System and method for organizing, managing, and manipulating desktop objects with an activity-oriented user interface

• US 7,219,302 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Everex Systems Incorporated (MidgardXXI, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Everex Systems Incorporated (MidgardXXI, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Shaughnessy, Gerald E., Spirin, Vladimir, Medvedev, Denis, Ivlev, Alexei, Karash, Oskar
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US09/908,983
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853, 345/854, 345/855, 345/769, 345/764, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/3, 707/7, 707/205, 707/103, 715/853, 715/968, 715/752
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

An email client and file manager provides combined file management and communications management in a single interface. An interface allows documents, email messages, contact information, web links or pages, and user-attached notes to be stored in the same folders. This facilitates communication by email and fax. The interface permits the user to combine this data in folders which the user categorizes according to a folder tree created by the user. In one embodiment of the invention, the client, in its email function, communicates with a dedicated host which in turn communicates with external servers according to standard internet protocol.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer having access to storage for computer files, such files comprising (a) executable application programs that generate various kinds of application type files and (b) application type files, the computer providing a computing environment via a user interface comprising an input responsive to user commands and a display capable of presenting the computer files in a general folder structure, the computer-readable storage medium further comprising:

code for storing and manipulating in response to user commands different kinds of application type files within said general folder structure, said general folder structure having one or more activity folders;

code for sending and receiving communication files from and to said general folder structure, wherein a communication file comprises one or more application type files;

code for automatically associating the individual application type files comprising a communication with each other;

code for saving any new file created with any application accessible to the user'"'"'s computing environment into any activity folder within the general folder structure; and

code for manipulating computer files within the activity folders, thereby allowing a user to group and organize subjectively related files of various application types within any of said activity folders, including grouping files which are associated with communications together with files which are not associated with communications within any of said activity folders.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising code for accepting user inputs for file manipulation commands and performing file manipulation subroutines corresponding to the user inputs, wherein communication files of one or more application type files are associated with at least one activity folder as one or more file attachments, wherein the file attachments are located in a current user defined activity folder said file attachments including but not limited to:

attachment notes, file identification modifiers, and external file links.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

code for providing a control record in a directory location for indexing a plurality of communications files, by locating the control record in the activity folder for the communications file.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, further comprising:

the communications files including email communications; and

code for transferring the email communications to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communications from an activity folder, the transfer including determining whether the communications file is a record in a standardized file format and if the communications file is a record in the standardized format, presenting the record in an ordered manner, and determining whether the communications file is a record in a predetermined format including association of file attachments, thereby assigning the file attachments a current user defined activity folder of the activity folder.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising:

code for receiving a communications file, and if the communications file is a record in the standardized format, determining whether the communications file comprises one or more files;

code for determining whether a first resulting message is text, and if the first resulting message is text, adding the contents of the first resulting message as a sticker to all the other resulting messages; and

code for deleting the first resulting message from the inbox.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising code for transferring email communications to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communications in related one or more attachment files of an activity folder, and if the transfer is a send operation, determining if the recipient is tagged for encryption and if the recipient is tagged for encryption, sending the file in encrypted form, and if the transfer is a receive operation, permitting the user to assign the file attachments to a respective activity folder.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising code for tagging a file in response to a predetermined mouse click, providing a representation of the file in a mouse “

drag”

representation to follow the mouse until receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click, and providing a “

release mouse click”

function in response to said receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click, thereby permitting folder allocation without a requirement that the user hold a mouse button during a mouse “

drag”

operation.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

code for performing file manipulation subroutines corresponding to user inputs;

code for selectively associating file attachments with selected ones of the files and for locating the file attachments in the respective activity folder; and

code for the association of the subset of the communications files with the current user-defined activity folder including allocating the communications files with a file folder definition of the current user-defined activity folder, thereby providing a common activity folder structure which includes communications files in individual file folders containing related user files.

9. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within an information handling system comprising a general purpose computer having access to storage for computer files, such files comprising (a) executable application programs that generate various kinds of application type files and (b) application type files, the computer providing a computing environment via a user interface comprising an input responsive to user commands and a display capable of presenting the computer files in a general folder structure including one or more activity folders, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a particular communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types;

automatically storing each of the files of the particular communication as separate files in one and the same activity folder; and

automatically generating code for associating said separate files of the particular communication with each other;

thereby automatically allowing the separate files of the particular communication to be manipulated by user commands as independent files from said activity folder regardless of the application type.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more files of the communication include attachment notes, file identification modifiers, and external file links.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a control record for each of the one or more files of a communication in a directory location for indexing the one or more files of a communication; and

for each of the one or more files of the communication providing a communications record in the activity folders.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a folder tree;

displaying the contents of an activity folder; and

storing the separated files of the communication as related files within the particular activity folder.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

executing a find routine to locate a first file in an activity folder;

making a temporary list of extended file information records;

determining if extended file information for the file is available;

if the extended file information is available, displaying file information concerning the file;

determining if a sticker note associated with the file is found and if the sticker note is found, displaying the existence of the sticker note;

determining if tag information associated with the file is found and if the tag information is found, displaying the existence of the tag information; and

repeating the sequence until no further files are found in the folder.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tagging a file in response to a predetermined mouse click;

providing a representation of the file in a mouse “

drag”

representation to follow the mouse until receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click; and

providing a “

release mouse click”

function in response, said receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click, thereby permitting folder allocation without a requirement that the user hold a mouse button during a mouse “

drag”

operation.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tagging a file in response to a predetermined mouse click;

providing a representation of the file in a mouse “

drag”

representation to follow the mouse until receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click;

providing a “

release mouse click”

function in response said receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click, thereby permitting folder allocation without a requirement that the user hold a mouse button during a mouse “

drag”

operation;

accepting user inputs for file manipulation commands; and

performing a file manipulation subroutines corresponding to the user inputs.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the general folder structure is part of a tree directory structure maintained by the information handling system.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the activity folder comprises related files of one or more application type, wherein the activity folder is one of the following:

a user-defined folder, a system-defined folder, a program-defined folder.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more files of the activity folder are related according to at least one of the following:

activity, work session, project, task, operation, date, time, order, client, user input, and contact information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

storing the manipulated one or more files of the communication with related one or more files of the activity folder.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more files of the activity folder are related according to at least one of the following:

activity, work session, project, task, operation, date, time, order, client, user input, and contact information.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the method of identifying the communication includes at least one of the following:

creating, receiving, accessing, storing, processing, moving, copying, and sending the communication.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein manipulating includes at least one of the following:

storing, processing, accessing, deleting, sending, receiving, creating, moving, copying, viewing, renaming, and editing.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein manipulating the separate files of the communication includes manipulating the separate files between one or more activity folders.

24. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying at least one of the files of the communication from the activity folder; and

manipulating the identified file from in activity folder in response to a user input.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types comprises one or more of the following:

application files, document files, contact files, communication files, and web files.

26. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types is identified as an email communication file and related attachments to the email communication file.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transferring the email communication and related attachments to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communication and related attachments;

the transfer including

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a standardized file format;

if the one or more files of the communication is a record in the standardized format, presenting the record in an ordered manner; and

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a predetermined format and permitting input from a user to assign the related attachments to an activity folder, wherein the activity folder comprises related attachments regardless of application type and the activity folder is one of the following;

a user-defined folder, a system-defined folder, a program-defined folder.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a communication;

if the communication is a record in the standardized format, determining whether the communication comprises one or more files;

determining whether a first resulting one or more files of the communication is text;

if the first resulting one or more files of the communication is text, adding the contents of the first resulting one or more files of the communication as a sticker to all the other resulting files of the communication; and

deleting the first resulting one or more files of the communication from the inbox.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a communication;

if the communication is a record in the standardized format, determining whether the communication includes files which are not one of the one or more files of the communication;

if the message includes which are not one of the one or more files of the communication;

determining a form of encoding for the one or more files of the communication; and

