IP Library Granted Patent US 10,708,323
Granted Patent B2
US 10,708,323 · App. 16/049,555 · Granted Jul 7, 2020

Managing flow-based interactions with cloud-based shared content

Inventors: Anne Elizabeth Hiatt Pearl (Los Gatos, CA); Jenica Nash Blechschmidt (San Francisco, CA); Natalia Vinnik (Mountain View, CA); Robert Kyle Waldrop (San Francisco, CA); Sam Michael Devlin (San Francisco, CA); Steven Luis Cipolla (San Francisco, CA); Sesh Jalagam (Union City, CA)
Assignee: Box, Inc.
H04L65/403G06F16/11G06F16/14G06F16/176H04L41/0823H04L67/10H04W4/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,708,323
App. No.
16/049,555
Granted
Jul 7, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems for managing content in a cloud-based service platform. A server in a cloud-based environment is interfaced with storage devices that hold one or more stored objects accessible by two or more users. The stored objects comprise folders and files as well as other objects such as workflow objects that are associated with the folders or the files. The workflow objects comprise workflow metadata that describes a workflow as a set of workflow tasks to be carried out in a progression. Processing of a workflow task and/or carrying out a portion of the progression includes modification of shared content objects. The processing or modification events are detected through workflow events, which in turn cause one or more workflow responses to be generated. Workflow responses comprise updates to the workflow metadata to record progression through the workflow and/or workflow responses comprise updates to any one or more of the stored objects.

Claims (40)

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the method comprising:

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the workflow response further comprises a progression to a next workflow state.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, over the network at least one of a workflow event from the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising delivering, over the network, at least one of a second workflow alert or a second workflow view to the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the workflow response is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to at least one workflow object.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the workflow rules comprises at least one of an event mapping or a logic mapping.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the workflow task is selected based at least in part on at least one of a workflow event.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising codifying one or more object attributes in the metadata, the one or more object attributes characterizing the one or more shared content objects.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata characterizes at least one of a state, a task, a trigger, a rule, a parent, an object, a user, an enterprise, a type, one or more permissions, one or more constraints, one or more messaging settings, or an environment.

11. A computer readable medium, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a set of acts of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the set of acts comprising:

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the workflow response further comprises a progression to a next workflow state.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of receiving, over the network, at least one of a workflow event from the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform acts of delivering, over the network, at least one of a second workflow alert or a second workflow view to the one or more user devices associated with the one or more users.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the workflow response is generated by applying at least one workflow rule to at least one workflow object.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the workflow rules comprises at least one of an event mapping or a logic mapping.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the workflow task is selected based at least in part on at least one of a workflow event.

19. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform a set of acts of facilitating metadata-based automations in a collaborative cloud-based environment, the set of acts comprising:

implementing a workflow for one or more shared content objects, the one or more shared content objects comprising at least one shared content object that corresponds to a folder or a file;

monitoring changes in metadata occurring with respect to the at least one shared content object stored in the collaborative cloud-based environment, wherein the metadata describes a workflow with a plurality of workflow tasks that are carried out in progression by one or more users collaborating on the at least one shared content;

processing a workflow task for the at least one shared content object, the workflow task corresponding to a first user of the one or more users modifying the at least one shared content object, wherein modification of the at least one shared content object changes the metadata for progressing the workflow to a next workflow state;

detecting the changes in the metadata for the at least one shared content object in response to processing the workflow task or in response to the modification of the at least one shared content object;

generating a workflow response for the at least one shared content object based at least in part on the metadata that was changed, wherein the workflow response updates the metadata to progress to the next workflow state; and

delivering, over a network to one or more user devices associated with a second user of the one or more users, at least one of a workflow alert or a workflow view.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more users are associated with two or more enterprises.

Assignments (1)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2023
From: BOX, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064389/0686 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15243695 · Aug 22, 2016
Continuation In Part 14474008 · Aug 29, 2014
Provisional Application 62214176 · Sep 3, 2015
Provisional Application 62234024 · Sep 28, 2015
Related Publication 20180337966A1 · Nov 22, 2018