IP Library Granted Patent US 10,887,388
Granted Patent B2
US 10,887,388 · App. 16/560,901 · Granted Jan 5, 2021

Managing presence among devices accessing shared and synchronized content

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,887,388
App. No.
16/560,901
Granted
Jan 5, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A content management system receives presence information from a client application on a device indicating interaction information of a user relative to a content item synchronized to the content management system. The interaction information includes presence information describing presence information of a native application interacting with the content item. The presence information indicates whether the native application opened, is viewing, or is editing the content item. The presence information may specify a user interface element and process associated with the presence information. The content management system stores presence records describing the presence information and uses the presence records to generate and transmit a presence status associated with a user. When a new version of a content item is received, the content management system may also use the presence records to determine an action to perform with the user interface window associated with the prior version.

Claims (34)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content management system from a presence application on a device associated with a user account of a user, presence information indicating a user interaction with a user interface element associated with a native application different from and monitored by the presence application, the user interface element associated with the native application accessing a content item stored on the device and synchronized with the content management system;

updating, by the content management system, a set of presence records corresponding to the content item based on the received presence information, each presence record identifying a presence status and an identifier of a monitored user interface element;

determining, by the content management system, that the user interacted with the content item based on the updated set of presence records corresponding to the content item; and

sending, by the content management system, a notification, to a second presence application on an additional device that maintains a synchronized local copy of the content item, that the user interacted with the content item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user interacted with the content item comprises determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user opened the content item.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user interacted with the content item comprises determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user edited the content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user interacted with the content item comprises determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user closed the content item.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user interacted with the content item comprises determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user saved the content item.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface element is a window of the native application.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the window includes a display of at least a portion of the content item.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute instructions;

a non-transitory storage medium containing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

receiving, by a content management system from a presence application on a device associated with a user account of a user, presence information indicating a user interaction with a user interface element associated with a native application different from and monitored by the presence application, the user interface element associated with the native application accessing a content item stored on the device and synchronized with the content management system;

updating, by the content management system, a set of presence records corresponding to the content item based on the received presence information, each presence record identifying a presence status and an identifier of a monitored user interface element;

determining, by the content management system, that the user interacted with the content item based on the updated set of presence records corresponding to the content item; and

sending, by the content management system, a notification, to a second presence application on an additional device that maintains a synchronized local copy of the content item, that the user interacted with the content item.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user opened the content item.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user edited the content item.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user closed the content item.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user saved the content item.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user interface element is a window of the native application.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the window includes a display of at least a portion of the content item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, by a content management system from a presence application on a device associated with a user account of a user, presence information indicating a user interaction with a user interface element associated with a native application different from and monitored by the presence application, the user interface element associated with the native application accessing a content item stored on the device and synchronized with the content management system;

updating, by the content management system, a set of presence records corresponding to the content item based on the received presence information, each presence record identifying a presence status and an identifier of a monitored user interface element;

determining, by the content management system, that the user interacted with the content item based on the updated set of presence records corresponding to the content item; and

sending, by the content management system, a notification, to a second presence application on an additional device that maintains a synchronized local copy of the content item, that the user interacted with the content item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user opened the content item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user edited the content item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user closed the content item.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused, when determining that the user interacted with the content item, to perform an additional step of determining, from the updated set of presence records, that the user saved the content item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the user interface element is a window of the native application that includes a display of at least a portion of the 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 Sep 11, 2019
From: LARABIE-BELANGER, MAXIME
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 050347/0847 →