Hierarchical structured abstract data organization system

• US 8,209,358 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elisa Sartori
• Original Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Frieder, Ophir, Kapoor, Sanjiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/471,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/805, 707/822, 707/828, 707/829, 715/733, 715/736, 715/845, 715/853
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

A method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files, web pages, or web site members organized in a traditional first hierarchical file structure that is on a recordable medium of a data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files, web pages, or web site members. The electronic files, web pages, or web site members are organized as a function of the metalabels into a second hierarchical file structure existing simultaneously with the first hierarchical file structure on the recordable medium of the data processing system. The files, web pages, or web site members can be organized or grouped by the metalabels for efficient searching or following conversations of group members on social networking sites.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of electronic files, web pages, or web site members organized in a first hierarchical file structure on a recordable medium of a network by a filename, domain address, or a member identification, the method comprising:

assigning with a data processor a plurality of metalabels defined by a user to each of at least two of a plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members to organize the electronic files, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the first hierarchical file structure, wherein more than one of the at least two plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members in a same hierarchical file structure; and

storing the plurality of additional hierarchical file structures on the recordable medium or a second recordable medium associated with the data processor; and

linking with the data processor each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels stored on the recordable medium or the second recordable medium to a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels;

grouping web site members including the same user-defined metalabels; and

displaying messages of web site members grouped with a metalabel upon receiving a metalabel request for the metalabel, wherein the metalabel request comprises a selection of a metalabel by the user from a list or display of the metalabels.

2. The method of claim 1, the first and additional hierarchical file structures being across a network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in a database a corresponding link for each of the user-defined metalabels, wherein the link for each of the user-defined metalabels identifies a network location of a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the user-defined metalabel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical user interface illustrating the hierarchical file structures.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query through a user interface; and

searching the additional hierarchical file structures for electronic files, web pages, or web site members having at least one user-defined metalabel that matches the query.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically updating the additional hierarchical file structures with the data processor when any of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is moved, copied, or deleted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined metalabels are automatically created by a software process executable on the data processor or on a second data processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the metalabels comprises non-replicated data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical user interface for connecting or displaying to the user the one or more web page or message of one or more of the web site members.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the metalabel request from the user;

searching with a data processor the additional hierarchical file structures as a function of the metalabel request; and

connecting or displaying to the user web pages or messages of the web site members assigned the one of the metalabels that matches the metalabel request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metalabel request comprises a metalabel query.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the metalabel request comprises a selection of a metalabel by the user from a list or display of the metalabels.

13. A computer implemented method for organizing files, web pages, or web site members, the method comprising:

assigning a user-defined metalabel to each of a plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members with a data processor to organize the each of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members into a plurality of hierarchical files structures;

assigning a plurality of user-defined metalabels to each of at least two of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members with a data processor to organize each of the at least two of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members into at least two of the plurality of hierarchical files structures;

wherein;

each of the user-defined metalabels is an identifier in addition to a filename, a domain address, or a member identification of each of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members,

each of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is also organized by the filename, the domain address, or the member identification in a first hierarchical file structure, and the hierarchical file structures of the metalabels are additional hierarchical file structures, the first and additional hierarchical file structures being across a network;

and more than one of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members in a same hierarchical file structure;

storing each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels in a database associated with the data processor;

linking with the data processor each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels stored in the database to a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels;

grouping web site members including the same user-defined metalabels; and

displaying messages of web site members grouped with a metalabel upon receiving a metalabel request for the metalabel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing in the database a corresponding link for each of the user-defined metalabels, wherein the link for each of the user-defined metalabels identifies a network location of a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the user-defined metalabel.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a graphical user interface illustrating the hierarchical file structures.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a query through a user interface; and

searching the hierarchical file structures for electronic files, web pages, or web site members having at least one user-defined metalabel that matches the query.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically updating the hierarchical file structures with the data processor when any of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is moved, copied, or deleted.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the user-defined metalabels are automatically created by a software process executable on the data processor or on a second data processor.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the metalabels comprises non-replicated data.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a graphical user interface for displaying to the user the messages of the web site members.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a metalabel request from the user;

searching with a data processor the additional hierarchical file structures as a function of the metalabel request; and

connecting or displaying to the user web pages or the messages of the web site members assigned the one of the metalabels that matches the meta label request.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the metalabel request comprises a metalabel query.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the metalabel request comprises a selection of a metalabel by the user from a list or display of the metalabels.

24. A computer implemented method of organizing a plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members organized in a first hierarchical file structure on a recordable medium of a network by a filename, domain address, or a member identification, the method comprising:

assigning with a data processor a plurality of metalabels defined by a user to each of at least two of a plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members to organize the electronic files, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical file structures existing simultaneously with the first hierarchical file structure, wherein more than one of the at least two plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members in a same hierarchical file structure; and

storing the plurality of additional hierarchical file structures on the recordable medium or a second recordable medium associated with the data processor; and

linking with the data processor each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels stored on the recordable medium or the second recordable medium to a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels;

wherein each of a plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is also organized by the filename, the domain address, or the member identification in a first hierarchical file structure, the first and the additional hierarchical file structures being across a network, and wherein a metalabel request comprises a selection of a metalabel by the user from a list or display of the metalabels.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the hierarchical file structure comprises a trie and organizing the web pages or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a second hierarchical file structure comprises:

locating or creating a node in the trie that is identified with each metalabel; and

associating the corresponding web page or web site member to each metalabel in the trie.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating a graphical user interface for connecting or displaying to the user the one or more web page or message of one or more of the web site members.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a metalabel request from the user;

searching with a data processor the second hierarchical file structure as a function of the metalabel request; and

connecting or displaying to the user web pages or messages of the web site members assigned the one of the metalabels that matches the meta label request.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the metalabel request comprises a metalabel query.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising connecting or displaying to the user through a user interface one or more web page or one or more message of one or more of the web site members assigned to one of the metalabels.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising storing in a database a corresponding link for each of the user-defined metalabels, wherein the link for each of the user-defined metalabels identifies a network location of a corresponding electronic file, web page, or web site member of the user-defined metalabel.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating a graphical user interface illustrating the hierarchical file structures.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a query through a user interface; and

searching the hierarchical file structures for electronic files, web pages, or web site members having at least one user-defined metalabel that matches the query.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising automatically updating the hierarchical file structures with the data processor when any of the plurality of electronic files, web pages, or web site members is moved, copied, or deleted.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the user-defined metalabels are automatically created by a software process executable on the data processor or on the second data processor.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the metalabels comprises non-replicated data.