IP Library Granted Patent US 12,461,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,925 · App. 17/934,404 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Identifying relevant information within a document hosting system

Inventors: Ho Chi Andrew Chin (New York, NY); Matthew Spitz (Brooklyn, NY); Andrew Werner (Jersey City, NJ)
Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
G06F16/24578G06F16/9024G06F16/90335G06F16/9038G06F16/93G06F16/9535G06F40/247G06F40/284
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,925
App. No.
17/934,404
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This disclosure generally covers systems and methods that identify relevant information for a user based on an object graph for documents and other files hosted by a document hosting system. In particular, certain embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods generate an object graph comprising interconnected nodes representing relationships among documents and other files on the document hosting system. Using the object graph, the disclosed systems and methods can identify relevant information and provide results or recommendations corresponding to that information based on a query or on user input, respectively.

Claims (51)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, in real time, an inserted term in an editing user interface of a document editing application;

identifying, using the inserted term detected in real time in the editing user interface, a seed node within an object graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges representing relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises document nodes, folder nodes, and user profile nodes;

utilizing, by at least one processor, the object graph to calculate a score for each of one or more of the plurality of nodes, each calculated score representing a relevance of each node to the seed node;

based on the calculated scores, providing in real time, within a graphical user interface of the document editing application, a plurality of recommendations associated with one or more nodes from the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of recommendations comprises a user profile link;

receiving, in real time, an indication of a user interaction with the user profile link in the graphical user interface of the document editing application; and

in response to the indication of the user interaction with the user profile link, providing in real time, for display via the graphical user interface of the document editing application, an additional recommendation comprising a document link related to the user profile link or a folder link related to the user profile link.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, and in response to receiving an indication of a user selection of the document link, providing a copy of a first document corresponding to the document link for display in the graphical user interface.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

utilizing the object graph to identify a second document that is related to the first document based on the indication of the user selection of the document link; and

providing a link to the second document within the graphical user interface while the copy of the first document is displayed.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, for display via the graphical user interface of the document editing application, a summary graphic comprising a relevance summary of the document link or the folder link to the user profile link.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of edges comprises at least one of user-to-user edges, user-to-folder edges, user-to-document edges, folder-to-folder edges, folder-to-document edges, or document-to-document edges.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the score for each of the one or more of the plurality of nodes comprises:

generating a probability distribution based on weights corresponding to each node; and

identifying a relative probability for each node from within the probability distribution.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein providing the additional recommendation comprising the document link or the folder link comprises providing an indication of a relationship between a user profile of the user profile link and either a document of the document link or a folder of the folder link.

8 . A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

detect, in real time, an inserted term in an editing user interface of a document editing application;

identify, using the inserted term detected in real time in the editing user interface, a seed node within an object graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges representing relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises document nodes, folder nodes, and user profile nodes;

utilize, by at least one processor, the object graph to calculate a score for each of one or more of the plurality of nodes, each calculated score representing a relevance of each node to the seed node;

based on the calculated scores, provide in real time, within a graphical user interface of the document editing application, a plurality of recommendations associated with one or more nodes from the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of recommendations comprises a user profile link;

receive, in real time, an indication of a user interaction with the user profile link in the graphical user interface of the document editing application; and

in response to the indication of the user interaction with the user profile link, indicate in real time, within the graphical user interface of the document editing application, an additional recommendation comprising a document link related to the user profile link.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to detect the inserted term comprising a search term identified from a user input within the document editing application.

10 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide a copy of a first document corresponding to the document link for display in the graphical user interface in response to receiving an indication of a user selection of the document link.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

utilize the object graph to identify a second document that is related to the first document; and

provide a link to the second document within the graphical user interface while the copy of the first document is displayed.

12 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to calculate the score for each of the one or more of the plurality of nodes by:

generating a probability distribution based on weights corresponding to each node; and

identifying a relative probability for each node from within the probability distribution.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein indicating the additional recommendation comprising the document link comprises indicating a relationship between a user profile of the user profile link and a document of the document link.

14 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide, for display via the graphical user interface of the document editing application, a summary graphic comprising a relevance summary of the document link to the user profile link.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:

analyze a plurality of documents, folders, and user profiles stored within a document hosting system;

based on the analysis, generate an object graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of edges representing relationships among the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises at least one of document nodes, folder nodes, or user profile nodes;

identify, using an inserted term detected in an editing user interface of a document editing application, a seed node within the object graph;

utilize, by at least one processor, the object graph to calculate a score for each of one or more of the plurality of nodes, each calculated score representing a relevance of each node to the seed node;

based on the calculated scores, provide in real time, within a graphical user interface of the document editing application, a plurality of recommendations associated with one or more nodes from the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of recommendations comprises a user profile link;

receive, in real time, an indication of a user interaction with the user profile link in the graphical user interface of the document editing application; and

in response to the indication of the user interaction with the user profile link, indicate in real time, within the graphical user interface of the document editing application, an additional recommendation comprising a document link related to the user profile link.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to provide a copy of a first document corresponding to the document link for display in the graphical user interface in response to receiving an indication of a user selection of the document link.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:

utilize the object graph to identify a second document that is related to the first document; and

provide a link to the second document within the graphical user interface while the copy of the first document is displayed.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein indicating the additional recommendation comprising the document link comprises indicating a relationship between a user profile associated with the user profile link and a document associated with the document link.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to provide, for display via the graphical user interface of the document editing application, a summary graphic comprising a relevance summary of the document link to the user profile link.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of edges comprises at least one of user-to-user edges, user-to-folder edges, user-to-document edges, folder-to-folder edges, folder-to-document edges, or document-to-document edges.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2022
From: CHIN, HO CHI ANDREW; SPITZ, MATTHEW; WERNER, ANDREW
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 061186/0082 →