How Operating Systems Display Cloud File Status Icons
A system for Windows or other operating systems to show synchronization status icons for files stored in various cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Original patent title: “Cloud content states framework”
A system for Windows or other operating systems to show synchronization status icons for files stored in various cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Granted to Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC in 2019 with 23 claims and 4 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a software framework that acts as a middleman between your computer's file explorer and various cloud storage services. It manages two types of status icons: primary states (like 'synced,' 'downloading,' or 'error') and custom states defined by specific cloud providers (like 'shared' or 'locked'). The framework identifies available display slots next to a file name in your file explorer, prioritizes the primary synchronization icons, and then fills the remaining slots with the custom icons. This ensures that no matter which cloud service you use, the file explorer displays a consistent set of status indicators.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the actual file synchronization process itself (the uploading or downloading of bits).
- Does not cover cloud storage services that do not integrate with the operating system's file explorer.
- Does not cover the underlying network protocols used to communicate with cloud servers.
- Does not cover non-visual methods of indicating file status, such as audio alerts or haptic feedback.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The framework treats status icons as a resource-constrained UI problem by identifying 'available slots' and prioritizing system-level synchronization status over third-party custom status, preventing icon clutter.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
OneDrive status icons in Windows File Explorer
Dropbox sync status icons in Windows File Explorer
Google Drive for Desktop file status indicators
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Before this framework, different cloud storage apps had to 'hack' the file explorer to show their own icons, often causing conflicts or performance issues. By standardizing how these icons are rendered, Microsoft enabled a cleaner, more reliable experience for users who juggle multiple cloud services simultaneously on the same machine.
Filed
July 18, 2016
Granted
September 3, 2019
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Microsoft is the primary developer of this technology, specifically within the Windows operating system architecture. Other major cloud storage providers like Dropbox and Google integrate their desktop clients with these types of OS-level frameworks to ensure their file status icons appear correctly in the user interface.
Market impact
This technology helped stabilize the desktop file management experience as cloud storage became the default way to store documents. It reduced the technical friction for users running multiple cloud services, effectively turning the operating system into a unified dashboard for cloud-based file management.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a software framework that acts as a middleman between your computer's file explorer and various cloud storage services. It manages two types of status icons: primary states (like 'synced,' 'downloading,' or 'error') and custom states defined by specific cloud providers (like 'shared' or 'locked'). The framework identifies available display slots next to a file name in your file explorer, prioritizes the primary synchronization icons, and then fills the remaining slots with the custom icons. This ensures that no matter which cloud service you use, the file explorer displays a consistent set of status indicators.
The clever bit
The framework treats status icons as a resource-constrained UI problem by identifying 'available slots' and prioritizing system-level synchronization status over third-party custom status, preventing icon clutter.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the actual file synchronization process itself (the uploading or downloading of bits).
- Does not cover cloud storage services that do not integrate with the operating system's file explorer.
- Does not cover the underlying network protocols used to communicate with cloud servers.
- Does not cover non-visual methods of indicating file status, such as audio alerts or haptic feedback.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
14/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$78K – $250K
Midpoint $156K · 10.1 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Samji, M. A., Woo, A. N. S. Y., Jain, R., Lueders, J. H., Pierre, R. P. S., Salowitz, E. P., Rawat, A., & Perry, D. B. (2019). How Operating Systems Display Cloud File Status Icons (U.S. Patent No. 10,402,375). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10402375/microsoft-365-subscription
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US10402375"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Operating Systems Display Cloud File Status Icons cover?
A system for Windows or other operating systems to show synchronization status icons for files stored in various cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Who owns patent US 10402375?
Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC owns this patent, granted in 2019.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 3, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10402375 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Before this framework, different cloud storage apps had to 'hack' the file explorer to show their own icons, often causing conflicts or performance issues. By standardizing how these icons are rendered, Microsoft enabled a cleaner, more reliable experience for users who juggle multiple cloud services simultaneously on the same machine.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the actual file synchronization process itself (the uploading or downloading of bits).
Same assignee
More from Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
Patent monitoring