IP Library Granted Patent US 11,157,636
Granted Patent B2
US 11,157,636 · App. 16/119,817 · Granted Oct 26, 2021

Collection folder for collecting file submissions in response to a public file request

Inventors: Mindy Zhang (San Francisco, CA); Pranav Piyush (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
G06F21/604G06F16/9566G06F21/62G06F21/6218G06F21/6245G06F40/295H04L51/04H04L51/08H04L51/32H04L63/0861H04L63/102H04L63/104H04L63/105H04L63/1408H04L63/1416H04L63/1425H04L65/403H04L67/06H04L67/1078H04L67/1095H04L67/1097H04L67/306H04L63/101
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,157,636
App. No.
16/119,817
Filed
Aug 31, 2018
Granted
Oct 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2436
USPC
726/27
Abstract

A content management system for collecting files from one or more submitters in a collection folder. A collector, who generates the collection folder, can invite one or more submitters to submit one or more files to the collection folder in response to a public file request. The one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder. The limited rights can include uploading rights and prohibiting a submitter from viewing files that other submitters associated with the collection folder submitted. Thus, the collection folder is able to store files from the one or more submitters, but prevent them from viewing other's submissions.

Claims (44)

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a content management system to a third-party website, a file request link, the file request link for use in collecting files in a collection folder from one or more submitters via the third-party website, the collection folder associated with an account of a collector user of the content management system, wherein the file request link is embedded on the third-party website;

receiving, by the content management system for storage in the collection folder, at least one file submitted by a submitter from the one or more submitters through the third-party website based on the submitter interacting with the file request link on the third-party website;

storing, by the content management system, the at least one file in the collection folder; and

displaying, by the content management system and on a client device associated with the collector user, a file-request user interface that presents a collection folder status that indicates at least a number of files submitted within the collection folder, wherein the number of files submitted indicates the at least one file being stored in the collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the content management system to the third-party website, computer code to embed the file request link on the third-party website.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file request link is a universal resource locator (URL) that references the collection folder.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the third-party website is a social networking website; and

providing the file request link to the third-party website causes the third-party website to display the file request link in a social networking post.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one file submitted by the submitter from the one or more submitters is received through the third-party website from a file upload user interface displayed based on the submitter interacting with the file request link on the third-party website.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing the submitter of the at least one file to view files from other submitters within the collection folder.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the submitter does not have an account with the content management system.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

provide, to a third-party website, a file request link, the file request link for use in collecting files in a collection folder from one or more submitters via the third-party website, the collection folder associated with an account of a collector user, wherein the file request link is embedded on the third-party website;

receive, for storage in the collection folder, at least one file submitted by a submitter from the one or more submitters through the third-party website based on the submitter interacting with the file request link on the third-party website;

store the at least one file in the collection folder; and

display, on a client device associated with the collector user, a file-request user interface that presents a collection folder status that indicates at least a number of files submitted within the collection folder, wherein the number of files submitted indicates the at least one file being stored in the collection folder.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide, to the third-party website, computer code to embed the file request link on the third-party website.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the file request link is a universal resource locator (URL) that references the collection folder.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the third-party website is a social networking website; and

providing the file request link to the third-party website causes the third-party website to display the file request link in a social networking post.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

create, in response to receiving the at least one file, a unique filename comprising a reference identifying the submitter; and

wherein storing the at least one file in the collection folder comprises associating the unique filename with the at least one file.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to prevent the submitter of the at least one file to view files from other submitters within the collection folder.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes a computer system to:

provide, to a third-party website, a file request link, the file request link for use in collecting files in a collection folder from one or more submitters via the third-party website, the collection folder associated with an account of a collector user, wherein the file request link is embedded on the third-party website;

receive, for storage in the collection folder, at least one file submitted by a submitter from the one or more submitters through the third-party website based on the submitter interacting with the file request link on the third-party website;

store the at least one file in the collection folder; and

display, on a client device associated with the collector user, a file-request user interface that presents a collection folder status that indicates at least a number of files submitted within the collection folder, wherein the number of files submitted indicates the at least one file being stored in the collection folder.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to provide, to the third-party website, computer code to embed the file request link on the third-party website.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the file request link is a universal resource locator (URL) that references the collection folder.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein:

the third-party website is a social networking website; and

providing the file request link to the third-party website causes the third-party website to display the file request link in a social networking post.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

create, in response to receiving the at least one file, a unique filename comprising a reference identifying the submitter; and

wherein storing the at least one file in the collection folder comprises associating the unique filename with the at least one file.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to prevent the submitter of the at least one file to view files from other submitters within the collection folder.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the computer system is a content management system and the submitter does not have an account with the content management system.

Assignments (5)
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 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 046770 FRAME: 0702. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2018
From: ZHANG, MINDY; PIYUSH, PRANAV
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 047015/0101 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2018
From: ZHANG, MINDY; PIYUSH, PRANAV
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 046770/0702 →