Methods and systems for managing data

• US 20050289106A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Giampaolo, Dominic, Arrouye, Yan, Petri, Jonah
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156

Abstract

Methods and systems and machine readable media for managing data. In one exemplary embodiment, an initial search query is received and examined to determine whether elements within the initial search query are within the same category of data, and a machine interpreted search query is derived in response to the determining. Other methods and systems and media are also described.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising:

determining whether elements within an initial search query are within a same category of data;

deriving a machine interpreted search query in response to the determining.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving an input which represents an initial search query;

and wherein the elements are words and wherein the deriving comprises grouping elements within the same category of data with a Boolean OR and wherein the determining and the deriving are performed automatically by a machine.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the category of data is one of (a) a data parameter for a file;

(b) a file type parameter;

(c) an author or sender parameter for a document or message.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

performing a search using the machine interpreted search query;

displaying a result of the search.

5. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising:

determining whether elements within an initial search query are within a same category of data;

deriving a machine interpreted search query in response to the determining.

6. A medium as in claim 5 further comprising receiving an input which represents an initial search query;

and wherein the elements are words and wherein the deriving comprises grouping elements within the same category of data with a Boolean OR and wherein the determining and the deriving are performed automatically by a machine.

7. A medium as in claim 5 wherein the category of data is one of (a) a data parameter for a file;

(b) a file type parameter;

(c) an author or sender parameter for a document or message.

8. A medium as in claim 5, the method further comprising:

performing a search using the machine interpreted search query;

displaying a result of the search.

9. A data processing system comprising:

means for determining whether elements within an initial search query are within a same category of data;

means for deriving a machine interpreted search query in response to the determining.

10. A system as in claim 9 further comprising means for receiving an input which represents an initial search query;

and wherein the elements are words and wherein the deriving comprises grouping elements within the same category of data with a Boolean OR and wherein the determining and the deriving are performed automatically by a machine.

11. A system as in claim 9 wherein the category of data is one of (a) a data parameter for a file;

(b) a file type parameter;

(c) an author or sender parameter for a document or message.

12. A system as in claim 9 further comprising:

means for performing a search using the machine interpreted search query;

means for displaying a result of the search.

13. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

interpreting the initial search query to create a machine interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the machine interpreted search query before advising the user that the search used the machine interpreted search query which is different than the initial search query.

14. A method as in claim 13 further comprising:

displaying a result of the search and displaying an indication that the machine interpreted search query was used to perform the search;

displaying, after displaying the result, a command to cause another search using the initial search query.

15. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

interpreting the initial search query to create a machine interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the machine interpreted search query before advising the user that the search used the machine interpreted search query which is different than the initial search query.

16. A medium as in claim 15, the method further comprising:

displaying a result of the search and displaying an indication that the machine interpreted search query was used to perform the search;

displaying, after displaying the result, a command to cause another search using the initial search query.

17. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

means for interpreting the initial search query to create a machine interpreted search query;

means for causing a search to be performed using the machine interpreted search query before advising the user that the search used the machine interpreted search query which is different than the initial search query.

18. A system as in claim 17 further comprising:

means for displaying a result of the search and displaying an indication that the machine interpreted search query was used to perform the search;

means for displaying, after displaying the result, a command to cause another search using the initial search query.

19. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

linking logically first words within the initial search query with a Boolean OR operator to provide a first linked set of words;

linking logically through a Boolean AND operator at least one second word, within the initial search query, with the first linked set of words to provide an interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

20. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

linking logically first words within the initial search query with a Boolean OR operator to provide a first linked set of words;

linking logically through a Boolean AND operator at least one second word, within the initial search query, with the first linked set of words to provide an interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

21. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

means for linking logically first words within the initial search query with a Boolean OR operator to provide a first linked set of words;

means for linking logically through a Boolean AND operator at least one second word, within the initial search query, with the first linked set of words to provide an interpreted search query;

means for causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

22. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

linking logically first elements within the initial search query with a Boolean OR to provide a first linked element;

linking logically second elements within the initial search query with a Boolean AND to provide a second linked element, wherein the first elements are determined to be within a same category of data and wherein the second elements are determined to be not within a same category of data;

linking logically the first linked element and the second linked element with a Boolean AND to provide an interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

23. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising:

receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

linking logically first elements within the initial search query with a Boolean OR to provide a first linked element;

linking logically second elements within the initial search query with a Boolean AND to provide a second linked element, wherein the first elements are determined to be within a same category of data and wherein the second elements are determined to be not within a same category of data;

linking logically the first linked element and the second linked element with a Boolean AND to provide an interpreted search query;

causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

24. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query;

means for linking logically first elements within the initial search query with a Boolean OR to provide a first linked element;

means for linking logically second elements within the initial search query with a Boolean AND to provide a second linked element, wherein the first elements are determined to be within a same category of data and wherein the second elements are determined to be not within a same category of data;

means for linking logically the first linked element and the second linked element with a Boolean AND to provide an interpreted search query;

means for causing a search to be performed using the interpreted search query.

25. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata from a plurality of files created by at least one software application wherein the type of information in metadata for files of a first type differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a second type.

26. A method as in claim 25 wherein at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

27. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata from a plurality of files created by at least one software application wherein the type of information in metadata for files of a first type differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a second type.

28. A medium as in claim 27 wherein at least one of one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

29. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

means for performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata from a plurality of files created by at least one software application wherein the type of information in metadata for files of a first type differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a second type.

30. A system as in claim 29 wherein at least one of one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

31. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata, stored in a metadata database, for a plurality of different files, wherein a plurality of importers or exporters caused metadata to be added to the metadata database.

32. A method as in claim 31 wherein at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

33. A machine readable medium providing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata, stored in a metadata database, for a plurality of different files, wherein a plurality of importers or exporters caused metadata to be added to the metadata database.

34. A medium as in claim 33 wherein at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

35. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

means for performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata, stored in a metadata database, for a plurality of different files, wherein a plurality of importers or exporters caused metadata to be added to the metadata database.

36. A data processing system as in claim 35 wherein at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) are matched as part of the prefix matching search.

37. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through at least one of content and metadata of a plurality of files wherein a subset of word separators are matched as part of the prefix matching.

38. A method as in claim 37 wherein the subset includes at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) and wherein a space is a word separator which is not matched as part of the prefix matching.

39. A machine readable medium providing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising:

receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through at least one of content and metadata of a plurality of files wherein a subset of word separators are matched as part of the prefix matching.

40. A medium as in claim 39 wherein the subset includes at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) and wherein a space is a word separator which is not matched as part of the prefix matching.

41. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word;

means for performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through at least one of content and metadata of a plurality of files wherein a subset of word separators are matched as part of the prefix matching.

42. A data processing system as in claim 41 wherein the subset includes at least one of dot (“

.”

) and dash (“

-”

) and wherein a space is a word separator which is not matched as part of the prefix matching.