Methods and systems for managing data

• US 7,613,689 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Ording, Bas, Giampaolo, Dominic, Arrouye, Yan, Cisler, Pavel, van Os, Marcel, Tiene, Kevin, Lemay, Stephen Olivier, Christie, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/343,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/101, 707/200, 707/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A machine readable storage medium storing executable program instructions for causing a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving input for a search;

searching for search results as the input is being received, wherein the searching is begun concurrently as the input for the search is being entered and before entry of the input for the search is completed;

displaying a search results display area which shows a plurality of items in the search results display area, wherein a first group of items of the plurality of items are grouped in a first category based on a type of the first group of items and displayed in a first type of view and a second group of items of the plurality of items are grouped in a second category based on a type of the second group of items and simultaneously displayed in a second type of view concurrently with the first group being displayed in the first type of view and wherein the type of the first group of items includes applications, and the second group of items includes email addresses, phone numbers, and contacts and wherein the first type of view is different than the second type of view and wherein the first type of view is an icon view and the second type of view is a list view.

2. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 1 wherein the first group are displayed in a group together and separately from the second group which are displayed in another group.

3. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 1 wherein the search is performed through metadata for a plurality of files, wherein the type of information in metadata for a first type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for a second type of file.

4. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving input for a search;

searching for search results as the input is being received, wherein the searching is begun concurrently as the input for the search is being entered and before entry of the input for the search is completed;

displaying, by a computer on a display device, a search results display area which shows a plurality of items in the search results display area, wherein a first group of items of the plurality of items are grouped into a first category based on a type of the first group of items and displayed in a first type of view and a second group of items of the plurality of items are grouped in a second category based on a type of the second group of items and simultaneously displayed in a second type of view concurrently with the first group being displayed in the first type of view and wherein the type of the first group of items includes applications, and the second group of items includes email addresses, phone numbers, and contacts, and wherein the first type of view is different than the second type of view and wherein the first type of view is an icon view and the second type of view is a list view.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the first group are displayed in a group together and separately from the second group which are displayed in another group.

6. The method as in claim 4 wherein the search is performed through metadata for a plurality of files, wherein the type of information in metadata for a first type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for a second type of file.

7. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving input for a search;

means for searching for search results as the input is being received, wherein the searching is begun concurrently as the input for the search is being entered and before entry of the input for the search is completed;

means for displaying, on a hardware display device, a search results display area which shows a plurality of items in the search results display area, wherein a first group of items of the plurality of items are grouped into a first category based on a type of the first group of items and displayed in a first type of view and a second group of items of the plurality of items are grouped in a second category based on a type of the second group of items and simultaneously displayed in a second type of view concurrently with the first group being displayed in the first type of view and wherein the type of the first group of items includes applications, and the second group email addresses, phone numbers, and contacts, and wherein the first type of view is different than the second type of view and wherein the first type of view is an icon view and the second type of view is a list view.