System and method for iconic software environment management

• US 20010028368A1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cygnus Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cygnus Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Swartz, James B., Swartz, Gregory J., Danforth, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A method and system for storing, navigating and accessing files within an operating system through the use of a graphical thumbnail representing the video display of the active document within the active application, and organized chronologically by the most recent file ‘captured’. Filenames, application names and thumbnail filenames are stored in an indexed file. The indexed file can consist of every document and application used during a session or categorically defined by project or tasks or personal preference. This also stores the application name and path eliminating the need to remember which application last edited the file and where the application is located.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a computer file and application for manipulating the file comprising the steps of:

creating an icon corresponding to a file including information, the icon substantially depicting at least a portion of the information from the file;

storing the icon in a memory;

displaying the icon; and

invoking the file and an application for manipulating the file upon selection of the icon.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of creating an icon corresponding to a file including information comprises creating an icon substantially depicting a display of information from the file while the file is being manipulated by an application.

3. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of creating an icon corresponding to a file including information includes capturing a graphical representation-of the file while an application is manipulating the file.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein capturing a graphical representation is initiated by a user input command while the application manipulating the file is active.

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the user input command is a keyboard command.

6. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of storing information related to an application for manipulating the file in a memory along with the icon.

7. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of displaying the icon in a window on a screen display.

8. The method of

claim 7

, further comprising the step of displaying the window when a cursor is positioned at an edge of the screen display.

9. The method of

claim 8

, further comprising the step of concealing the window when the cursor is positioned outside of the window.

10. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of invoking the file and an application for manipulating the file consists of invoking the file and the application upon a single user input command selecting the icon.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the single user input command comprises depressing a button when a cursor is placed over the icon.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the button is a mouse button and the cursor is a mouse-driven cursor.

13. The method of

claim 1

, wherein if an application is active then the step of invoking the file and an application for manipulating the file comprises accessing the active application.

14. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of storing data related to files and corresponding applications each time the files and applications are opened and closed during a session, and wherein the step of invoking the file and an application for manipulating the file comprises invoking the file and the application based on the stored data related to files and corresponding applications.

15. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the data related to files and corresponding applications includes a document path, a document handle, an application path, and an application handle.

16. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file further includes printing the file.

17. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file comprises copying the file to a designated storage device.

18. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of creating an icon corresponding to a file including information comprises creating an icon corresponding to a template file.

19. A method of providing a user interface for accessing a file based on a corresponding icon comprising:

storing a plurality of icons in a memory along with a corresponding plurality of references to an underlying file system for storage information for a plurality of files, each icon having an appearance substantially depicting information from its corresponding file;

providing a window on a display screen for displaying the plurality of icons;

invoking an application upon selection of an icon from the plurality of icons in the window; and

accessing a file designated by a reference to the underlying file system corresponding to the selected icon.

20. The method of

claim 19

, wherein the step of storing a plurality of icons in a memory further comprises storing data related to an application for manipulating the corresponding file along with each of the plurality of icons and wherein the step of invoking an application related to the selected icon comprises invoking an application based on the corresponding stored data related to the application.

21. The method of

claim 20

, further comprising providing a user interface for accepting a user input command to initiate storing an icon in a memory along with a corresponding reference to the underlying file system for storage information for the file.

22. The method of

claim 21

, wherein the user input command is a keyboard command.

23. The method of

claim 19

, wherein one of the plurality of icons substantially depicts a display of the corresponding file while the file is being manipulated by the application.

24. The method of

claim 19

, wherein the step of providing a window for displaying the plurality of icons comprises providing a plurality of windows.

25. The method of

claim 19

, wherein the step of invoking the application further includes printing the file.

26. The method of

claim 19

, wherein the step of invoking the application comprises copying the file to a designated storage device.

27. A method of using icons to switch between a plurality of files and corresponding applications on a computer having a file system and an operating system user interface to the files within the file system, the icons being references to the files separate from the operating system user interface to the files within the file system, the method comprising:

storing an icon for each of the plurality of files along with data related to an application for manipulating the file and data referencing a storage location of the file within the file system;

selecting an icon from the window; and

invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file corresponding to the selected icon based on the data related to the application and the data referencing the storage location of the file.

28. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the icon substantially depicts information from the file.

29. The method of

claim 27

, further comprising the steps of providing a window for displaying the icons and displaying the window based on a user-initiated display action.

30. The method of

claim 29

, wherein the step of displaying the window comprises displaying the window based on movement of a cursor to a predefined screen location.

31. The method of

claim 30

, wherein movement of a cursor to a predefined screen location comprises movement of a cursor to an edge of a screen.

32. The method of

claim 30

, further comprising concealing the window based on movement of the cursor to a second predefined screen location.

33. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the step of selecting an icon from the window comprises placing a cursor over the icon and depressing a button.

34. The method of

claim 33

, wherein placing a cursor over an icon and depressing a button comprises placing a mouse-driven cursor over an icon and depressing a mouse button.

35. The method of

claim 27

, wherein if an application is active then the step of invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file comprises accessing the active application.

36. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the step of invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file further includes printing the file.

37. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the step of invoking the file and the application for manipulating the file comprises copying the file to a designated storage device.

38. The method of

claim 27

, wherein the applications include at least two of a word processor, a database program, a spreadsheet program, and a drawing program.

39. A method of providing a template file for access outside an application comprising:

storing a file to be manipulated by an application as a template file along with an icon corresponding to the file and data related to the application used to manipulate the template file;

marking the template file as read-only;

displaying the icon outside the application; and

invoking the template file and the application used to manipulate the template file when the icon is selected.

40. The method of

claim 39

, wherein the icon substantially depicts information from the file.

41. The method of

claim 40

, wherein the icon substantially depicts a display of the file while the file is being manipulated by an application.