SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIRTUAL FOLDER SHARING INCLUDING UTILIZATION OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC LISTS

• US 20090171983A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., McKee, Timothy P., Ballou, Nathaniel H., Samji, Mohammed, De Vorchik, David G., Ramasubramanian, Ram, Raman, Balan Sethu
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/192 Implementing virtual folder structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method for virtual folder sharing, including utilization of static and dynamic lists. Static and dynamic lists may be created as types of virtual folders. Virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. A static list consists of a folder of items that are in a specific order, while a dynamic list gathers a set of items based on a scope and a set of criteria. When a list is shared, the actual list is left in place on the sharer'"'"'s machine or server, while permission is granted to the sharee to remotely access the list and the referenced items. If the list is changed by adding or removing items, these items are also automatically re-permissioned to allow or disallow the sharee to have access to the items.

Claims

1. A method of designating items as available to share in a computer system between a sharer that makes items available and a sharee that views the items that were made available comprising:

executing on a sharer'"'"'s computer a query comprising a search criteria to identify a plurality of items that satisfy the search criteria;

defining contents of one or more folders on the sharer'"'"'s computer as the plurality of items that satisfy the search criteria, wherein the plurality of items includes electronic files and electronic folders,

updating the plurality of items based on changes to individual items within the plurality of items, wherein when an first item with in the plurality of items has a property change such that the first item no longer satisfies the search criteria, the first item is removed from the plurality of items, and wherein when an second item that was not previously in the plurality of items has a property change such that the second item satisfies the search criteria, the second item is added to the plurality of items;

making the contents of the one or more folders available for sharing with the sharee, thereby making results of said query available to the sharee; and

sharing at least a portion of the one or more folders with the sharee such that the sharee is provided with access to the plurality of items from a sharee'"'"'s computer.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein when the sharer is unable to grant the access to the sharee, a notification is provided to the sharer.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the sharer is able to limit a type of the access that the sharee has to the plurality of items.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein the type of the access to the items may be limited to be one of read/write or read only.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

scanning for changes to the individual items within the plurality of items; and

upon detecting a change, dynamically updating the plurality of items.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises updating the plurality of items in a batch process that is executed periodically.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the contents of the one or more folders are references to each of the plurality of items.

8. One of more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer perform a method of designating items to share in a computer system between a sharer that makes items available and a sharee that views the items that were made available, the method comprising:

executing on a sharer'"'"'s computer a query comprising a scope and a criteria, wherein the scope and the criteria are submitted through the sharer'"'"'s computer;

creating on the sharer'"'"'s computer a dynamic list with a plurality of referenced items based on results of said query, wherein the plurality of referenced items include electronic files and electronic folders, wherein when a first item on the dynamic list has a property change such that it no longer meets the criteria of the query, the first item is removed from the dynamic list, and wherein when a second item that was not previously on the dynamic list has a property change such that the second item meets the criteria of the query, the second item is added to the dynamic list;

defining contents of one or more folders on the sharer'"'"'s computer based on the dynamic list;

making the contents of the one or more folders available for sharing with the sharee, thereby making the results of said query available to the sharee; and

sharing at least a portion of the one or more folders with the sharee such that the sharee is provided with access to the plurality of referenced items from a sharee'"'"'s computer.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the sharer is able to limit a type of the access that the sharee has to the items.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the sharee is provided with remote access to the referenced items from another computer.

11. The media of claim 8, wherein the method further includes periodically scanning items within the scope of the query for changes.

12. The media of claim 8, wherein said creating comprises defining within the dynamic list an annotation corresponding to at least one of the plurality of referenced items.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein the one or more folders are virtual folders.

14. The media of claim 8, wherein when the sharer is unable to grant the access to the sharee for an item, a notification is provided to the sharer.

15. A method of communicating between a sharer of a list and a sharee comprising:

receiving, from the sharee, a call for accessing, on a computer of the sharer, items that are referenced on the list, wherein the list is based on results of a query with a scope and a criteria provided by the sharer, executed on a computer of the sharer, stored on a computer of the sharer, and wherein the scope defines at least a portion of a physical storage location;

responsive to authorization received from the sharer, providing the sharee access to the items that are referenced on the list; and

updating the list after a period of time such that items that no longer meet the criteria or the scope of the query are removed from the list.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving, from the sharee, the call for accessing, on the computer of the sharer, the items that are referenced on the list comprises receiving the call via an API.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a new query with a new criteria and a new scope and updating the list to include new items within the new scope that satisfy the new criteria.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

populating a virtual folder with the items that are referenced on the list

receiving from the sharee, the call for accessing, on the computer of the sharer the virtual folder; and

responsive to authorization received from the sharer, providing the sharee access to the virtual folder.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the access to the items may be limited to be one of read/write or read only.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the period of time is short, thereby effectively dynamically updating the list.