Pooled Collection Management for Shared Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current online storage systems lack efficient methods for users to share and manage pooled collections of data across multiple accounts, particularly in identifying and contributing content items based on commonalities such as chronological boundaries or metadata, while maintaining data integrity and access control.
Innovation Solution
A content management system that clusters content items by commonalities, generates persistent pooled collections with pointers referencing the original data locations, allows users to contribute and manage content items, and tracks revisions, enabling seamless sharing and collaboration while maintaining data integrity and access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users share data via web links to collections in online storage, then data sharing capability is improved, but the details and complexity of network based file storage create difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pooled collection as an intermediary structure that sits between individual user accounts and the underlying complex network storage system. This pooled collection abstracts the complexity by providing a unified interface for sharing data across multiple accounts, while the system handles the intricate details of file location, access permissions, and synchronization in the background.
2Ease of operation
If a pooled collection stores actual files or data, then data accessibility is improved, but storage space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hybrid storage approach where the pooled collection contains pointers to data stored in respective user accounts rather than duplicating all files. This allows the system to provide fast access to frequently accessed files while minimizing redundant storage consumption by only copying files when necessary or when storage space is available.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users contribute different quantities of storage space to pooled collection, then flexibility is improved, but managing unequal contributions increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic storage allocation where each user's contribution to the pooled collection can vary in size and capacity. The system automatically manages the unequal contributions by tracking each user's allocated space, handling file placement decisions, and adjusting available storage dynamically based on current usage and contribution levels, thereby masking the complexity from users.
Data Source
AI summary
The described systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media manage pooled collections of content items in a content management system. An example system can receive, from a user device, content uploaded to an account at a synchronized online content management system, and cluster some of the content as a collection. The system can receive, from a user, a request to share the collection with a second user having a second account at the content management system. In response to the request, content management system generates a pooled collection from the collection. The system can also transmit an invitation to the second user to join the pooled collection, and, upon acceptance, link the pooled collection to the second user account so that the first user and the second user have access to the persistent pooled collection and have permission to contribute content to the pooled collection.