Save Preview Representation of Files Being Created

• US 20080222547A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Van Dok, Cornelis K., MacLaurin, Matthew, Miner, Patrice L., Wong, Lyon K. F., Smith, Walter R., Fortier, Philip P., DeVorchik, Daniel G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In a graphical user interface environment, a request to save a file may result in a display of a location or view in which the file is to be saved, and may include a preview indicia representing the to-be-saved file. The user may interact with the preview indicia to edit the new file'"'"'s metadata by repositioning the indicia in a different view, and/or the system may automatically update the preview indicia'"'"'s location in response to the user editing displayed metadata properties for the new file. The preview indicia may have a distinct appearance, and may persist to show the user how the new file can be located after the save process is performed.

Claims

1. A method for saving files on a computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to save a new file on a computer system; and

displaying a system file panel for saving a file, said system file panel including one or more indicia representing files that already exist on the system, and at least one preview indicia representing a file that does not already exist on the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said preview indicia has a different appearance from said indicia representing files that already exist on the system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said difference in appearance includes a difference in opacity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said system file panel displays a view of indicia for files that meet predetermined criteria associated with said view.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said new file is provided with initial metadata values, and said preview indicia is displayed in a view whose criteria are satisfied by said initial metadata values.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of moving said preview indicia from said view to a different view, said different view having different criteria, and automatically revising said metadata to correspond with the different criteria of the different view.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of changing one or more of said metadata values in response to a user request, and automatically revising said preview indicia to reflect the change in metadata values.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said revising of said preview indicia includes repositioning said indicia to a different view having criteria that are satisfied by the changed metadata values.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of receiving a user request to replace an existing file with said new file, revising said metadata values to reflect metadata values of said existing file, and retaining said initial metadata values.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving a user request to abort said replacement, and reverting said revised metadata values back to said initial metadata values.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said user request is entered by dragging said preview indicia and dropping said preview indicia onto an indicia representing said existing file.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein said initial metadata values are supplied by an application requesting said system file panel.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing said preview from said display in response to said user requesting a view representing an invalid location for saving said file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said location is a result of a query.

15. A display device having rendered thereon a system file panel for saving a new file on a computer system, said panel comprising:

a navigable graphical display of a plurality of indicia representing files existing on the system;

a metadata display showing a plurality of metadata properties associated with a new file to be saved on the system; and

a preview indicia representing said new file, which does not already exist on the system.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein said panel further comprises:

a plurality of display views, each view being associated with a plurality of metadata criteria, and including indicia representing files existing on said system that meet said criteria, and wherein said metadata display shows properties that match criteria of a view in which said preview indicia appears.

17. The display device of claim 15, wherein said preview indicia is visually differentiated from the plurality of indicia by color or opacity.

18. The display device of claim 15, said panel further comprising:

a graphical user interface element for performing a save operation; and

a graphical user interface element for canceling said save operation.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the following steps:

receiving a request to save a new file on a computer system; and

displaying a system file panel for saving a file, said system file panel including one or more indicia representing files that already exist on the system, and at least one preview indicia representing a file that does not already exist on the system.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the following steps:

including a plurality of views in said system file panel, each of said views having criteria and including indicia representing files meeting said criteria; and

revising metadata for said new file in response to a user moving said preview indicia from a first view to a second view.