Systems and methods for locating content in a memory

• US 20050246663A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logic Sight Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Logic Sight Incorporated
• Inventors: Goldstein, Kenneth B., Yeung, Simon D., Horne, Gary R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/851
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A user interface for displaying information includes a region for displaying information regarding one or more files that are stored in a memory, and a navigation map located adjacent the region, the navigation map displaying a graphic associated with information being displayed in the region, the graphic representing a quantity of the displayed information and a quantity of non-displayed information in the region. A method for locating an object stored in a memory includes providing a navigation tool displaying a plurality of folders, wherein a first folder and a second folder can be selected from the plurality of folders, and simultaneously displaying at least some content from the first folder and at least some content from the second folders in response to a selection of the first and the second folders.

Claims

1. A user interface for displaying information, comprising:

a first navigation region displaying information regarding one or more files that are stored in a memory, the first navigation region displaying a navigation tool for allowing a user to locate a file in the memory; and

a navigation button for allowing a user to select a navigation method associated with the navigation tool.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein when the navigation button is selected, a menu is provided, the menu displaying a plurality names of navigation methods.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the information being displayed in the first navigation region is changed in response to an operation of the navigation button.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the navigation tool is configured to allow searching of a file based on an attribute of the file.

5. The user interface of claim 4, wherein the attribute is not a name.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the navigation tool comprises a plurality of graphics, each of which representing an attribute.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the navigation tool is configured to display a graphic representing an attribute of a file that is stored in a folder.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a first object region for displaying content based on an operation in the first navigation region, the first object region located adjacent the first navigation region.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a first field displaying a first text that represents a first operation in the first navigation region.

10. The user interface of claim 9, further comprising a second field displaying a second text that represents a second operation in a second navigation region.

11. A user interface for displaying information, comprising:

a region for displaying information regarding one or more files that are stored in a memory; and

a navigation map located adjacent the region, the navigation map displaying a graphic associated with information being displayed in the region, the graphic representing a quantity of the displayed information and a quantity of non-displayed information in the region.

12. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the information being displayed in the region comprises an identifier of a file or an identifier of a folder.

13. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the information being displayed in the region comprises an attribute of a file or an attribute of a folder.

14. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the graphic comprises a first portion having a first color representing a quantity of the information being displayed in the region, and a second portion having a second color representing a quantity of information not being displayed in the region.

15. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the navigation map further displays a marker in response to a user selecting an information being displayed in the region.

16. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the region comprises an object region within an object window.

17. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the object region displays information in a column format.

18. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the object region displays information in a grid format.

19. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the region comprises a navigation region displaying a navigation tool for allowing a user to locate an information of a file in the memory.

20. A method of displaying information stored in a memory, comprising:

displaying an identifier of the folder;

displaying an attribute of an object that is stored in the folder, the attribute not being a name of the object; and

displaying a graphic to associate the attribute with the folder.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the object has at least two attributes.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the at least two attributes comprises a name attribute.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphic comprises a link connecting the displayed attribute to the identifier of the folder.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing an input tool for allowing a user to input an attribute value associated with the attribute.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying an identifier of a stored object having the inputted attribute value.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the identifier of the stored object is displayed in an object region within an object window.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the object comprises a file.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the object comprises a folder.

29. A user interface, comprising:

a window displaying a navigation tool for allowing a user to search for an object, wherein the navigation tool includes a graphic representing an aggregation of a first attribute and a second attribute of an object.

30. The user interface of claim 29, wherein the window further displays:

a first attribute value associated with the first attribute; and

a second attribute value associated with the second attribute.

31. The user interface of claim 29, wherein the graphic comprises names of the first and the second attributes.

32. The user interface of claim 31, wherein the graphic further comprises a symbol “

&

”

between the names of the first and the second attributes.

33. The user interface of claim 30, wherein either or both of the first and the second attribute values can be selected to prescribe a criteria for searching an object.

34. The user interface of claim 29, wherein the graphic is displayed as a type of folder.

35. A method of locating an object using a user interface, comprising:

selecting a first graphic representing a first attribute;

dragging the selected first graphic to an area adjacent a second graphic, the second graphic representing a second attribute, thereby forming a third graphic representing a combination of the first and the second attribute;

selecting the third graphic to access a first attribute value and a second attribute value that are associated with the respective first and second attributes; and

selecting one or both of the first and the second attribute values to prescribe a criteria for searching an object.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the third graphic is displayed in a navigation window.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the third graphic is displayed as a type of folder.

38. A computer product having a set of instructions, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising displaying a navigation tool, wherein the navigation tool has a graphic representing an aggregation of a first attribute and a second attribute of an object.

39. The computer product of claim 38, wherein the process further comprises:

displaying a first attribute value associated with the first attribute; and

displaying a second attribute value associated with the second attribute.

40. The computer product of claim 39, wherein the process further comprises searching an object based on a selection of either or both of the first and the second attribute values.

41. The computer product of claim 38, wherein the graphic comprises names of the first and the second attributes.

42. The computer product of claim 41, wherein the graphic further comprises a symbol “

&

”

between the names of the first and the second attributes.

43. A method for locating an object stored in a memory, comprising:

providing a navigation tool displaying a plurality of folders, wherein a first folder and a second folder can be selected from the plurality of folders; and

simultaneously displaying at least some content from the first folder and at least some content from the second folders in response to a selection of the first and the second folders.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least some content from the first and the second folders are displayed in a window.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising displaying a graphic representing one or more locations from which the displayed content in the window are retrieved.