File system shell
First Claim
1. In a computer system with a display and a memory for storing items, a method for presenting collections of the items, comprising:
- creating a library to contain items with one or more specified metadata properties;
automatically grouping items with the one or more specified metadata properties into the library into a plurality of groups;
providing one or more tools for manipulating items in the library,wherein the groups of items are each contained within a different virtual folder associated with respective ones of the specified metadata properties, and the one or more tools includes a tool configured to copy additional items into one of the virtual folders responsive to associating another metadata property with the virtual folder; and
a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising;
displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and
adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments;
wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A file system shell is provided. One aspect of the shell provides virtual folders which expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. Users are able to work with the virtual folders through direct manipulation (e.g., clicking and dragging, copying, pasting, etc.). Filters are provided for narrowing down sets of items. Quick links are provided which can be clicked on to generate useful views of the sets of items. Libraries are provided which consist of large groups of usable types of items that can be associated together, along with functions and tools related to the items. A virtual address bar is provided which comprises a plurality of segments, each segment corresponding to a filter for selecting content. A shell browser is provided with which users can readily identify an item based on the metadata associated with that item. An object previewer in a shell browser is provided which is configured to display a plurality of items representing multiple item types.
377 Citations
102 Claims
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1. In a computer system with a display and a memory for storing items, a method for presenting collections of the items, comprising:
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creating a library to contain items with one or more specified metadata properties; automatically grouping items with the one or more specified metadata properties into the library into a plurality of groups; providing one or more tools for manipulating items in the library, wherein the groups of items are each contained within a different virtual folder associated with respective ones of the specified metadata properties, and the one or more tools includes a tool configured to copy additional items into one of the virtual folders responsive to associating another metadata property with the virtual folder; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for exposing items that are stored in a memory to a user, comprising:
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a folder processor that obtains queries from a user; a relational database for storing information about items, wherein; the folder processor obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database, wherein the query is a default query identified in a registry; the relational database provides results back to the folder processor; and based on the results from the relational database, the folder processor provides the results to the user as virtual folders; and a virtual address bar for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system, the virtual address bar comprising; a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and one or more additional interactive segments of the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items, the items having associated metadata properties, a method of exposing the items to a user, the method comprising:
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responsive to a user opening a first virtual folder, selecting a first metadata property based on default information corresponding to the user; searching for items that have the selected first metadata property; providing the first virtual folder display object that represents the collection of items that have the first metadata property; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items, a method for manipulating the items, comprising:
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representing groups of items as virtual folders; providing at least a first defined action that can be performed for direct manipulation of a virtual folder, wherein when the first defined action is performed, the virtual folder is manipulated as directed by the performed action, wherein the first defined action is adding a metadata property to the virtual folder, and wherein in response to performance of the first defined action additional items having the metadata property are copied to the virtual folder; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items with metadata properties, a method of filtering items, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of display objects on the display that each represent one or more items; filtering the items represented by the display objects based on a filter term; modifying the display objects that are provided on the display so as to represent the items that remain after the filtering of the items, including displaying a time-rotating sample of a plurality of metadata associated with the items; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path ti items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items, a method of viewing selected items, the method comprising:
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receiving a user input defining a search term; searching the stored items based on the search term; displaying representations of the items found from the search; storing a link to a collection of the items found from the search; presenting the link on the display such that by clicking on the link a user can return to the view of the desired collection of items, and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first a interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. In a computer system with a display and a memory for storing items, a method for representing the items to a user, comprising:
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providing a database that allows both non-file items and file items to be searched by a query; receiving a query, wherein the query is a default query identified in a registry, and in response to the query drawing both non-file items and file items that match the query; presenting both the non-file items and file items that match the query on the display; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the method comprising:
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displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; adding one or more additional interactive segments to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; and displaying a plurality of user-selectable quick links, separate from the virtual address bar, wherein each quick link is associated with a different subset of the items; and responsive to a user selecting one of the quick links, displaying the subset of items associated with the selected quick link, wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A computer-implemented method for enabling a user to modify metadata within a shell browser, the method comprising:
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displaying a plurality of items; receiving a first input from the user representing a selection of at least one displayed item; displaying metadata associated with the at least one selected item; displaying, in response to a user hover input, a control for user modification of the displayed metadata; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A computer-implemented method for enabling the use of third party previewers in a shell browser which supports multiple item types, the method comprising:
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providing an operating system with a shell browser having a default previewer for the multiple item types; providing an extensibility mechanism which enables a third party to develop an alternative previewer that operates in the shell browser for at least one of the multiple item types; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. In a computer system with a display and a memory for storing items, the items being of a plurality of different types, a method for presenting libraries of the items, comprising:
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providing libraries for containing items of similar types; providing a similar set of UI features for each of the libraries, wherein the set of UI features includes a control for modifying metadata of one of the items that is displayed in response to a user hover input, and wherein the set UI features further includes a control that displays a time-rotating sample of a plurality of metadata associated with at least some of the items; and a virtual address bar method for providing a virtual path to items stored in a computer file system using a virtual address bar, the virtual address bar method comprising; displaying a virtual address bar operable to include a first interactive segment, wherein the first interactive segment references items on the computer file system according to a corresponding filter for selecting items; and adding one or more additional interactive segment to the virtual address bar, wherein each additional interactive segment further restricts the items referenced by the preceding interactive segments; wherein the first interactive segment and the one or more additional interactive segments comprise a virtual path. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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Specification