METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING DATA

• US 20150347419A1
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Arrouye, Yan, Giampaolo, Dominic, Ording, Bas, Christie, Gregory, Lemay, Stephen Olivier, van Os, Marcel, Tiene, Kevin, Cisler, Pavel, Chaudhri, lmran
• Granted Patent: US 9,767,161 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 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

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. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving an input for a search operation;

performing the search operation;

displaying a list of results from the search operation, the list presenting N items, wherein N is less than M items found from the search operation and wherein the list is grouped by categories and the number of items within each category is limited to less than N and wherein the list includes a command to show all M items.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the list is not scrollable and wherein the list is sorted by relevance and recency.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the number of items within each category is limited to less than N/X where X is greater than 2 and wherein the list may be incapable of showing all M items.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the top hit is shown and wherein the top hit is determined according to a ranking criteria, which comprises at least one of relevance and recency.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the items in each category are sorted by criteria, comprising at least one of date, location or kind, and wherein the items in each category are ranked by criteria, comprising at least one of relevance and recency, and displayed accordingly.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the categories are created based on criteria, comprising at least one of the type or kind of item, the date of creation or modification, the location of the item and membership in other existing groupings, and wherein the categories are ranked according to some criteria and displayed accordingly.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the list is collapsible so that the items in each category are not shown and the list is expandable so that all or some of the items in each category are shown.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving an input for a search operation;

performing the search operation;

displaying a non-scrollable list of results from the search operation, the list presenting N items, wherein N is less than the M items found from the search operation;

displaying a command to cause the display of a window which is capable of displaying all M items.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the list is incapable of showing all M items.

10. A machine-implemented method comprising:

receiving an input to perform a search on metadata of files in a system; and

receiving an input to specify that certain items, files, folders, directories or categories of items are not to be searched, wherein the metadata is for a plurality of files of different types and wherein the type of metadata for files of a first type is different than the type of metadata for files of a second type.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein the user may specify that content and/or metadata of certain items, files, folders, directories or categories of items are not to be indexed or collected and stored in a searchable database.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the items, files, folders, directories or categories of items may be indexed but are not allowed to be searched.

13. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

receiving an input for a search operation;

performing the search operation;

displaying a list of results from the search operation, the list presenting N items, wherein N is less than M items found from the search operation and wherein the list is grouped by categories and the number of items within each category is limited to less than N and wherein the list includes a command to show all M items.

14. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the list is not scrollable and wherein the list is sorted by relevance and recency.

15. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the number of items within each category is limited to less than NIX where X is greater than 2 and wherein the list may be incapable of showing all M items.

16. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the top hit is shown and wherein the top hit is determined according to a ranking criteria, which comprises at least one of relevance and recency.

17. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the items in each category are sorted by criteria, comprising at least one of date, location or kind, and wherein the items in each category are ranked by criteria, comprising at least one of relevance and recency, and displayed accordingly.

18. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the categories are created based on criteria, comprising at least one of the type or kind of item, the date of creation or modification, the location of the item and membership in other existing groupings, and wherein the categories are ranked according to some criteria and displayed accordingly.

19. A medium as in claim 13 wherein the list is collapsible so that the items in each category are not shown and the list is expandable so that all or some of the items in each category are shown.

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

receiving an input to perform a search on metadata of files in a system; and

receiving an input to specify that certain items, files, folders, directories or categories of items are not to be searched, wherein the metadata is for a plurality of files of different types and wherein the type of metadata for files of a first type is different than the type of metadata for files of a second type.

21. A medium as in claim 20 wherein the user may specify that content and/or metadata of certain items, files, folders, directories or categories of items are not to be indexed or collected and stored in a searchable database.

22. A medium as in claim 21 wherein the items, files, folders, directories or categories of items may be indexed but are not allowed to be searched.

23. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving an input to perform a search for at least one of metadata or content by a user;

displaying the results of the search;

opening one of the files found in the search with an application that can process the file;

receiving a further search input from a search input interface within a window of the application wherein the further search input causes a search to be conducted on files that can be processed by the application.

24. A method as in claim 23 further comprising:

capturing metadata and content of files of the application and other applications.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein the content of the files is indexed.

26. A method as in claim 25 wherein each of the application and other applications provide metadata and content to a database for searching.

27. A method as in claim 26 wherein the search is for both metadata and content, and wherein metadata for one type of file differs from metadata from another type of file.

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

creating a first folder which represents a first search query;

creating a second folder which represents a second search query wherein the second folder has a predetermined hierarchical relationship to the first folder, and

maintaining a system wide metadata database into which is collected and stored metadata of files.

29. A method as in claim 28 wherein the metadata is collected by at least one of sniffers, importers, exporters or other programs and wherein the type of metadata in a first type of file is different from the type of metadata in a second type of file.

30. A method as in claim 28 wherein the predetermined hierarchical relationship comprises the second folder being nested graphically within the first folder and wherein the predetermined hierarchical relationship is defined, at least in part, by user metadata.

31. A method as in claim 28 wherein the first folder is one of a folder or a subdirectory and the second folder is one of a folder or a subdirectory and wherein the predetermined hierarchical relationship provides a first hierarchical view which is different than a second hierarchical view provided by a graphical user interface of a file management system.

32. A method as in claim 28 wherein the second search query is based, through an AND Boolean operator, on the first search query.

33. A method as in claim 28 further comprising:

receiving a command to open the first folder and, in response to the command, performing a search using the first search query; and

displaying results of the search, wherein the results include a representation of the first folder.

34. A method as in claim 31 wherein the file management system specifies the second hierarchical view by allowing a user to store files in directories and subdirectories and the first hierarchical view is determined by user metadata and wherein modifying the first search query automatically modifies the second search query.