System and a method for presenting items to a user with a contextual presentation

• US 20050091667A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., Moore, Jason Fergus, De Vorchik, David George, McKee, Timothy P., Sheldon, David Joel, Sierra, Giampiero, Karatal, Kerem B., Peterson, Leonard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A system and method for presenting a plurality of items to a user with a contextual display. A computer system is provided which includes a data store. At least a portion of the items in the data store include one or more field entries. An explorer interacts with the data store, selects items having one or more desired field entries, and displays the selected items according to an explorer display schema. An application may select the items from the data store and may interact with a shell browser to present the selected items. A method for establishing an explorer for presenting items in a data store to a user.

Claims

1. A computer system for presenting stored data comprising:

a data store including a plurality of items, wherein at least a portion of said items include one or more field entries; and

an explorer which interacts with said data store to select items having one or more desired field entries, wherein said explorer displays said selected items according to an explorer display schema associated with said explorer.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more decorative elements presented with said selected items.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of said selected items.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein one or more of the shell view schemas includes one or more display aspects appropriate for displaying said subset of selected items to the user.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer utilizes a shell display schema associated with a shell browser to display one or more of said selected item.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer utilizes one or more item display schemas associated with a shell browser to provide one or more display elements included in the display of one or more selected items.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer display schema includes verbs related to said selected items.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said verbs are associated with applications capable of performing said verbs with respect to one or more of said selected items.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more data queries which are associated with the selected items.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said explorer is configured to display results of one or more of said data queries.

11. A computer-implemented method for presenting one or more items in a data store to a user, the method comprising:

selecting a desired field entry corresponding to a field entry associated with at least one item in the data store, wherein at least a portion of the items in the data store include one or more field entries;

defining an explorer display schema;

accessing said data store to select one or more items including said desired field entry; and

displaying one or more of said selected items to the user according to said explorer display schema.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein defining said explorer display schema includes defining one or more decorative elements to be included in a display according to said explorer display schema.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein defining said explorer display schema includes defining one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of said selected items.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying one or more of said items includes utilizing a shell display schema associated with a shell browser to display one or more selected items.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying one of the said selected items includes utilizing an item display schema associated with a shell browser to provide one or more display attributes included in the display of one or more selected items

16. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying said selected items includes displaying verbs which are related to said selected items.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said verbs are associated with applications capable of performing said verbs with respect to one or more of said set of selected items.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying said selected items includes providing one or more data queries which are associated with said selected items.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said explorer is configured to display results of one or more of said data queries.

20. An explorer for presenting a plurality of items in a data store to a user comprising:

a field entry selection component for selecting a desired field entry corresponding to a field entry associated with at least one of said items in the data store, wherein at least a portion of the items in the data store include one or more field entries;

an item selection component which is configured to access said data store to select one or more items having the desired field entry; and

a display presentation component which is configured to present one or more of said selected items to a user according to an explorer display schema.

21. An application program executable by a computer for presenting one or more items from a data store to a user, said application comprising:

an item selection module which is configured to access said data store and to select one or more items from the data store having a desired field entry, wherein at least a portion of the items in the data store include one or more field entries, and wherein said desired field entry is selected from said field entries;

a shell interaction module which is configured to interact with a shell browser to present one or more of said selected items to a user according to an explorer display schema.

22. The application of claim 21, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more decorative elements to be included in a display according to said explorer display schema.

23. The application of claim 21, wherein said shell interaction module is configured to provide one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of selected items.

24. The application of claim 21, wherein said shell interaction module is configured to utilize one or more shell display schemas associated with a shell browser to display one or more selected items.

25. The application of claim 21, wherein said shell interaction module is configured to utilize an item display schema associated with a shell browser to provide one or more display attributes included in the display of one or more selected items.

26. The application of claim 21, wherein said explorer display schema includes verbs which are related to said selected items.

27. The application of claim 26, wherein said verbs are associated with applications capable of performing said verbs with respect to one or more of said selected items.

28. The application of claim 21, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more data queries which are associated with the selected items.

29. A computerized method for presenting a plurality of items in a data store to a user, said method comprising:

selecting a desired field entry corresponding to a field entry associated with at least one of said plurality of items, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of items are associated with one or more field entries;

defining an explorer display schema;

accessing said data store to select one or more items having said desired field entry; and

interacting with a shell browser to present one or more of said selected items to the user according to said explorer display schema.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said explorer display schema includes one or more decorative elements, one or more verbs associated with said selected items and/or one or more data queries associated with said selected items.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein interacting with said shell browser includes providing one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of said selected items.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein interacting with said shell browser includes utilizing one or more shell display schemas associated with said shell browser to display one or more selected items.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein interacting with said shell browser includes utilizing an item display schema associated with said shell browser to provide one or more display attributes included in the display of one or more selected items.

34. A computerized method for establishing an explorer for presenting to a user items in a data store, said method comprising:

selecting a desired field entry corresponding to a field entry associated with at least one of said items in the data store, wherein at least a portion of said items are associated with one or more field entries;

defining explorer attributes associated with said explorer; and

presenting one or more items in the data store associated with said desired field entry to the user with a display schema including said explorer attributes.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said desired field entry is associated with an item property desired for each item displayed in said explorer.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said explorer attributes include decorative elements, one or more verbs associated with said presented items, and/or one or more data queries associated with said presented items.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said explorer attributes include one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of said presented items.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein said display schema includes one or more shell display schemas associated with a shell browser to display one or more presented items.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein said display schema includes utilizing an item display schema associated with a shell browser to provide one or more display attributes included in the display of one or more presented items.

40. A computerized method for establishing an explorer for presenting to a user a plurality of items in a data store, said method comprising:

selecting a desired field entry corresponding to a field entry associated with at least one of said plurality of items, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of items are associated with one or more field entries;

defining explorer attributes associated with said explorer; and

interacting with a shell browser to present one or more items in the data store associated with said desired field entry to the user with a display schema including said explorer attributes.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said explorer attributes include decorative elements, one or more verbs associated with said presented items, and/or one or more data queries associated with said presented items.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said explorer attributes include one or more shell view schemas, wherein one of said shell view schemas is utilized to display a subset of said presented items.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein interacting with said shell browser includes utilizing a shell display schema provided by said shell browser to display one or more presented item to the user.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein interacting with said shell browser includes utilizing one or more display attributes from an item display schema provided by said shell browser to display one or more presented item to the user.