Method for updating and displaying the hierarchy of a data store
First Claim
1. In a system including a local computer, a remote server, a network linking the local computer and the remote server and a data store residing on the remote server, the data store including a server folder having server child folders, each of which includes zero or more server subfolders, a method for retrieving and displaying the contents of the server folder, comprising the steps of:
- receiving at the local computer an indication to expand the server folder;
in response to the indication to expand the server folder, displaying at the local computer a cached folder, which is stored by the local computer and which corresponds to the server folder, and cached child folders included in the cached folder, the cached child folders each including zero or more cached subfolders;
receiving at the local computer a limited download from the remote server of folder hierarchy information about the server folder that includes the server child folders and the server subfolders, the limited download enabling the local computer to display subfolder indicia in a manner that minimizes execution time and use of network bandwith;
updating the cached child folders to correspond to the server child folders;
displaying at the local computer the server child folders; and
displaying at the local computer the subfolder indicia in association with the server child folders that include at least one server subfolder.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for efficiently updating and displaying the hierarchy of a remote data store and displaying subfolder indicia indicating that child folders contain at least one subfolder. When a user expands a folder, an e-mail client displays a cached list of the expanded folder'"'"'s contents. After the cached data is displayed, a list of the expanded folder'"'"'s child folders and a list of the subfolders contained in the child folders are retrieved from the remote mail server. The retrieved data is sorted and compared to the cached list, and the cached data is updated to reflect the correct child folders and whether the child folders contain subfolders. The displayed hierarchy is then updated to reflect the state of the data that was retrieved from the server.
258 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a system including a local computer, a remote server, a network linking the local computer and the remote server and a data store residing on the remote server, the data store including a server folder having server child folders, each of which includes zero or more server subfolders, a method for retrieving and displaying the contents of the server folder, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the local computer an indication to expand the server folder; in response to the indication to expand the server folder, displaying at the local computer a cached folder, which is stored by the local computer and which corresponds to the server folder, and cached child folders included in the cached folder, the cached child folders each including zero or more cached subfolders; receiving at the local computer a limited download from the remote server of folder hierarchy information about the server folder that includes the server child folders and the server subfolders, the limited download enabling the local computer to display subfolder indicia in a manner that minimizes execution time and use of network bandwith; updating the cached child folders to correspond to the server child folders; displaying at the local computer the server child folders; and displaying at the local computer the subfolder indicia in association with the server child folders that include at least one server subfolder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a messaging system including a remote message store residing on a remote mail server, the message store including a server folder having zero or more server child folders, each of which includes zero or more server subfolders, a method for displaying the contents of the server folder on a client computer networked to the remote mail server, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the client computer an indication to expand the server folder; in response to the indication to expand the server folder, reading at the client computer a cached folder corresponding to the server folder, zero or more cached child folders belonging to the cached folder, and zero or more cached subfolders belonging to the cached child folders; displaying at the client computer the cached folder and the zero or more cached child folders; receiving at the client computer a limited download from the remote mail server of folder hierarchy information about the server folder that includes the server child folders and the server subfolders;
the limited download enabling the client computer to display subfolder indicia in a manner that minimizes execution time and use of network bandwidth;updating the cached child folders to correspond to the server child folders; displaying at the client computer the server child folders; and displaying at the client computer subfolder indicia in association with at least one server child folder. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
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creating a cached folder corresponding to a server folder on a remote data store located on a remote server, the server folder including server child folders, the server child folders each including zero or more server subfolders, the cached folder including cached child folders, the cached child folders each including zero or more cached subfolders; storing the cached folder on a local computer networked to the remote server; receiving at the local computer an indication to expand the server folder; displaying at the local computer the cached folder and the cached child folders; receiving at the local computer a limited download from the remote server of folder hierarchy information about the server folder that includes the server child folders and the server subfolders;
the limited download enabling the local computer to display subfolder indicia for the server child folders in a manner that minimizes execution time and use of network bandwidth;updating the cached child folders to correspond to the server child folders; displaying the server child folders and the subfolder indicia in association with server child folders that include one or more server subfolders. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
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displaying at a client machine cached content stored on the client machine of a folder residing on a remote mail server in response to receiving at the client machine an indication to expand the folder; receiving at the client machine a limited download from the remote mail server of folder hierarchy information about the folder, the limited download sufficient to enable the client machine to display accurate subfolder indicia for subfolders revealed by expansion of the folder in a manner that minimizes execution time and use of network bandwith; updating a hierarchy of the cached content in response to comparing the limited download of folder hierarchy information with the hierarchy of the cached content; and displaying at the client machine the updated hierarchy of the cached content. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-implemented method for displaying on a local computer networked to a remote server a hierarchy of a server folder located on the remote server, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the local computer an indication to expand a folder of the hierarchy containing a first subfolder; and in response to receiving the indication, receiving at the local computer a limited download of the hierarchy from the remote server sufficient to enable the local computer to determine if the first subfolder contains a second subfolder; displaying the first subfolder; determining if the first subfolder contains the second subfolder; and if the first subfolder contains the second subfolder, displaying a subfolder indicator proximate to the first subfolder. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification