Application of metadata to documents and document objects via a software application user interface

• US 7,797,638 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nizar, Shaheeda Parveen, Dev Sareen, Chaitanya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Um; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/326,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer products provide for applying metadata to documents and/or document objects in local and/or remote file storage systems. Application of metadata (flags) to documents and/or document objects allows a user to easily locate and utilize flagged items. A single metadata type, such as a colored flag, may be applied to documents or document objects of different file types across a file storage system to which data is stored via different software applications. Documents and/or document objects bearing like flags may be surfaced to a user in a flag summary with which documents and/or document objects may be sorted by flag type. Flagged documents or document objects related to a launched document may be listed in an information pane adjacent to the launched document.

Claims

1. A method for associating metadata to a document via flags, the method comprising:

receiving a first document via a first software application user interface;

providing at least one flag type for application to the first document, wherein the at least one flag type is independent of any file type;

receiving a selection of a first flag for application to the first document, wherein the first flag is independent of a file type of the first document;

saving metadata associated with the first flag to the first document, wherein the metadata points to the first flag that is independent of the file type of the first document in order to establish a peer reference relationship between the first document and the first flag;

receiving a selection of an object that forms a portion of the first document;

receiving a selection of a second flag for application to the object in the first document, wherein the second flag is independent of a file type of the embedded object;

applying the second flag to the object;

in response to applying the second flag to the object, indicating, with an icon in the document, that the object is an embedded flagged document object;

saving metadata associated with the second flag to the embedded flagged document object of the first document, wherein the metadata points to the second flag that is independent of the file type of the embedded flagged document object in order to establish a peer reference relationship between the embedded flagged document object and the second flag;

accessing a second document via a second software application user interface, wherein the second software application user interface is different than the first software application user interface;

receiving a selection of a flag type via the second software application user interface;

when the metadata associated with the first flag of the first document is of the selected flag type, displaying, on the second software application user interface, the metadata associated with the first flag of the first document; and

when the metadata associated with the second flag of the first document is of the selected flag type, displaying, on the second software application user interface, the metadata associated with the second flag of the first document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, and a slide presentation document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software application user interface includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a user interface of a word processing application, a user interface of a spreadsheet application, and a user interface of a slide presentation application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second document includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, and a slide presentation document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second software application user interface includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a user interface of a word processing application, a user interface of a spreadsheet application, and a user interface of a slide presentation application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the peer reference relationship between the first document and the first flag includes establishing the peer reference relationship to apply the first flag to the first document as a whole, wherein establishing the peer reference relationship between the second document and the second flag includes establishing the peer reference relationship to apply the second flag to the embedded flagged document object in the first document and not to the first document as a whole.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software application user interface is associated with a first software application, wherein the second software application user interface is association with a second software application, wherein the first software application and the second software application are disparate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded flagged document object includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a selected image in a word processing application, and a selected text item in a word processing application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded flagged document object includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a selected image in a spreadsheet application, a selected text item in a spreadsheet application, and a spreadsheet cell in a spreadsheet application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded flagged document object includes at least one member of a group comprising, a selected image in a slide presentation application, and a selected text item in a slide presentation application.

11. A system for associating metadata to a document via flags, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured for;

providing at least one flag type for application to a first document, wherein the at least one flag type is independent of any file type;

receiving a selection of a first flag for application to the first document;

saving metadata of the first flag to the first document;

establishing a first peer reference relationship between the first document and the first flag that is independent of the storage location of the first document;

accessing a second document via a second software application user interface, wherein the second software application user interface is different than the first software application user interface;

receiving a selection of a flag type via the second software application user interface; and

when the metadata associated with the first flag of the first document is of the selected flag type, displaying, on the second software application user interface, the metadata associated with the first flag of the first document.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first document includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, and a slide presentation document.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first software application user interface includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a user interface of a word processing application, a user interface of a spreadsheet application, and a user interface of a slide presentation application.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second document includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, and a slide presentation document.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the second software application user interface includes at least one member of a group comprising:

a user interface of a word processing application, a user interface of a spreadsheet application, and a user interface of a slide presentation application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first software application user interface is associated with a first software application, wherein the second software application user interface is association with a second software application, wherein the first software application and the second software application are disparate.