Dropbox, Inc.

Alicia Chen

David Euresti

Brian E Smith

Rian Hunter

Aston Motes

Jie Tang

Matteus Pan

Aaron Staley

Alex Sydell

Aditi Jain

Ashish Warty

John Adams

Aisha Ferrazares

Joseph Hui

Kathryn Siegel

Lennart Jansson

Rob Baesman

Siyao Xu

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.

Collection folders in a content management system

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for prioritizing structural operations and distributing changes in a synced online content management system. An exemplary method can include receiving, from a first client device, a first structural operation for a particular content item and an account within the online content management system. The method can also include receiving, from a second client device, a competing structural operation for the particular content item and the account. The method can then include prioritizing the first structural operation from the first client device over the competing structural operation from the second client device based on predetermined factors. The method can then include executing the first structural operation for the particular content item and the account. The exemplary method can then include distributing the prioritized first structural operation to all synced devices for execution.

Prioritizing structural operations and distributing changes in a synced online content management system

A content item uploaded to a content management system from a client device can be assigned to one of multiple user accounts on which the client device is authorized. The user account can be selected based on account selection rules dictating selection of a user account based on various factors. For example, the account selection rules can dictate selection of a user account based on the type of user account; the type of content item; the client device that created the content item; the time the content item was created, modified, or uploaded; the location the content item was created, modified, or uploaded; etc. The account selection rules can be specified by a user or be heuristics based on general assumptions, data gathered regarding the user, and/or historical data gathered from content items already assigned to the user accounts. The content item can be assigned to the selected user account.

Automatic account selection

Content items stored on a client device can be imported to a content management system. The client device can be configured to search on the client device for specified file extensions to identify content items to be imported. The search can be of the entire memory, or alternatively, locations known to likely include content items. For example, the search can be based on folders known to be used by content management applications to store content items. Upon identifying content items, an import interface can be presented to the user that enables the user to select whether to proceed with the import. Further, the import interface can enable the user to select import parameters such as the type of import and which content items to import. A user can be enabled to select a subset of content items based on a variety of gathered metadata associated with the content items.

Importing content items

Various embodiments of the disclosed technology can configure access permissions for content shared via an online content management system. In one example, a first user of the online content management system can share his directory including files with other users ('recipients'). Upon agreeing to the content sharing from the first user, the recipients can reconstruct local representations of the shared directory and any included file (i.e., local representations of shared content). Access permissions associated with the recipients' local representations of the shared content can be configured to prevent unpermitted/unauthorized modifying or deleting of the local representations by the recipients. However, the first user can maintain read and write permissions, permitting him to make modifications or deletions to the shared content. The recipients' local representations of the shared content can be updated by the online content management system to include the modifications or deletions made by the first user.

Access permissions for shared content

A method and system for automatically rotating image files and preventing duplicate uploads in a remote file storage system is described. The system receives an image file. The system calculates a hash value associated with newly uploaded files. The system then automatically rotates the images based on orientation data associated with the files (if included). The system then compares the hash value(s) associated with the new file(s) with the hash values from the existing files stored on the remote file storage system. If the hash values of any of the new files to be uploaded match a hash value on the hash value list, then the system prevents the new files from being uploaded to the remote file storage system.

System and method for preventing duplicate uploads of modified photos in a synchronized content management system

A method and system for preventing duplicate file uploads in a remote content management system is described. The user device receives a hash value list associated with the files stored in the remote content management system. The user device calculates a hash value associated with new files to be uploaded. The system then compares the hash value(s) associated with the new file(s) to be uploaded with the hash value list received from the remote file storage system. If the hash values of any of the new files to be uploaded match a hash value on the hash value list, then the system prevents the new files from being uploaded to the remote file storage system.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Alicia Chen