Method and system for filtering the display of files in graphical interfaces

• US 20050114305A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haynes, Thomas R., Pagan, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

System and method for filtering the display of file objects for computer systems. In one aspect, filtering criteria are used in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), including receiving user input from a user in the GUI describing one or more filtering criteria for the display of the file objects, and filtering the display of the file objects according to the user input. In some embodiments, a menu and/or text input field can be displayed when a file characteristic is selected to allow input of filtering criteria.

Claims

1. A method for using filtering criteria in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

(a) receiving user input from a user in the GUI describing one or more filtering criteria for the display of the file objects; and

(b) filtering the display of the file objects according to the user input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input includes an initial selection by the user of a label object displayed in the GUI and associated with a particular characteristic of the file objects.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a menu including a plurality of items is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein each item in the menu describes a filtering criterion.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is the type of file objects.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is the size of the file objects.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is the date the file objects were created.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is the date the file objects were last modified.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein the input field is operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, the input field being operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria, and wherein the input field displays a text description equivalent to any items of the menu selected by the user.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the label object is a column heading object associated with a column in which information concerning a particular file object characteristic is displayed.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.

14. A method for using filtering criteria in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

(a) receiving a selection from a user of a characteristic of the file objects displayed in the GUI;

(b) displaying a menu of selectable filtering criteria for the selected characteristic; and

(c) filtering the display of the file objects according to the filtering criteria selected by the user as applied to the characteristic of the file objects.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the file objects are displayed in a navigation window of the GUI.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selection of the characteristic is a selection of a label object labeling the characteristic, and wherein the menu displays the filtering criteria as a plurality of items.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is the type of file objects.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is the size of the file objects.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is the date the file objects were created.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is the date the file objects were last modified.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is the date the file objects were last accessed.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the label object is a column heading object associated with a column in which information concerning a particular file object characteristic is displayed.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.

26. A computer readable medium including program instructions to be implemented by a computer, the program instructions allowing filtering criteria to be applied in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the program instructions implementing steps comprising:

(a) receiving user input from a user in the GUI describing one or more filtering criteria for the display of the file objects; and

(b) filtering the display of the file objects according to the user input.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the user input includes an initial selection by the user of a label object displayed in the GUI and associated with a particular characteristic of the file objects.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein a menu of a plurality of items are displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein each item in the menu describes a filtering criterion.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is one of the following:

the type of file objects, the size of the file objects, the date the file objects were created, the date the file objects were last modified, and the date the file objects were last accessed.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein the input field is operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein the input field is operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria, and wherein the input field displays a text description equivalent to any items of the menu selected by the user.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the label object is a column heading object associated with a column in which information concerning a particular file object characteristic is displayed.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.

36. A system for providing filtering criteria in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the system comprising:

means for receiving user input from a user in the GUI describing one or more filtering criteria for the display of the file objects; and

means for filtering the display of the file objects according to the user input.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the user input includes an initial selection by the user of a label object displayed in the GUI and associated with a particular characteristic of the file objects.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein a menu of a plurality of items are displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein each item in the menu describes a filtering criterion.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the particular characteristic of the file objects is one of the following:

the type of file objects, the size of the file objects, the date the file objects were created, the date the file objects were last modified, and the date the file objects were last accessed.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein the input field is operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein an input field is displayed after the initial selection of the label object, wherein the input field is operative to accept text input describing one or more filtering criteria, and wherein the input field displays a text description equivalent to any items of the menu selected by the user.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the label object is a column heading object associated with a column in which information concerning a particular file object characteristic is displayed.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 38 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.

46. A computer readable medium including program instructions to be implemented by a computer, the program instructions allowing filtering criteria to be applied in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the program instructions implementing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a selection from a user of a characteristic of the file objects displayed in the GUI;

(b) displaying a menu of selectable filtering criteria for the selected characteristic, the filtering criteria displayed as a plurality of menu items; and

(c) filtering the display of the file objects according to the filtering criteria selected by the user as applied to the characteristic of the file objects.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46 wherein the file objects are displayed in a navigation window of the GUI.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is one of the following:

the type of file objects, the size of the file objects, the date the file objects were created, the date the file objects were last modified, and the date the file objects were last accessed.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 47 wherein the characteristic is provided as a label object that is a column heading associated with a column in which information concerning the file object characteristic is displayed.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 47 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 51 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.

53. A system for implementing filtering criteria in the display of file objects in a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

means for receiving a selection from a user of a characteristic of the file objects displayed in the GUI;

means for displaying a menu of selectable filtering criteria for the selected characteristic, the filtering criteria displayed as a plurality of menu items; and

means for filtering the display of the file objects according to the filtering criteria selected by the user as applied to the characteristic of the file objects.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the file objects are displayed in a navigation window of the GUI.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the characteristic of the file objects is one of the following:

the type of file objects, the size of the file objects, the date the file objects were created, the date the file objects were last modified, and the date the file objects were last accessed.

56. The system of claim 54 wherein the characteristic is provided as a label object that is a column heading associated with a column in which information concerning the file object characteristic is displayed.

57. The system of claim 54 wherein the selectable items in the displayed menu are based on the particular label object that was selected.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein the items in the menu include a plurality of different ranges of values.

59. The system of claim 58 wherein the different ranges in the menu are based on the actual ranges of the associated characteristic of the displayed file objects.