Methods and systems for managing data

• US 8,229,913 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Arrouye, Yan, Giampaolo, Dominic, Ording, Bas, Christie, Gregory, Lemay, Stephen Olivier, van Os, Marcel, Chaudhri, Imran, Tiene, Kevin, Císler, Pavel
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/344,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/10, 707/706, 707/708, 707/713, 707/722, 707/736, 707/758, 707/769, 707/781, 707/802, 707/805, 707/999.002, 707/999.006, 715/763, 709/218, 709/231
• US Class Current: 707/708
• 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 method, comprising:

displaying, using one or more processing units, one or more results associated with a search query;

generating, using the one or more processing units, data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generating, using the one or more processing units, data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input selecting an option associated with the new selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

performing, using the one or more processing units, a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

displaying, using the one or more processing units, the one or more updated results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input requesting a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

displaying one or more results associated with a search query;

generating data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generating data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receiving input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter;

receiving input selecting an option associated with the new selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

performing a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

displaying the one or more updated results.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

receiving input requesting a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.

17. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display one or more results associated with a search query;

generate data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generate data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receive input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter;

receive input selecting an option associated with the new selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

perform a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

displaying the one or more updated results.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

20. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

21. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

22. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

23. The computer-program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive input requesting a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

24. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.

25. A method, comprising:

displaying, using one or more processing units, one or more results associated with a search query;

generating, using the one or more processing units, data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generating, using the one or more processing units, data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input activating an interactive indicator, causing a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to subtract a selectable search parameter;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input selecting an option associated with a selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

performing, using the one or more processing units, a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

displaying, using the one or more processing units, the one or more updated results.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the search is a system-wide search, and wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving, using the one or more processing units, input requesting an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.

34. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

displaying one or more results associated with a search query;

generating data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generating data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receiving input activating an interactive indicator, causing a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to subtract a selectable search parameter;

receiving input selecting an option associated with a selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

performing a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

displaying the one or more updated results.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

receiving input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the search is a system-wide search, and wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

41. The system of claim 34, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

receiving input requesting an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

42. The system of claim 34, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.

43. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display one or more results associated with a search query;

generate data for displaying one or more selectable search parameters for the search query, wherein each selectable search parameter includes one or more options used to further define the search query, wherein the quantity of selectable search parameters is configurable to increase or decrease, and wherein each selectable search parameter is independently deletable with respect to other selectable search parameters;

generate data for displaying one or more interactive indicators, including an interactive indicator used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or an interactive indicator used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters;

receive input activating an interactive indicator, causing a decrease in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to subtract a selectable search parameter;

receive input selecting an option associated with a selectable search parameter, wherein the option selection further defines the search query;

perform a search using the further defined search query, wherein performing the search includes automatically updating the one or more results without further interaction; and

display the one or more updated results.

44. The computer-program product of claim 43, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive input activating an interactive indicator, causing an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters, wherein the display is revised to add a new selectable search parameter.

45. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the one or more interactive indicators include one or more interactive buttons.

46. The computer-program product of claim 45, wherein an interactive button is a “

+”

button used to increase the quantity of selectable search parameters, or a “

−

”

button used to decrease the quantity of selectable search parameters.

47. The computer-program product of claim 45, wherein an interactive button is a save button used to save the further defined search query.

48. The computer-program product of claim 45, wherein an interactive button is a hide button used to hide the one or more selectable search parameters.

49. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the search is a system-wide search, and wherein using the further defined search query to perform a system-wide search includes searching indexed content and indexed metadata on a client.

50. The computer-program product of claim 43, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive input requesting an increase in the quantity of selectable search parameters.

51. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein each selected search parameter is hierarchically related to other selected search parameters, and wherein each selected search parameter is configured to be randomly added or deleted from the hierarchy.