# US 9,519,525 B2 · File-level commenting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,525 B2 - Document ID: US9519525B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/080,600 - Filed: 2013-11-14 - Published: 2015-05-14 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-14 - Assignees: Dropbox, Inc. - Applicants: Dropbox, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Carriero; Mark Delamere; Phil Rha; Jon Vincent; Sujay Jayakar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519525B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/958: Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking - G06F 9/54: Interprogram communication - G06F 40/169: Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - H04L 67/1095: Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Various embodiments provide a commenting system for multiple users to provide and share comments to shared content items. For example, users can share a web link to a collection of content items, such as documents, spreadsheets, photos, and any other media, with other users stored in an online content management system. To enable such functionality, the online content management system can expose an application programming interface to enable third-party service providers to develop and attach a comment interface to content items. Accordingly, such a commenting system can provide a comment interface for concurrent display alongside a respective content item in which users can provide comments to shared content items or to use as notes for their personal content items. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, providing a content item for display on a first computing device, the content item being viewable between the first computing device and at least one second computing device through an account with an online content management system, with the account being accessible via the first computing device and the at least one second computing device; providing a comment interface associated with the content item for concurrent display with the content item, the comment interface interfacing with the content item through an application programming interface (API) provided by the online content management system; and in response to a comment provided to the comment interface on the first computing device, synchronizing the comment with both the first computing device and the at least one second computing device, wherein synchronizing the comment results in a copy of the comment being attached to both the content item stored by the first computing device and the content item stored by the at least one second computing device, and wherein the synchronizing does not alter data in the content item stored on either the first computing device or the at least one second computing device, and wherein the comment provided to the comment interface is received through the API. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the comment interface is provided by a service provider separate from the online content management system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content item is displayed on a webpage and the comment interface is associated with a browser plug-in. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the comment interface is at least one of scrollable independently of the content item or each comment is linkable to a location in the content item. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content item is at least one of a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a presentation, a video, streaming content, or an image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: selectably providing the comment interface to be displayed or hidden from concurrent display with the content item. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to: receive a comment to a content item stored in an account with an online content management system, the comment being received through an application programming interface (API) provided by the online content management system, with the content item being accessible via the account by at least two computing devices, and wherein a copy of the content item is stored locally on the at least two computing devices; assign the comment to the content item, wherein the content item is synchronized with the at least two computing devices; and cause the comment to be synchronized with the at least two computing devices, wherein synchronizing the comment does not alter data in the content item stored on the at least two computing devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing device to: provide, by the online content management system, the API to be available to a third-party service provider. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the API interfaces with the content item via metadata associated with the content item. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing device to: provide, by the online content management system, the content item for display; and selectably provide the comment to be displayed concurrently with the content item or hidden from view. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the content item is displayed on a webpage and the comment is displayed on an interface associated with a browser plug-in. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the content item is displayed with a comment interface provided by a third-party service provider and, wherein the comment interface interfaces with the content item through the API. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the comment is displayable with the content item across a plurality of different computing device types and across a plurality of different platform types for a plurality of different content item types. ### Claim 14 A computing system, comprising: at least one processor; and memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to: provide a content item for display on a first computing device, the content item being viewable between the first computing device and at least one second computing device through an account with an online content management system, with the account being accessible via the first computing device and the at least one second computing device; receive a comment to the content item, the comment being received through an application programming interface (API) provided by the online content management system; and cause the comment to be synchronized with the first computing device and the at least one second computing device, wherein the comment is synchronized and attached to a copy of the content item stored locally on both the first computing device and the at least one second computing device, and wherein synchronizing the comment does not alter data in the content item stored on either the first computing device or the at least one second computing device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computing system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further enable the computing device to: provide, by the online content management system, the API to be available to a third-party service provider, wherein the comment is received in a comment interface provided by the third-party service provider. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computing system of claim 14, wherein the API interfaces with the content item via metadata associated with the content item. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The computing system of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further enable the computing device to: selectably provide the comment to be displayed concurrently with the content item or hidden from view. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The computing system of claim 14, wherein the content item is displayed concurrently with a comment interface provided by a third-party service provider, and wherein the comment interface interfaces with the content item through the API.