Idea service for automatic file naming and storing

• US 7,529,773 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dwivedi; Mahesh H
• Application Number:
  US10/499,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/1, 707/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Disclosed is method and system that automatically names and stores electronic files by associating metadata with the files. The metadata may be stored in the header of each file, and the metadata automatically designates file names and locations to each file. A user interface allows a user to input and edit files. A Java Virtual Machine is started up upon boot-up and runs a Java main thread, which creates the user interface. A Java database-access thread, spawned from the Java main thread, queries storage devices as to availability to receive files. A message is returned to the user confirming the status of the attempted file save function.

Claims

1. A method of automatically naming and storing a file that has been created by a user comprising:

creating said file within a user interface by creating and editing information within said user interface, wherein creating said file includes

running a software application within a physical computer;

running a main thread within said software application that creates said user interface and makes said user interface visible to said user; and

running said user interface using said main thread;

creating metadata to accompany said file;

inserting said metadata into said file;

using said metadata to automatically name said file;

using said metadata to automatically store said file in an automatically determined location, wherein storing said file includes

running a database-access thread;

querying storage devices by said database-access thread until a storage device is available;

sending said file to said storage device once said connection to said storage device is established; and

providing a message confirming status of an attempted file save function.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting said metadata into said file comprises inserting said metadata manually.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting said metadata into said file comprises inserting said metadata manually by a system administrator.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting said metadata into said file comprises inserting said metadata manually by said user.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting said metadata into said file comprises inserting said metadata automatically.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of creating said file within a user interface comprises pasting information from programs external to said user interface into said user interface.

2. A method of automatically naming and storing a file that has been created by a user comprising:

creating said file within a user interface by creating and editing information within said user interface, wherein creating said file includes

running virtual machine code upon boot-up that acts as a virtual computer within a physical computer;

running a main thread within said virtual machine code that creates said user interface and makes said user interface visible to said user; and

running said user interface, within said main thread, that contains said file;

creating metadata to accompany said file;

inserting said metadata into said file;

using said metadata to automatically name said file;

using said metadata to automatically store said file in an automatically determined location;

wherein storing said file includes

spawning a database-access thread from said main thread;

querying storage devices by said database-access thread until a storage device is available;

sending said file from Java database-access thread to said storage device once said connection to said storage device is established; and

sending a message from said storage device to said database-access thread confirming status of an attempted file save function.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sending said message comprises sending confirmation of a successful send function.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sending said message comprises sending continuation of a successful save function.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sending said message comprises sending an error message to user indicating a failed send function.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the stop of sanding said message comprises sending an error message to user indicating a failed save function.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of automatically sending and saving a file that has been created by a user is completed by using Java computer code.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed by using C++ computer code.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed by using C computer code.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed by using computer code.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed on a Windows®

operating system.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed by starting a main service at boot-up.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed on a UNIX operating system.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed by starting a main daemon at boot-up.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file that has been created by a user is completed on an operating system.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of and storing said file that bus been created by a user comprises transmitting said file from an external location to a central location via a wireless link.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing file that has been created by a user comprises transmitting said file from an external location to a central location via a physical link.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of sending said tile from said database-access thread to said storage device comprises reading a database-information file that contains availability status of storage devices, making a query as to status of waiting files, starring said database-access thread, making a query as to status of a request for user interface functions, generation of user interface, making a query as to status of an exit signal, giving an instruction to wait.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

querying said storage device by said database-access tread until a storage device is available;

giving an instruction to wait;

querying status of said metadata;

updating said database-information file;

generating success status of said file;

making a query as to success status of said file;

archiving said file; and

,

making a query as to status of waiting files.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of sending said tile from said database-access thread to said storage device comprises deleting said file after a period of time.

25. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sending said message comprises sending an email message to said user.

26. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sending said message comprises printing a status sheet for the user.

27. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said file comprises making said file accessible to a supervisor.

29. A system of automatically naming and storing a file that has been created by a user comprising:

a user interface in which said file is created and edited;

a program that parses metadata, located in the header of said file, and that automatically designates a filename and location to said file;

a virtual machine that is started upon boot-up, and acts as a virtual computer within a physical computer;

a main thread, that runs within said virtual machine, and that creates said user interface and makes said user interface visible to said user;

a database-access thread that is spawned from said main thread;

a storage device, coupled to said database-access thread that is queried by said database-access thread as to status of availability for storage of said file and that receives said file from said database-access thread, stores said file once said storage device becomes available, and sends a message back to said database-access thread confirming status of attempted file save function.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said storage device comprises a database.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said storage device comprises a central computer.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein said file comprises information that has been pasted from programs external to said user interface into said user interface.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein said file comprises textual information.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein said file comprises graphical information.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein said physical computer comprises a computational device.

36. The system of claim 29 wherein said physical computer comprises an electronic pocket organizer.

37. The system of claim 29 wherein said physical computer comprises a laptop.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein said physical computer comprises a device capable of transmitting electronic information.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein said user interface comprises a graphical user interface.