of share status, a current location, or a network connection of the first content item and the at least one second content item.

8. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

identify a plurality of content items queued for synchronization with a content management system to provide the plurality of content items to the content management system, the plurality of content items queued for synchronization according to a first synchronization order by a client device storing the plurality of content items, the first synchronization order dictating synchronization based on a share status of the plurality of content items, wherein a subset of the plurality of content items has the share status and the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status is synchronized prior to content items with no share status;

determine a second synchronization order by the client device within the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status using metadata to identify a sub-prioritization criteria for a first content item and at least one second content item, wherein the sub-prioritization criteria includes determining a first sharing request time of the first content item; and

synchronize the plurality of content items with the content management system, wherein when the second sharing request time is earlier in time than the first sharing request time, use the first sharing request time and the second sharing request time as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order and synchronize the at least one second content item prior to the first content item and then the content items with no share status are synchronized according to the first synchronization order.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

prioritize synchronization of the first content item and the at least one second content item based on the first content item having a first share status indicating that a share link to the first content item has been requested by the client device and the at least one second content item having a second share status indicating that a share link to the at least one second content item has been requested by the content management system;

indicate, via the first share status, that the share link to the first content item was shared with a user account associated with the client device;

indicate, via the second share status, that the share link to the at least one second content item was shared with the user account associated with the client device; and

synchronize the first content item and the at least one second content item with the content management system according to the first and second synchronization orders.

10. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a current location of the client device;

determine that the current location is within a predetermined distance of a known location; and

use the current location to determine a third synchronization order that includes the determination that the current location is within the predetermined distance of the known location.

11. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the second synchronization order includes uploading the first content item and the at least one second content item from the client device to the content management system.

12. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first content item size of the first content item and a second content item size of the at least one second content item; and

when the first content item size is larger than the second content item size, use the first content item size and the second content item size as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order, wherein the at least one second content item is uploaded prior to the first content item.

13. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

prior to determining the second synchronization order, pause synchronization of the first content item; and

after determining the second synchronization order, cancel synchronization of the first content item.

14. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the sub-prioritization criteria further comprises a type of share status, a current location, or a network connection of the first content item and the at least one second content item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify a plurality of content items queued for synchronization with a content management system to provide the plurality of content items to the content management system, the plurality of content items queued for synchronization according to a first synchronization order by a client device storing the plurality of content items, the first synchronization order dictating synchronization based on a share status of the plurality of content items, wherein a subset of the plurality of content items has the share status and the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status is synchronized prior to content items with no share status;

determine a second synchronization order by the client device within the subset of the plurality of content items with the share status using metadata to identify a sub-prioritization criteria for a first content item and at least one second content item, wherein the sub-prioritization criteria includes determining a first sharing request time of the first content item and a second sharing request time of the at least one second content item; and

synchronize the plurality of content items with the content management system, wherein when the second sharing request time is earlier in time than the first sharing request time, use the first sharing request time and the second sharing request time as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order and synchronize the at least one second content item prior to the first content item and then the content items with no share status are synchronized according to the first synchronization order.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

prioritize synchronization of the first content item and the at least one second content item based on the first content item having a first share status indicating that a share link to the first content item has been requested by the client device and the at least one second content item having a second share status indicating that a share link to the at least one second content item has been requested by the content management system;

indicate, via the first share status, that the share link to the first content item was shared with a user account associated with the client device;

indicate, via the second share status, that the share link to the at least one second content item was shared with the user account associated with the client device; and

synchronize the first content item and the at least one second content item with the content management system according to the first and second synchronization orders.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine a current location of the client device;

determine that the current location is within a predetermined distance of a known location; and

use the current location to determine a third synchronization order that includes the determination that the current location is within the predetermined distance of the known location.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second synchronization order includes uploading the first content item and the at least one second content item from the client device to the content management system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine a first content item size of the first content item and a second content item size of the at least one second content item; and

when the first content item size is larger than the second content item size, use the first content item size and the second content item size as sub-prioritization criteria to determine the second synchronization order, wherein the at least one second content item is uploaded prior the first content item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

prior to determining the second synchronization order, pause synchronization of the first content item; and

after determining the second synchronization order, cancel synchronization of the first content item.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069635/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055670/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2018
From: LITZENBERGER, DWAYNE
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 046381/0504 →