# US 2014/0195550 A1 · Accessing audio files from an online content management system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195550 A1 - Document ID: US20140195550A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/797,041 - Filed: 2013-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: Dropbox, Inc. - Applicants: Dropbox, Inc. - Inventors: Ramesh Balakrishnan; Josiah Boning; Jie Tang; Julie Tung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195550A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/64: Browsing; Visualisation therefor (generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638) - G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that facilitates accessing audio files associated with a user from an online content management system. During operation, the online content management system receives a function call from a client to list audio files associated with the user. In response to the function call, the system filters through operations for files associated with the user to identify audio files. Next, the system returns metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user to the client. In some embodiments, filtering through the operations involves filtering an operation log to identify operations performed on audio files associated with the user, wherein the operations occurred since a preceding call to the function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for facilitating access to audio files associated with a user from an online content management system, comprising: receiving, at the online content management system, a call from a client to list audio files associated with the user; and in response to the call, filtering through operations on content items associated with the user to identify audio files, wherein the operations and associated metadata for the content items are stored in the online content management system, and returning metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user to the client. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the call is received through a function in an application-programming interface (API) which the client can call to access the online content management system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein filtering through the operations involves filtering an operation log to identify operations performed on audio files associated with the user, wherein the filtering involves identifying operations which occurred since a preceding call to the function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein whenever the user performs an operation on a content item in the online content management system, the method comprises saving the operation and associated metadata to the log. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein an operation on a content item can include one of: an insertion of the content item into the online content management system; a deletion of the content item from the online content management system; and a change to a content item in the online content management system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving the metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user at the client; and applying the operations to a data store maintained at the client, wherein the data store maintains a record of audio files associated with the user in the online content management system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein metadata for a given audio file provides a file handle that can be used to retrieve the given audio file from the online content management system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio files are music files, and wherein the metadata for a given music file includes one or more of: a title of a song contained in the music file; a name of an artist associated with the song; a name of an album associated with the song; a duration of the song; a year the song was recorded; a music genre for the song; a file format for the music file; and a file handle that can be used to retrieve the music file from the online content management system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the client is part of a system that enables the user to access audio files from the online content management system for playback on a mobile device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a car audio system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content items associated with the user are content items in a shared folder in the online content management system; wherein the shared folder is shared between the user and one or more other users; and wherein the call returns metadata for audio files in the shared folder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content items associated with the user include content items associated with multiple users; and wherein the call returns metadata for audio files associated with the multiple users. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating access to audio files associated with a user from an online content management system, the method comprising: receiving, at the online content management system, a call from a client to list audio files associated with the user; and in response to the call, filtering through operations on content items associated with the user to identify audio files, wherein the operations and associated metadata are stored in the online content management system, and returning the metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user to the client. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the call is received through a function in an application-programming interface (API) which the client can call to access the online content management system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein filtering through the operations involves filtering an operation log to identify operations performed on audio files associated with the user, wherein the filtering involves identifying operations which occurred since a preceding call to the function. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein whenever the user performs an operation on a content item in the online content management system, the method comprises saving the operation and associated metadata to the log. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein an operation on a content item can include one of: an insertion of the content item into the online content management system; a deletion of the content item from the online content management system; and a change to a content item in the online content management system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising: receiving the metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user at the client; and applying the operations to a data store maintained at the client, wherein the data store maintains a record of audio files associated with the user in the online content management system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein metadata for a given audio file provides a file handle that can be used to retrieve the given audio file from the online content management system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the audio files are music files, and wherein the metadata for a given music file includes one or more of: a title of a song contained in the music file; a name of an artist associated with the song; a name of an album associated with the song; a duration of the song; a year the song was recorded; a music genre for the song; a file format for the music file; and a file handle that can be used to retrieve the music file from the online content management system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the client is part of a system that enables the user to access audio files from the online content management system for playback on a mobile device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the mobile device is a car audio system. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the content items associated with the user are content items in a shared folder in the online content management system; wherein the shared folder is shared between the user and one or more other users; and wherein the call returns metadata for audio files in the shared folder. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the content items associated with the user include content items associated with multiple users; and wherein the call returns metadata for audio files associated with the multiple users. ### Claim 25 A system that facilitates access to audio files associated with a user from an online content management system, comprising: an online content management system hosted on at least one server; wherein the online content management system is configured to, receive a call from a client to list audio files associated with the user; and in response to the call, filter through operations on content items associated with the user to identify audio files, wherein the operations and associated metadata are stored in the online content management system, and return the metadata for the identified audio files associated with the user to the client. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the call is received through a function in an application-programming interface (API) which the client can call to access the online content management system. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein filtering the through the operations involves filtering an operation log to identify operations performed on audio files associated with the user, wherein the filtering involves identifying operations which occurred since a preceding call to the function. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the audio files are music files, and wherein the metadata for a given music file includes one or more of: a title of a song contained in the music file; a name of an artist associated with the song; a name of an album associated with the song; a duration of the song; a year the song was recorded; a music genre for the song; a file format for the music file; and a file handle that can be used to retrieve the music file from the online content management system. ### Claim 29 A method for facilitating access to audio files associated with a user from an online content management system, comprising: at a client, making a call through a function in an application-programming interface (API) to the online content management system, wherein in response to the call the online content management system filters an operation log to identify operations performed on audio files associated with the user, wherein the filtering involves identifying operations which occurred since a preceding call to the function; in response to the call, receiving the identified operations and associated metadata at the client; and applying the identified operations to a data store maintained at the client, wherein the data store maintains a record of audio files associated with the user in the online content management system. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the audio files are music files, and wherein the metadata for a given music file includes one or more of: a title of a song contained in the music file; a name of an artist associated with the song; a music genre for the song; a file format for the music file; and a file handle that can be used to retrieve the music file from the online content management system. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the client is part of a system that enables the user to access audio files from the online content management system for playback on a mobile device. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the mobile device is a car audio system.