decoding the one or more files of the communication according to the form of encoding.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transferring email communications to and from a host and manipulating data included in the one or more related attachments of the email communications in accordance with the activity folder;

if the transfer is a send operation, determining if the recipient is tagged for encryption;

if the recipient is tagged for encryption, sending the file in encrypted form; and

if the transfer is a receive operation, permitting input from a user to assign the file attachments to an activity folder.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

accepting user inputs for file manipulation commands;

performing a file manipulation subroutines corresponding to the user inputs; and

associating file attachments with selected ones of the files, and locating the file attachments in the related activity folder.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

accepting user inputs for file manipulation by tagging a file in response to a predetermined mouse click;

providing a representation of the file in a mouse “

drag”

representation to follow the mouse until receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click;

providing a “

release mouse click”

function in response said receiving another instance of the predetermined mouse click, thereby permitting folder allocation without a requirement that the user hold a mouse button during a mouse “

drag”

operation;

performing a file manipulation subroutines corresponding to the user inputs;

selectively associating file attachments with selected ones of the files, and locating the file attachments in the respective folder by allocating the file attachments folder space in a file folder of the files to which the file attachments are associated; and

the association of the subset of the communications files with the current folder including allocating the communications files with a file folder definition of the current folder, thereby providing a common folder structure which includes communications files in individual file folders containing related user files.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

accepting user inputs for file manipulation commands;

performing a file manipulation subroutines corresponding to the user inputs; and

associating file attachments with the user selected folders, and locating the file attachments in the respective folder by allocating the file attachments folder space in a file folder of the files to which the file attachments are associated.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

transferring email communications to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communications in accordance with the association of the subset of files with the folders and the allocation of file attachments folder space, the transfer including

determining whether the message is a record in a standardized file format;

if the message is a record in the standardized format, presenting the record in an ordered manner; and

determining whether the message is a record in a predetermined format including association of file attachments, and permitting the user to assign the file attachments to a respective folder by allocating the file attachments folder space in a file folder of the files to which the file attachments are associated.

35. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types is identified as a text file and related attachments to the text file.

36. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying one or more files of one or more application types not associated with a communication; and

storing the identified files in the particular activity folder as separate files that can be manipulated from the activity folder regardless of application type.

37. The method of claim 9, wherein the information handling system associates an application program for each of the one or more application types of the one or more files of the communication, further comprising:

separating the communication upon arrival into an email communication file and one or more related attachment files of one or more application type;

storing the email file and the one or more related attachment files of one or more application type in the particular activity folder as related files; and

manipulating at least one of the following;

the email file and the one or more related attachment files as separate files in the particular activity folder without accessing the application program associated with the one or more application types of the one or more files of the communication.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein manipulating includes at least one of the following:

storing, processing, accessing, deleting, sending, receiving, creating, moving, copying, viewing, renaming, and editing.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

identifying at least one of the files of the communication from the activity folder; and

manipulating the identified file in the activity folder in response to a user input.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein identifying at least one of the files of the communication includes at least one of the following:

creating, receiving, accessing, storing, processing, editing, moving, copying and sending the file.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

storing the manipulated file with related one or more files in one or more activity folder regardless of application type.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein only one of the following is manipulated:

the email message file, and the one or more related attachment files.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the manipulating is limited to manipulating the one or more related attachment files in the particular activity folder, without manipulating the related email file, by one or more of the following:

processing, and performing operations on the one or more related attachment file.

44. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within an information handling system comprising a general purpose computer having access to storage for computer files, such files comprising (a) executable application programs that generate various kinds of application type files and (b) application type files, the computer providing a computing environment via a user interface comprising an input responsive to user commands and a display capable of presenting the computer files in a general folder structure, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a communication including one or more files of one or more application file types, wherein said application file types include email messages and other file types;

automatically storing each of these files of the communication as separate files in the general folder structure; and

automatically generating code for associating the separated files as related to a single communication,

wherein the general folder structure contains all applications available to the user on the computer,

thereby automatically allowing the separated but associated files of the communication to be manipulated by user commands as independent files within the general folder structure regardless of the application type.

45. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within a general purpose computer having access to storage for computer files, such files comprising (a) executable application programs that generate various kinds of application type files and (b) application type files, the computer providing a computing environment via a user interface comprising an input responsive to user commands and a display capable of presenting the computer files in a general folder structure, comprising:

storing and manipulating in response to user commands different kinds of application type files within said general folder structure, said general folder structure having one or more activity folders into which any new file created with any application accessible to the user'"'"'s computing environment can be saved into any of said activity folders;

sending and receiving communication files from and to said general folder structure, wherein a communication file comprises one or more application type files; and

automatically associating the individual application type files comprising a communication with each other; and

manipulating, in response to user commands, computer files within the activity folders, thereby allowing a user to group and organize subjectively related files of various application types within any of said activity folders, including grouping files which are associated with communications together with files which are not associated with communications within any of said activity folders.

46. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within an information handling system wherein computer files are presented in a general folder structure including one or more activity folders, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a particular communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types;

automatically storing each of the files of the particular communication as separate files in one and the same activity folder; and

automatically generating code for associating said separate files of the particular communication with each other;

thereby automatically allowing the separate files of the particular communication to be manipulated as independent files from said activity folder regardless of the application type;

wherein the communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types is identified as an email communication file and related attachments to the email communication file;

further comprising;

transferring the email communication and related attachments to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communication and related attachments;

the transfer including

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a standardized file format;

if the one or more files of the communication is a record in the standardized format, presenting the record in an ordered manner; and

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a predetermined format and permitting input from a user to assign the related attachments to an activity folder, wherein the activity folder comprises related attachments regardless of application type and the activity folder is one of the following;

a user-defined folder, a system-defined folder, a program-defined folder;

and further comprising;

receiving a communication;

if the communication is a record in the standardized format, determining whether the communication comprises one or more files;

determining whether a first resulting one or more files of the communication is text;

if the first resulting one or more files of the communication is text, adding the contents of the first resulting one or more files of the communication as a sticker to all the other resulting files of the communication; and

deleting the first resulting one or more files of the communication from the inbox.

47. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within an information handling system wherein computer files are presented in a general folder structure including one or more activity folders, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a particular communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types;

automatically storing each of the files of the particular communication as separate files in one and the same activity folder; and

automatically generating code for associating said separate files of the particular communication with each other;

thereby automatically allowing the separate files of the particular communication to be manipulated as independent files from said activity folder regardless of the application type;

wherein the communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types is identified as an email communication file and related attachments to the email communication file;

further comprising;

transferring the email communication and related attachments to and from a host and manipulating data included in the email communication and related attachments;

the transfer including

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a standardized file format;

if the one or more files of the communication is a record in the standardized format, presenting the record in an ordered manner; and

determining whether the one or more files of the communication is a record in a predetermined format and permitting input from a user to assign the related attachments to an activity folder, wherein the activity folder comprises related attachments regardless of application type and the activity folder is one of the following;

a user-defined folder, a system-defined folder, a program-defined folder;

and further comprising receiving a communication;

if the communication is a record in the standardized format, determining whether the communication includes files which are not one of the one or more files of the communication;

if the message includes which are not one of the one or more files of the communication;

determining a form of encoding for the one or more files of the communication; and

decoding the one or more files of the communication according to the form of encoding.

48. A method for displaying and manipulating computer files within an information handling system wherein computer files are presented in a general folder structure including one or more activity folders, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a particular communication comprising one or more files of one or more application types;

automatically storing each of the files of the particular communication as separate files in one and the same activity folder; and

automatically generating code for associating said separate files of the particular communication with each other;

thereby automatically allowing the separate files of the particular communication to be manipulated as independent files from said activity folder regardless of the application type; and

further comprising;

identifying one or more files of one or more application types not associated with a communication; and

storing the identified files in the particular activity folder as separate files that can be manipulated from the activity folder regardless of application type.