Methods and systems for managing data

• US 8,521,720 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Petri, Jonah, Arrouye, Yan, Giampaolo, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, KIMBERLY LOVEL
• Application Number:
  US11/112,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,049 Days
• Field of Search: 707/713
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• 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

Methods and systems and machine readable media for managing data. In one exemplary embodiment, an initial search query is received and examined to determine whether elements within the initial search query are within the same category of data, and a machine interpreted search query is derived in response to the determining. Other methods and systems and media are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, using one or more processing units, a search query, wherein the search query is received by a software component;

parsing, using the one or more processing units, the search query into keywords and non-keywords;

identifying, using the one or more processing units, a category for each keyword in the search query;

grouping, using the one or more processing units, the keywords according to category, wherein categories include a file type, wherein metadata associated with a file type includes one or more parameters, wherein a parameter specifies a rule, and wherein grouping the keywords includes linking keywords in the same category using a Boolean OR;

generating, using the one or more processing units, a machine interpreted search query by linking the grouped keywords with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND; and

transmitting, using the one or more processing units, the machine interpreted search query, wherein when the machine interpreted search query is received by another software component, the machine interpreted search query is used to perform a search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein categories further include date parameter of a file, an author of a file, or a sender of an electronic message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a rule specifies how to parse, identify, or group keywords within a category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a rule specifies one or more words that match one or more keywords within a category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a rule specifies one or more keywords that are associated with a category.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, using the one or more processing units, a combined set of groups by linking the groups of keywords together using a Boolean AND, wherein generating a machine interpreted search query includes linking the combined set with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND.

7. 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;

receiving a search query, wherein the search query is received by a software component;

parsing the search query into keywords and non-keywords;

identifying a category for each keyword in the search query;

grouping the keywords according to category, wherein categories include a file type, wherein metadata associated with a file type includes one or more parameters, wherein a parameter specifies a rule, and wherein grouping the keywords includes linking keywords in the same category using a Boolean OR;

generating a machine interpreted search query by linking the grouped keywords with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND; and

transmitting the machine interpreted search query, wherein when the machine interpreted search query is received by another software component, the machine interpreted search query is used to perform a search.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein categories further include date parameter of a file, an author of a file, or a sender of an electronic message.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a rule specifies how to parse, identify, or group keywords within a category.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein a rule specifies one or more words that match one or more keywords within a category.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein a rule specifies one or more keywords that are associated with a category.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

generating a combined set of groups by linking the groups of keywords together using a Boolean AND, wherein generating a machine interpreted search query includes linking the combined set with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND.

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

receive a search query, wherein the search query is received by a software component;

parse the search query into keywords and non-keywords;

identify a category for each keyword in the search query;

group the keywords according to category, wherein categories include a file type, wherein metadata associated with a file type includes one or more parameters, wherein a parameter specifies a rule, and wherein grouping the keywords includes linking keywords in the same category using a Boolean OR;

generate a machine interpreted search query by linking the grouped keywords with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND; and

transmit the machine interpreted search query, wherein when the machine interpreted search query is received by another software component, the machine interpreted search query is used to perform a search.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein categories further include date parameter of a file, an author of a file, or a sender of an electronic message.

15. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein a rule specifies how to parse, identify, or group keywords within a category.

16. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein a rule specifies one or more words that match one or more keywords within a category.

17. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein a rule specifies one or more keywords that are associated with a category.

18. The computer-program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

generate a combined set of groups by linking the groups of keywords together using a Boolean AND, wherein generating a machine interpreted search query includes linking the combined set with the non-keywords using a Boolean AND.