Method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer system

• US 6,613,101 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Rose, Daniel E., Houde, Stephanie, Salomon, Gitta, Oren, Timothy, Booker, Susan, Mander, Richard, Wong, Yin Yin
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/796,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 707/526, 707/527, 707/528, 345/810, 345/835, 345/838, 345/839, 345/866, 715/526, 715/527, 715/528
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system. The method and apparatus include the creation of a pile comprising a collection of documents and displaying a graphical representation of the collection of documents. The method and apparatus further include browsing the collection of documents by pointing a cursor at a particular item in the collection of documents to reveal an indicia for the particular item in the collection of documents. The filing system can automatically divide a pile (e.g. a collection of documents from an electronic mail network) into subpiles on the basis of the content of each document in the pile, and the filing system, at the users request can automatically file away documents into existing piles in the computer system on the basis of a similarity match between the content (or other internal representation) of the document and the content (or other internal representation) of existing piles in the computer system. The filing system can also create a pile from a sample document by using the internal representation of the document as the internal representation of the new pile. The computer filing system provides various interfaces in connection with piles to the user of the system to provide feedback and other information to the user, including information concerning the documents and piles in the computer'"'"'s filing system.

Claims

1. A method for organizing and viewing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

displaying a graphical iconic representation of a collection of said first plurality of documents;

displaying a first indicia of a first document of said collection by selecting a first position from said graphical iconic representation, wherein said first position on said graphical iconic representation is capable of being at any one of a plurality of locations on said graphical iconic representation and wherein said selecting from said graphical iconic representation comprises positioning a cursor on said graphical iconic representation; and

displaying in series a second indicia of a second document and a third indicia of a third document by positioning said cursor first on a second position on said graphical iconic representation next on a third position on said graphical iconic representation.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation of said collection.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein during said displaying in series said second indicia and said third indicia, said graphical iconic representation is concurrently displayed.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said second indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation and said third indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation.

5. An apparatus for organizing and viewing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a graphical iconic representation of a collection of said first plurality of documents;

means for displaying a first indicia of a first document of said collection by selecting a first position from said graphical iconic representation, wherein said first position on said graphical iconic representation is capable of being at any one of a plurality of locations on said graphical iconic representation and wherein said selecting from said graphical iconic representation comprises positioning a cursor on said graphical iconic representation; and

means for displaying in series a second indicia of a second document and a third indicia of a third document by positioning said cursor first on a second position on said graphical iconic representation next on a third position on said graphical iconic representation.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation of said collection.

7. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein during said displaying in series said second indicia and said third indicia, said graphical iconic representation is concurrently displayed.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said second indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation and said third indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation.

9. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing and viewing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

displaying a graphical iconic representation of a collection of said first plurality of documents;

displaying a first indicia of a first document of said collection by selecting a first position from said graphical iconic representation, wherein said first position on said graphical iconic representation is capable of being at any one of a plurality of locations on said graphical iconic representation and wherein said selecting from said graphical iconic representation comprises positioning a cursor on said graphical iconic representation; and

displaying in series a second indicia of a second document and a third indicia of a third document by positioning said cursor first on a second position on said graphical iconic representation next on a third position on said graphical iconic representation.

10. A computer readable medium as in claim 9 wherein said indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation of said collection.

11. A computer readable medium as in claim 9 wherein during said displaying in series said second indicia and said third indicia, said graphical iconic representation is concurrently displayed.

12. A computer readable medium as in claim 11 wherein said second indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation and said third indicia is displayed adjacent to said graphical iconic representation.

13. An apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

means for displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document and a graphical representation of a second document from said first plurality of documents;

means for creating a collection of documents comprising a second plurality of documents having said first document and said second document;

means for determining for said collection at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and said second documents;

means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents on said display device; and

means for viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document wherein said viewing comprises pointing a cursor on said display device at a graphical representation of one of said documents in said collection for a predetermined period of time to reveal an indicia of said document in said collection and wherein said indicia has multiple pages for a multiple page document and wherein the user views the multiple pages of said indicia by signaling to the computer to move from page to page of said indicia.

14. An apparatus for organizing information in a computer system having a display device, said apparatus comprising:

means for displaying at some time on said display device a representation of a first document and a representation of a second document;

means for creating a collection of documents comprising said first and said second documents;

means for determining for said collection of documents at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a first user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and second documents;

means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents; and

means for determining a further internal representation of said collection when a third document is added to said collection based on one of;

(a) an internal representation of each of the documents in said collection, or (b) said first or a second user defined specification wherein said computer system has a filing system having a graphical user interface and said method is performed in part by said filing system and wherein said representations of said first document and said second document are graphical representations and wherein said further internal representation of said collection is one of said first and second user defined specifications defining a selected user defined specification and wherein the user indicates to said computer system to add a fourth item to said collection, which fourth item has an internal representation which does not match said selected user defined specification, and wherein, after the user has indicated to add said fourth item to said collection, said computer system prompts the user to determine whether the fourth item is to be added to said collection without modifying said selected user defined specification or the fourth item is to be added and said selected user defined specification is to be modified.

15. An apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

means for displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document;

means for creating a collection of documents comprising at least a second document and said first document, wherein said creating a collection comprises indicating to said computer system that a collection of documents is to be created using said first document as a sample document for said collection of document and wherein said computer system searches said first plurality of documents based on said first document to find said second document; and

means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection on said display device.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15 further comprising means for viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document.

17. An apparatus as in claim 15 further comprising means for creating a representation of said collection of documents based on an internal representation of said first document.

18. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document and a graphical representation of a second document from said first plurality of documents;

creating a collection of documents comprising a second plurality of documents having said first document and said second document;

determining for said collection at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and said second documents;

displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents on said display device; and

viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document wherein said viewing comprises pointing a cursor on said display device at a graphical representation of one of said documents in said collection for a predetermined period of time to reveal an indicia of said document in said collection and wherein said indicia has multiple pages for a multiple page document and wherein the user views the multiple pages of said indicia by signaling to the computer to move from page to page of said indicia.

19. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer system having a display device, said method comprising:

displaying at some time on said display device a representation of a first document and a representation of a second document;

creating a collection of documents comprising said first and said second documents;

determining for said collection of documents at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a first user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and second documents;

displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents; and

determining a further internal representation of said collection when a third document is added to said collection based on one of;

(a) an internal representation of each of the documents in said collection, or (b) said first or a second user defined specification wherein said computer system has a filing system having a graphical user interface and said method is performed in part by said filing system and wherein said representations of said first document and said second document are graphical representations and wherein said further internal representation of said collection is one of said first and second user defined specifications defining a selected user defined specification and wherein the user indicates to said computer system to add a fourth item to said collection, which fourth item has an internal representation which does not match said selected user defined specification, and wherein, after the user has indicated to add said fourth item to said collection, said computer system prompts the user to determine whether the fourth item is to be added to said collection without modifying said selected user defined specification or the fourth item is to be added and said selected user defined specification is to be modified.

20. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document;

said computer system creating a collection of documents comprising at least a second document and said first document, wherein said creating a collection comprises indicating to said computer system that a collection of documents is to be created using said first document as a sample document for said collection of document and wherein said computer system searches said first plurality of documents based on said first document to find said second document; and

displaying a graphical representation of said collection on said display device.

21. A computer readable medium as in claim 20, said method further comprising viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document.

22. A computer readable medium as in claim 20, said method further comprising creating a representation of said collection of documents based on an internal representation of said first document.