Systems and methods for the implementation of a base schema for organizing units of information manageable by a hardware/software interface system

• US 20050049994A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, J. Patrick, Nori, Anil K., Cameron, Kim, Smith, Walter R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, in a computer system, for a hardware/software interface system to manipulate a plurality of discrete units of information having properties understandable by said hardware/software interface system (“Items”). The method uses a base schema comprising at least one of an Item as a base Item from which all other Items are derived, and at least one of a property as a base property from which all other properties are derived. Furthermore, an Item may comprise a property for referencing Categories to which the Item is a member. The Item may also comprises a property for a unique identification of that Item in the hardware/software interface system.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium with computer-readable instructions for a hardware/software interface system for a computer system, wherein said hardware/software interface system manipulates a plurality of discrete units of information having properties understandable by said hardware/software interface system (“

Items”

).

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said hardware/software interface system comprises a base schema to define at least one of an Item and at least one of a property.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein at least one of an Item in the base schema is a foundational Item, constituting a foundational Item type, from which all other Items manipulated in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein said foundational Item type comprises a property for referencing at least zero Categories to which said Item is a member.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein said foundational Item type comprises a property for a unique identification of said Item in a hardware/software interface system.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein at least one of a property in the base schema is a foundational property, constituting a foundational property type, from which all other properties utilized in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein:

at least one of an Item is the base schema is a foundational Item, constituting a foundational Item type, from which all other Items manipulated in the hardware/software interface system are derived; and

at least one of a property in the base schema is a foundational property, constituting a foundational property type, from which all other properties utilized in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the base schema further comprises a second Item derived from the foundational Item type (the first Item), said second Item constituting the foundational type for an Item Folder, and said second Item expressing a Relationship to said first Item.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the foundational property type (the first property), said second property constituting the foundational type for an idunit key property.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the foundational type for a Category reference.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the foundational property type (the first property), said second property constituting the foundational type for Categories.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the foundational type for a Relationship.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein said third property constituting the foundational type for a Relationship comprises a property (Target) for identifying a target Item of said Relationship and a property (IsOwned) for denoting whether said Relationship owns said target Item.

14. A hardware/software interface system for manipulating, in a computer system, a plurality of discrete units of information having properties understandable by said hardware/software interface system (“

Items”

).

15. The hardware/software interface system of claim 14 wherein said hardware/software interface system comprises a base schema to define at least one of an Item and at least one of a property.

16. The hardware/software interface system of claim 15 wherein at least one of an Item in the base schema is a foundational Item, constituting a foundational Item type, from which all other Items manipulated in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

17. The hardware/software interface system of claim 16 wherein said foundational Item type comprises a property for referencing at least zero Categories to which said Item is a member.

18. The hardware/software interface system of claim 16 wherein said foundational Item type comprises a property for a unique identification of said Item in a hardware/software interface system.

19. The hardware/software interface system of claim 15 wherein at least one of a property in the base schema is a foundational property, constituting a foundational property type, from which all other properties utilized in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

20. The hardware/software interface system of claim 15 wherein:

at least one of an Item is the base schema is a foundational Item, constituting a foundational Item type, from which all other Items manipulated in the hardware/software interface system are derived; and

at least one of a property in the base schema is a foundational property, constituting a foundational property type, from which all other properties utilized in the hardware/software interface system are derived.

21. The hardware/software interface system of claim 20 wherein the base schema further comprises a second Item derived from the foundational Item type (the first Item), said second Item constituting the foundational type for an Item Folder, and said second Item expressing a Relationship to said first Item.

22. The hardware/software interface system of claim 20 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the foundational property type (the first property), said second property constituting the foundational type for an idunit key property.

23. The hardware/software interface system of claim 22 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the foundational type for a Category reference.

24. The hardware/software interface system of claim 20 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the foundational property type (the first property), said second property constituting the foundational type for Categories.

25. The hardware/software interface system of claim 24 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the foundational type for a Relationship.

26. The hardware/software interface system of claim 25 wherein said third property constituting the foundational type for a Relationship comprises a property (Target) for identifying a target Item of said Relationship and a property (IsOwned) for denoting whether said Relationship owns said target Item.

27. A method, in a computer system, for a hardware/software interface system to manipulate a plurality of discrete units of information having properties understandable by said hardware/software interface system (“

Items”

), said method comprising defining a base schema comprising;

at least one of an Item as a base Item from which all other Items are derived, and

at least one of a property as a base property from which all other properties are derived.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said base Item comprises a property for referencing at least zero Categories to which said base Item is a member.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said base Item comprises a property for a unique identification of said base Item in said hardware/software interface system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the base schema further comprises a second Item derived from the base Item (a first Item), said second Item constituting the base type for an Item Folder, and said second Item expressing a Relationship to said first Item.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the base property (a first property), said second property constituting the base type for an idunit key property.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the base type for a Category reference.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the base schema further comprises a second property derived from the base property (the first property), said second property constituting the base type for Categories.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the base schema further comprises a third property derived from the second property, said third property constituting the base type for a Relationship.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said third property constituting the base type for a Relationship comprises a property (Target) for identifying a target Item of said Relationship and a property (IsOwned) for denoting whether said Relationship owns said target Item.