Patents Assigned to DROPBOX, INC.
  • Patent number: 10698920
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for a linearizable primary-secondary database system that replicates database data with eventual consistency. The techniques include obtaining a logical clock value of a logical clock that orders transactions committed at a primary database system that includes a primary database. The logical clock value is obtained after a write transaction is committed at the primary database system and while processing a read request. The logical clock value is used to determine whether a secondary database is in a consistent replication state corresponding to the logical clock value with respect to the primary database. The read request is maintained in a linger state while the secondary database is not yet in the consistent replication state. The read request exits the linger state and is allowed to be processed against the secondary database after the secondary database has reached the consistent replication state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Tahara, Mehant Baid, Robert Escriva, Mihnea Cezar Giurgea
  • Patent number: 10691720
    Abstract: A client can resynchronize tree data structures representing a server, local, and sync state of content items in an account. In some aspects, the client identifies a local set of content items on the account and generates a local tree representing a filesystem state and including a local node for each item in the local set. The client determines a server state for a remote set of content items on the account. Based on the server state, the client generates a remote tree representing the remote set and including a respective node for each item in the remote set. Based on the local and remote trees, the client generates a sync tree including matching nodes between the local and remote trees, the sync tree representing a synchronized state between the filesystem state and the server state. The client then stores the local, remote, and sync trees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventor: John Lai
  • Patent number: 10691718
    Abstract: A synchronization protocol for multi-premises hosting of digital content items. In one embodiment, for example, a method comprises the operations of: detecting creation or modification of a content item; determining a content item namespace to which the content item belongs; obtaining a plurality of identifiers of a plurality of block servers to which the content item namespace is assigned; making a selection of one of the plurality of block servers as a target block server; and uploading any content item blocks of the content item to the target block server that are not already stored at the target block server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
    Inventors: Nipunn Koorapati, Christopher Rude, Marcio von Muhlen, Nils Bunger
  • Patent number: 10691721
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to a organization directory hosted by a synchronized content management system. The corporate directory can provide access to user accounts for all members of the organization to all content items in the organization directory on the respective file systems of the members' client devices. Members can reach any content item at the same path as other members relative to the organization directory root on their respective client device. In some embodiments novel access permissions are granted to maintain path consistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Kleinpeter, Tony Xu, Alex Sydell, Nils Bunger, Sam Jau, Aaron Staley, Sara Lin
  • Patent number: 10691719
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to an organization directory hosted by a synchronized content management system. The corporate directory can provide access to user accounts for all members of the organization to all content items in the organization directory on the respective file systems of the members' client devices. Members can reach any content item at the same path as other members relative to the organization directory root on their respective client device. In some embodiments novel access permissions are granted to maintain path consistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Kleinpeter, Akos Albert, Helen Lu, Aaron Staley
  • Patent number: 10684749
    Abstract: A content management system provides event data relating to other users' activity or interactions with a content item for display in an activity feed provided in conjunction with a user interface of a native application displaying the content item. Though provided in conjunction with the native application, the event data is maintained separate from the content data of the content item and displayed in the activity feed by an application separate from the native application of the content item. The activity feed permits users to exchange chat messages and retrieve information for multiple versions of the content item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Hu, Maxime Larabie-Bélanger
  • Patent number: 10685302
    Abstract: An interface for editing content items permits users to enter tasks and designate metadata relating to the tasks, such as an assigned user for the task, a deadline for the task, and a category of the task. A content item browser presents content items to a user along with a summary of the task completion of tasks within the content item. The summary of task completion may be limited to tasks matching a search query. This permits a user to identify content items and tasks related to the search query from the content item browser, without entering an interface for modifying the content item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventor: Igor Kofman
  • Patent number: 10685038
    Abstract: A synchronization protocol for multi-premises hosting of digital content items. In one embodiments, for example, a method, comprising: detecting creation or modification of a content item; determining a content item namespace to which the content item belongs; obtaining an identifier of a block server to which the content item namespace is assigned; and uploading any content item blocks of the content item to the block server that are not already stored at the block server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox Inc.
    Inventors: Nipunn Koorapati, Christopher Rude, Marcio von Muhlen, Nils Bunger
  • Patent number: 10686888
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a client application at a client device can receive, from a browser application at the client device, a first message including a unique identifier associated with a session of the browser application at a website associated with a content management system. The client application can extract the unique identifier from the first message, and establish a connection between the client application and the content management system by sending, from the client application to the content management system, a second message including the unique identifier. The client application can then receive, from the content management system through the connection, a third message relayed by the content management system from the website, where the third message is associated with the unique identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Bortz, Sang Tian, Joshua Kaplan, Devdatta Akhawe
  • Patent number: 10671799
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of systems and methods for a digital content management system for creating a digital document from handwritten content are described herein. For example, the digital content management system receives a digital image of handwritten content and analyzes the digital image to identify handwritten content as well as to identify specific command indicators. In response to identifying a command indicator associated with a command to create a digital document, the digital content management system creates a new digital document and adds digital content portions to the digital document that correspond to the identified content portions identified within the handwritten content depicted within the digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
    Inventors: Mathew Antony, Michael Q. Wu
  • Patent number: 10671638
    Abstract: A client can allocate identifiers to local content items and ensure the identifiers are unique at a content management system. For example, a client can add a first content item at a first path and determine the first content item does not have a first unique identifier. The client can determine that a second content item at a second path was previously associated with the first path and determine that the first content item should inherit a second unique identifier from the second content item. The client can then assign the second unique identifier to the first content item and add a node representing the first content item to a local tree representing a local state of content items at the client, the node including the second unique identifier. The client can also upload the first content item with the second unique identifier to the content management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac Goldberg, John Lai, Sujay Jayakar
  • Patent number: 10664319
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating cloud-based and cloud-backed content items with a content management system are provided. In some examples, a method can include receiving a request to access a smart pointer on a content management system, the smart pointer including a representation of a content item on a cloud provider, wherein content and features of the content item are accessible through an online application associated with the cloud provider, the content item comprising a cloud-based or cloud-backed content item. The method can include, in response to the smart pointer being invoked, sending, from a cloud integration element of an application to the cloud provider, a request for the content of the content item; receiving, at the cloud integration element, from the cloud provider, the content of the content item; and presenting, at the application, the content as part of a rendered instance of the smart pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Kaplan, Jason Terk, Stan Yeung
  • Patent number: 10664463
    Abstract: A database structure and a system that uses the structure to facilitate efficient context enrichment of low-level events occurring in a distributed computing system. In one aspect, the database structure comprises a table accessible to a distributed storage system. The table comprises a plurality of rows. Each row represents a corresponding process creation event of a particular process at a particular host at a particular time and assigned a particular event identifier. Each row comprises a row key identifying the particular host, the particular process, the particular time, and the particular event identifier of the process creation event corresponding to the row. The particular time and the particular event identifier are stored as part of the row key in a bitwise one's complement format. The row key structure facilitates efficient identification of a process creation event where only hostname and the process identifier of the process creation event are known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventor: Santosh Ananthakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10666590
    Abstract: A message management service allows a user to access and manage messages from various message services. The user can access the message management service using a message management client application executing on a client device and can draft messages using the message management client application and send the messages through the different message services. The message management service can add information to messages sent using the message management client application that can be used to identify and organize the messages. A secure sent-message identifier can be added to messages sent by the message management service to reliably indicate that the messages were sent by the message management service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Dubie, Michael Roeder, Steven Kabbes
  • Patent number: 10657954
    Abstract: A collaborative content management system allows multiple users to access and modify collaborative documents. When audio data is recorded by or uploaded to the system, the audio data may be transcribed or summarized to improve accessibility and user efficiency. Text transcriptions are associated with portions of the audio data representative of the text, and users can search the text transcription and access the portions of the audio data corresponding to search queries for playback. An outline can be automatically generated based on a text transcription of audio data and embedded as a modifiable object within a collaborative document. The system associates hot words with actions to modify the collaborative document upon identifying the hot words in the audio data. Collaborative content management systems can also generate custom lexicons for users based on documents associated with the user for use in transcribing audio data, ensuring that text transcription is more accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Timo Mertens, Bradley Neuberg
  • Patent number: 10657228
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating cloud-based and cloud-backed content items with a content management system are provided. In some examples, a method can include receiving a request to access a canonical content item stored at a content management system, the canonical content item representing a cloud-based content item or a cloud-backed content item having features designed for access through a native online application associated with a cloud content provider; in response to the canonical content item being invoked, sending, from a local application to the cloud content provider, a request for the features of the content item; receiving, at the local application and from the cloud content provider, metadata for enabling the features of the content item; and based on the metadata, providing, on the local application, the features and a content of the content item as part of a rendered instance of the canonical content item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Kaplan, Jason Terk, Stan Yeung
  • Patent number: 10650155
    Abstract: A content management system allows a user to create a collection folder to which a submitting user can add content items without being able to access content items added to the folder by other submitting users. A collection folder is created in a namespace of a collecting user and folder is made available to multiple submitting users to allow the submitting users to add items to the folder. When a submitting user first request to store a content item in the collection folder, the content management system creates a sub-folder associated with the submitting user in the collection folder and stores the content item in the sub-folder. The submitting user is given rights to the sub-folder, but is not given rights to sub-folders created for other submitting users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Staley, Aditi Jain, Aisha Ferrazares, Alicia Chen, Ashish Warty, John Adams, Joseph Hui, Kathryn Siegel, Lennart Jansson, Matteus Pan, Rob Baesman, Siyao Xu
  • Patent number: 10649960
    Abstract: The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for providing workflow controls to shared content items stored on client devices, and enforcing content item check outs or content item locks for shared content items stored and accessed on client devices. The present technology further includes automatically locking a shared content item that is edited on a client device so that other team members cannot modify the content item. Accordingly, the present technology improves upon existing systems that provide workflow controls such as file check-in and checkout functionality by permitting users to access content items directly from the file system of their client device, and by providing automatic checkout and check-in functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Xu, Kevin Grey, Sergei Vorobev, Haichen Liu, Stephen Eisner, Alexandra Harris, Blake Lucchesi, Waqas Sheikh, Royce Ausburn, Panagiotis Athanasiou, Zach Johnston, Narmada Jayasankar, Vinod Valloppillil
  • Patent number: 10643314
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of an image enhancement system enable a computing device to generate an enhanced digital image. In particular, a computing device can enhance a digital image including, for example, a photograph of a whiteboard, document, chalkboard, or other object having a uniform background. The computing device can determine modifications to apply to the digital image by minimizing an energy heuristic that both causes pixels of the digital image to change to a uniform color (e.g., white) and preserves gradients from the digital image. The computing device can further generate an enhanced digital image by applying the determined modifications to the digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
    Inventor: Jongmin Baek
  • Patent number: 10637896
    Abstract: A content management system creates and modifies user notification queues for shared content items synchronized between a content management system and multiple devices. A user notification queue includes interactions with a shared content item that may be presented to a user to indicate recent interactions with the shared content item by other sharing users. The content management system sends the user notification queue corresponding to a user to the user's device when the user accesses the content item. The client device displays a content item in a window associated with a process on the device. A client application displays an interaction indicator that presents user notification queue content to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
    Inventors: Julian Michael, Anvisha Hrishikesh Pai