HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURED DATA ORGANIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20150074562A1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elisa Sartori
• Original Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Frieder, Ophir, Kapoor, Sanjiv
• Granted Patent: US 9,183,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Abstract

A method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files or web pages, structured or unstructured, of multiple users stored across one or more server computers into hierarchical file structures on a recordable medium of a data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files or web pages. The electronic files or web pages are organized as a function of the metalabels into the hierarchical file structures.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

instructions for creating a graphical user interface including a first window and a second window, wherein the first window comprises a directory display of a plurality of metalabels defined by a user, and the second window comprises a message window for displaying electronic files or data items corresponding to the plurality of metalabels.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic files comprise electronic communications.

3. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is displayed in a browser on a client device screen across a network.

4. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the first window comprises abstract folders and subfolders each corresponding to at least one of the plurality of metalabels.

5. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the directory display comprises a structure displaying a metalabel hierarchy, wherein each metalabel component of the metalabel hierarchy is selectable to display a corresponding electronic file or data item in the second window.

6. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the second window comprises a plurality of message windows, wherein each of the message windows is associated with at least one of the metalabels of the first window.

7. The computing device according to claim 6, wherein each of the first window and the plurality of message windows can be independently controlled.

8. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the data processor automatically updates metalabel hierarchies upon any change made to the electronic files or data items within the second window.

9. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising instructions for user searching of the plurality of metalabels by one or more of the metalabels, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a search bar.

10. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a label server that receives and stores the plurality of metalabels for each of the electronic files.

11. The computing device according to claim 10, wherein the label server includes one or more programs including instructions for establishing and maintaining one or more hierarchical file structures for the plurality of metalabels.

12. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a taxonomy handler including a database and receiving and storing user-defined metalabels for electronic files or web pages in user file structures of a plurality of users, wherein each metalabel is an identifier in addition to a user filename, user file path, or a user domain address, to organize electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the user file structures, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members in a same additional hierarchical file structure.

13. A computer-implemented method of organizing a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages organized in a first file structure on a recordable medium, the method comprising:

assigning with a data processor a plurality of metalabels defined by a user to each of at least two of a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages to organize the electronic files, data items, or web pages as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the first file structure, wherein more than one of the at least two plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same hierarchical file structure;

storing the plurality of additional hierarchical file structures on the recordable medium or a second recordable medium associated with the data processor;

linking with the data processor each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels stored on the recordable medium or the second recordable medium to a corresponding electronic file, data item, or web page of the each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels;

grouping electronic files, data items, or web pages including the same user-defined metalabels; and

displaying electronic files, data items, or web pages grouped with a metalabel upon receiving a metalabel request for the metalabel, wherein the metalabel request comprises a selection of a metalabel by the user from a list or display of the metalabels.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically updating the additional hierarchical file structures with the data processor when any of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is moved, copied, or deleted.

15. A computer-implemented method of organizing a plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members organized in a first file structure on a recordable medium, the method comprising:

assigning with a data processor a plurality of metalabels defined by a user to each of at least two of a plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members to organize the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the first file structure;

storing the plurality of additional hierarchical file structures on the recordable medium or a second recordable medium associated with the data processor;

the processor automatically linking each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels stored in the database to a corresponding electronic file, data item, web pages, or web site members of the each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels; and

automatically updating the additional hierarchical file structures with the processor when any of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members is moved, modified, copied, or deleted.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein more than one of the at least two plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same one of the additional hierarchical file structures.

17. An apparatus for organizing files, data items, web pages, or web site members, each having a primary identifier and organized in a first file structure, the apparatus comprising:

a label server comprising a processor and a memory component database and for receiving and storing user-defined metalabels for each of a plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, wherein each metalabel is an additional identifier in addition to the primary identifier, used by the label server to automatically organize the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the first file structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members in a same one of the additional hierarchical file structures.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a software code stored on a recordable medium of the label server and executable by the label server for automatically establishing and maintaining the additional hierarchical file structures.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a software code stored on a recordable medium of the label server and executable by the label server for creating a graphical user interface for display on a user interface of a client device.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a web-scan system for automatically scanning remote web pages on a network and creating metalabels for each of the web pages from text extracted from that web pages.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the additional hierarchical file structures comprise a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes corresponding to one of the metalabels, and each of the nodes comprising an internal structure of the links corresponding to the metalabel of the node.

23. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for organizing a plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, the encoded instructions comprising:

instructions for establishing a first file structure including the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, each identified by a primary identifier in the first file structure; and

instructions for establishing additional hierarchical file structures including the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members identified by a user-defined metalabel in the additional hierarchical file structures, each of the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members organized in both the first file structure and the additional hierarchical file structures without replicating the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions for assigning a corresponding user-defined metalabel to each of the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, and automatically organizing the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into the additional hierarchical file structures by linking the metalabel of a first electronic file, data item, web page, or web site member to a matching metalabel assigned to a second electronic file, data item, web page, or web site member, wherein the first file structure and the additional hierarchical file structures exist simultaneously for the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, further comprising instructions for searching the additional hierarchical file structures according to a user entered query.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the additional hierarchical file structures comprises a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes corresponding to one of the user-defined metalabels, and each of the nodes comprising an internal structure of the electronic files that have a matching metalabel.