Using metadata in user interfaces

• US 20050251518A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Padgett, Allan P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for user interfaces. A user interface uses metadata of digital objects to navigate through a data structure that includes multiple containers to organize digital objects, such as digital images. Based on the metadata, the user interface can ignore empty containers that have no associated digital objects. The data structure can be presented without the empty containers, or the empty containers can be presented but automatically skipped when a user navigates through the data structure. For example in a calendar view, in which each day represents a container for images, days without images are automatically skipped when the user navigates in the calendar view.

Claims

1. A software product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for user interfaces, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

generating a reduced representation of the data structure, the reduced representation including a respective representation for each of the non-empty containers but no representation for the empty containers; and

presenting the reduced representation of the data structure in a user interface.

2. The software product of claim 1, wherein:

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes identifying containers that are not associated with any of the digital objects as empty.

3. The software product of claim 1, wherein identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes:

identifying containers that are associated with one or more digital objects of a particular type as non-empty; and

identifying containers that are not associated with digital objects of the particular type as empty.

4. The software product of claim 3, wherein one or more of the identified empty containers includes digital objects having a type other than the particular type.

5. The software product of claim 1, wherein the digital objects include digital images.

6. The software product of claim 1, wherein:

presenting the reduced representation includes presenting the reduced representation of the data structure in a user interface that has limited display capabilities.

7. The software product of claim 6, wherein:

presenting the reduced representation includes presenting the reduced representation in a user interface of a living-room application.

8. The software product of claim 6, wherein:

presenting the reduced representation includes presenting the reduced representation in a user interface of a hand-held device.

9. The software product of claim 1, wherein presenting the reduced representation of the data structure includes:

receiving user input requesting the reduced representation; and

presenting the reduced representation in response to the received user input.

10. A software product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for user interfaces, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

presenting a representation of the data structure in a user interface, the representation of the data structure including a respective representation for each of the non-empty and empty containers;

in the user interface, receiving user input specifying instructions to focus subsequent user input to an empty container; and

modifying the received instructions such that the subsequent user input is focused to a non-empty container.

11. The software product of claim 10, wherein:

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes identifying containers that are not associated with any of the digital objects as empty.

12. The software product of claim 10, wherein identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes:

identifying containers that are associated with one or more digital objects of a particular type as non-empty; and

identifying containers that are not associated with digital objects of the particular type as empty.

13. The software product of claim 12, wherein one or more of the identified empty containers includes digital objects having a type other than the particular type.

14. The software product of claim 10, wherein:

receiving user input specifying instructions to focus subsequent user input to an empty container includes receiving instructions for positioning a cursor to mark an empty container in the presented representation; and

modifying the received instructions includes positioning the cursor to mark the non-empty container.

15. The software product of claim 10, wherein the representation of the data structure defines a calendar view in which each day represents a container for digital objects that are associated with that day.

16. The software product of claim 10, wherein the digital objects include digital images.

17. The software product of claim 10, wherein:

receiving user input includes receiving user input in a user interface without a pointing device.

18. The software product of claim 17, wherein:

receiving user input includes receiving user input in a user interface of a living-room application or a hand-held device.

19. A software product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for user interfaces, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a respective container to represent each day of a month;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects and non-empty containers are not associated with any of the digital objects;

presenting a calendar view representation of the data structure in a user interface, the calendar view representation including a respective representation for each container representing a day of the month;

in the user interface, receiving user input specifying instructions to move a cursor to mark a day representing an empty container; and

modifying the received instructions such that the cursor is moved to mark a day representing a non-empty container.

20. A software product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for user interfaces, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of pointers, each pointer identifying a location for a respective digital content;

identifying each of the pointers as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty pointer identifies a location where the respective digital content can be found and each empty pointer identifies a location where the respective digital content cannot be found;

presenting a reduced representation of the pointers in a user interface, the reduced representation including a respective user selectable representation for each of the non-empty pointers but no user-selectable representation for the empty pointers.

21. The software product of claim 20, wherein:

presenting a reduced representation of the pointers includes presenting a reduced representation that includes non-user-selectable representations for the empty pointers.

22. A method for user interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

generating a reduced representation of the data structure, the reduced representation including a respective representation for each of the non-empty containers but no representation for the empty containers; and

presenting the reduced representation of the data structure in a user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes identifying containers that are not associated with any of the digital objects as empty.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes:

identifying containers that are associated with one or more digital objects of a particular type as non-empty; and

identifying containers that are not associated with digital objects of the particular type as empty.

25. A method for user interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

presenting a representation of the data structure in a user interface, the representation of the data structure including a respective representation for each of the non-empty and empty containers;

in the user interface, receiving user input specifying instructions to focus subsequent user input to an empty container; and

modifying the received instructions such that the subsequent user input is focused to a non-empty container.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes identifying containers that are not associated with any of the digital objects as empty.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty includes:

identifying containers that are associated with one or more digital objects of a particular type as non-empty; and

identifying containers that are not associated with digital objects of the particular type as empty.

28. A system, comprising:

a display to present elements of a user interface; and

data processing apparatus configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

generating a reduced representation of the data structure, the reduced representation including a respective representation for each of the non-empty containers but no representation for the empty containers; and

presenting the reduced representation of the data structure in the display.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the display includes a display of a hand-held device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the display includes a television monitor.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the display includes a monitor of a personal computer.

32. A system, comprising:

a display to present elements of a user interface;

an input device to receive user input; and

data processing apparatus configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving a data structure organizing digital objects, the data structure specifying a plurality of containers;

identifying each of the containers in the data structure as empty or non-empty, wherein each non-empty container is associated with one or more respective digital objects;

presenting a representation of the data structure in the display, the representation of the data structure including a respective representation for each of the non-empty and empty containers;

receiving user input from the input device, the received user input specifying instructions to focus subsequent user input to an empty container; and

modifying the received instructions such that the subsequent user input is focused to a non-empty container.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the display includes a display of a hand-held device or a television monitor.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the input device includes a hand-held remote control device.