Creating virtual targets in directory structures

• US 7,908,569 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ala-Rantala, Kati
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): UM, DANIEL H
• Application Number:
  US11/503,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

A method includes detecting a first user operation corresponding to a first item in a directory structure. The directory structure represents a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of items, including the first item, in a memory. The first user operation indicates a start of an item action with the first item. The method also includes, in response to detecting a second user operation corresponding to a second item in the directory structure, creating a virtual target in the second item in the directory structure. The virtual target is a possible location for completion of the item action with the first item. The method further includes, in response to a third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the virtual target, completing the item action with the first item in the virtual target.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first user operation corresponding to a first item in a directory structure, the directory structure representing a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of items, including the first item, in a memory, the first user operation indicating a start of an item action with the first item;

in response to detecting a second user operation corresponding to a second item in the directory structure, creating and displaying a virtual target in the second item in the directory structure, wherein the virtual target is a possible location for completion of the item action with the first item; and

in response to a third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the virtual target, completing the item action with the first item in the virtual target by creating a third item in association with the second item that replaces the virtual target,

in response to the third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item and not the virtual target, completing the item action with the first item in the second item and removing the virtual target.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user operation comprises at least one of selecting a representation of the first item, highlighting a representation of the first item, or placing focus on a representation of the first item, moving a representation of the first item, dragging a representation of the first item, or performing at least one keystroke using an input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user operation comprises selecting a level in the directory structure, wherein the level corresponds to a folder in the directory structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual target includes a corresponding name and the name is updated according to at least one user action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting a first user operation further comprises detecting the first user operation on multiple first items in the directory structure; and

completing the item action further comprises completing the item action with the multiple items in the virtual target.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

creating a virtual target in the second item further comprises creating, in response to detecting the second user operation corresponding to multiple second items in the directory structure, a virtual target in each of the second items.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

creating a virtual target in the second item further comprises creating, in response to detecting the second user operation corresponding to multiple second items in the directory structure, a virtual target in each of the second items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the item action comprises at least one of copying the first item, moving the first item, creation of a new item using the first item, creation of a reference to the first item, or creating a template and copying information from the first item into the template.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user operation comprises at least one of selecting a level of the directory structure, highlighting a representation of the second item, using at least one keystroke to select the second item, placing focus on a representation of the second item, or selecting the second item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third operation comprises at least one of drop operation performed using a representation of the first item, at least one keystroke, a pause of a duration greater than a predetermined duration, and a command indicating a completed item action.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a fourth user operation corresponding to the third item in the directory structure, creating a second virtual target in the third item in the directory structure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a fourth user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item, causing the virtual target to disappear.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting a first user operation further comprises detecting the first user operation on a representation of the first item in a directory structure representation;

creating a virtual target further comprises creating, in response to detecting the second user operation on a representation of the second item in the directory structure representation, a representation of the virtual target and associating the representation of the virtual target with the representation of the second item; and

completing further comprises completing, in response to the third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the representation of the first item associated with the representation of the virtual target, the item action with the first item in the virtual target.

33. The method of claim 1, where creating a third item in association with the second item comprises creating the third item in a level underneath the second item in the directory structure.

34. The method of claim 33, where if the second user operation to the second item is detected as maintained for a predetermined period of time, creating a fourth item in a level underneath the third item in the directory structure.

35. The method of claim 1, where the third item becomes permanent if modified by a user.

36. The method of claim 1, where the third item is deleted upon power down.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the second item comprises a folder and the virtual target comprises a folder distinct from the folder of the second item.

14. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of computer-readable instructions executable by at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first user operation corresponding to a first item in a directory structure on a display, the directory structure representing a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of items, including the first item, in a memory, the first user operation indicating a start of an item action with the first item;

in response to detecting a second user operation corresponding to a second item in the directory structure, creating and displaying a virtual target in the second item in the directory structure on the display, wherein the virtual target is a possible location for completion of the item action with the first item; and

in response to a third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the virtual target, completing the item action with the first item in the virtual target by creating a third item in association with the second item that replaces the virtual target,

in response to the third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item and not the virtual target, completing the item action with the first item in the second item and removing the virtual target.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first user operation comprises at least one of selecting a representation of the first item, highlighting a representation of the first item, placing focus on a representation of the first item, moving a representation of the first item, dragging a representation of the first item, or performing at least one keystroke using an input device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second user operation comprises selecting a level in the directory structure.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the virtual target comprises one of a folder or a data file.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the item action comprises at least one of copying the first item, moving the first item, creation of a new item using the first item, creation of a reference to the first item, or creating a template and copying information from the first item into the template.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second user operation comprises at least one of selecting a level of the directory structure, highlighting a representation of the second item, using at least one keystroke to select the second item, placing focus on a representation of the second item, or selecting the second item.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the third operation comprises at least one of drop operation performed using a representation of the first item, at least one keystroke, a pause of a duration greater than a predetermined duration, and a command indicating a completed item action.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising, in response to a fourth user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item, causing the virtual target to disappear.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer code,

where the at least one memory including computer code, along with the at least one processor, are configured to;

store a directory structure comprising a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of items;

detect a first user operation that corresponds to a first of the plurality of items, wherein the first user operation indicates a start of an item action with the first item;

in response to detecting a second user operation that corresponds to a second item of the plurality of items, create and display a virtual target in the second item of the plurality of items in the directory structure, wherein the virtual target is a possible location for completion of the item action with the first item; and

in response to a third user operation that indicates completion of the item action with the first item in the virtual target, complete the item action with the first item in the virtual target by creating a third item in association with the second item that replaces the virtual target,

in response to the third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item and not the virtual target, complete the item action with the first item in the second item and remove the virtual target.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first user operation comprises at least one of selecting a representation of the first item, highlighting a representation of the first item, placing focus on a representation of the first item, moving a representation of the first item, dragging a representation of the first item, or performing at least one keystroke using an input device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second user operation comprises selecting a level in the directory structure.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the virtual target comprises one of a folder or a data file.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the item action comprises at least one of copying the first item, moving the first item, creation of a new item using the first item, creation of a reference to the first item, or creating a template and copying information from the first item into the template.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second user operation comprises at least one of selecting a level of the directory structure, highlighting a representation of the second item, using at least one keystroke to select the second item, placing focus on a representation of the second item, or selecting the second item.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the third operation comprises at least one of a drop operation performed using a representation of the first item, at least one keystroke, a pause of a duration greater than a predetermined duration, and a command indicating a completed item action.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus comprises the memory.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus further comprises a network interface and the processor is coupled to the memory through the network interface.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising at least one input allowing the first, second, and third user operations and further comprising at least one display suitable to provide a representation of the directory structure.

31. A user interface comprising:

at least one display;

at least one input device configured to allow input of user operations; and

a processor configured to;

communicate with the at least one display and the at least one input device;

detect a first user operation corresponding to a representation on the at least one display of a first item in a directory structure;

in response to detecting a second user operation corresponding to a representation on the at least one display of a second item in the directory structure, create and display on the at least one display a virtual target associated with the second item; and

in response to a third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the virtual target, complete the item action with the first item in the virtual target by creating a third item in association the second item that replaces the virtual target in the directory structure,

in response to the third user operation indicating completion of the item action with the first item in the second item and not the virtual target, complete the item action with the first item in the second item and remove the virtual target,

wherein the directory structure represents a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of items, including the first item, in a memory, the first user operation indicating a start of an item action with the first item, wherein the virtual target is a possible location for completion of the item action with the first item.