Methods and systems for managing data

• US 20060129586A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Ording, Bas, Giampaolo, Dominic, Arrouye, Yan, Cisler, Pavel, Tiene, Kevin, Lemay, Stephen Olivier, Os, Marcel van, Christie, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• 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

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1-104. -104. (canceled)

105. A machine implemented method of managing data, the method comprising:

receiving one or more inputs indicating a selection of a plurality of items;

receiving a command requesting both a new storage facility and an association of the plurality of items with the new storage facility;

creating the new storage facility and associating the plurality of items with the new storage facility in response to receiving the command.

106. A method as in claim 105 wherein the command is a single command which specifies both the creating and the associating be performed and wherein the storage facility is one of (a) a directory;

(b) a subdirectory;

or (c) a folder which represents a subdirectory.

107. A method as in claim 106 further comprising:

presenting a request to give the new storage facility a name; and

receiving an input which indicates the name.

108. A method as in claim 106 wherein a default path name and a default user name is given to the storage facility, and wherein the default user name includes the word “

folder.”

109. A method as in claim 105 wherein the receiving of the command is after the receiving of the one or more inputs indicating the selection and wherein the association is at least one of:

(a) copying the plurality of items into the new storage facility or (b) changing path names for the plurality of items to new path names determined by a path name for the new storage facility.

110. A method as in claim 105 wherein the receiving of the command is before the receiving of the one or more inputs.

111. A method as in claim 105 further comprising displaying a window which displays the contents of the new storage facility after the creating and the associating and wherein the plurality of items are the initial contents displayed in the window.

115. A method as in claim 105 wherein the association may be a copy operation or a move operation.

112-114. -114. (canceled)

116. A machine readable medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform a method of managing data, the method comprising:

receiving one or more inputs indicating a selection of a plurality of items;

receiving a command requesting both a new storage facility and an association of the plurality of items with the new storage facility;

creating the new storage facility and associating the plurality of items with the new storage facility in response to receiving the command.

117. A medium as in claim 116 wherein the command is a single command which specifies both the creating and the associating be performed and wherein the storage facility is one of (a) a directory;

(b) a subdirectory;

or (c) a folder which represents a subdirectory.

118. A medium as in claim 117, the method further comprising:

presenting a request to give the new storage facility a name; and

receiving an input which indicates the name.

119. A medium as in claim 117 wherein a default path name and a default user name is given to the storage facility, and wherein the default user name includes the word “

folder.”

120. A medium as in claim 116 wherein the receiving of the command is after the receiving of the one or more inputs indicating the selection and wherein the association is at least one of:

(a) copying the plurality of items into the new storage facility or (b) changing path names for the plurality of items to new path names determined by a path name for the new storage facility.

121. A medium as in claim 116 wherein the receiving of the command is before the receiving of the one or more inputs.

122. A medium as in claim 116, the method further comprising displaying a window which displays the contents of the new storage facility after the creating and the associating and wherein the plurality of items are the initial contents displayed in the window.

123. A medium as in claim 116 wherein the association may be a copy operation or a move operation.

124. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving one or more inputs indicating a selection of a plurality of items;

means for receiving a command requesting both a new storage facility and an association of the plurality of items with the new storage facility;

means for creating the new storage facility and associating the plurality of items with the new storage facility in response to receiving the command.

125. A machine readable medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a plurality of selections of items representing files or folders in a graphical user interface;

receiving a command, from a menu, requesting both a new folder and an association of the items with the new folder;

creating and displaying the new folder with the items displayed within opened representations of the new folder.

126. A medium as in claim 125 wherein the menu is a popup menu and wherein the command is a single command which, in response to only the single command, causes the creation of the new folder and causes the association of the items with the new folder.

127. A medium as in claim 125 wherein the method further comprises:

presenting an interface to accept a name for the new folder;

receiving the name for the new folder.

128. A medium as in claim 127 wherein the method further comprises:

providing a default name for the new folder, and wherein the default name is the name if the interface is not used to provide an alternative name.

129. A medium as in claim 125 wherein the command is received before receiving the plurality of selections.

130. A medium as in claim 125 wherein the command is received after receiving the plurality of selections.

131. A medium as in claim 125 wherein the association is at least one of:

(a) copying the items into the new folder or (b) changing path names for the items to new path names determined by the path name of the new folder.

132. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving a plurality of selections of items representing files or folders in a graphical user interface;

receiving a command, from a menu, requesting both a new folder and an association of the items with the new folder;

creating and displaying the new folder with the items displayed within opened representations of the new folder.

133. A method as in claim 132 wherein the menu is a popup menu and wherein the command is a single command which, in response to only the single command, causes the creation of the new folder and causes the association of the items with the new folder.

134. A method as in claim 132 wherein the method further comprises:

presenting an interface to accept a name for the new folder;

receiving the name for the new folder.

135. A method as in claim 134 wherein the method further comprises:

providing a default name for the new folder, and wherein the default name is the name if the interface is not used to provide an alternative name.

136. A method as in claim 132 wherein the command is received before receiving the plurality of selections.

137. A method as in claim 132 wherein the command is received after receiving the plurality of selections.

138. A method as in claim 132 wherein the association is at least one of:

(a) copying the items into the new folder or (b) changing path names for the items to new path names determined by the path name of the new folder.

139. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of selections of items representing files or folders in a graphical user interface;

means for receiving a command, from a menu, requesting both a new folder and an association of the items with the new folder;

means for creating and displaying the new folder with the items displayed within opened representations of the new folder.