Metadata editing control

• US 8,661,036 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Turski, Andrzej, Van Dok, Cornelis K., Cheng, Lili, Wong, Lyon K. F., MacLaurin, Matthew B., Miner, Patrice L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Debbie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mobin, Hasanul
• Application Number:
  US12/183,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the display of an object in response to a query from a user, comprising:

receiving in a property component, an assignment of metadata to the object, wherein the assignment includes at least a keyword and at least one additional property;

accessing the object with the property component;

accessing other objects stored in a file system that share the same metadata being assigned to the object regardless of locations of the objects in the file system;

grouping the object and the other objects by the metadata, the object and the other objects grouped by the metadata comprising a cluster of objects that share the same metadata;

displaying the object and the other objects that share the same metadata, comprising the cluster, with a viewing component configured to be property driven;

receiving in the property component, a change of the metadata being assigned to the object;

responsive to the change of the metadata being assigned to the object, automatically modifying the other objects included in the cluster, based on the changed metadata to obtain a modified cluster;

synchronizing the modified cluster between the property component and the viewing component with a synchronization component; and

displaying the modified cluster including the object and the other objects according to the modified cluster changed metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving in the property component, a change of the metadata, further comprises providing a plurality of editing fields configured to enable to user to modify the metadata.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the editing fields includes an author.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the editing fields includes a title.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the editing fields includes a subject.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the editing fields includes a category.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the editing fields includes a keyword.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving in the property component, a change of the metadata, further comprises:

providing a plurality of editing fields configured to enable to user to modify a property of the metadata;

receiving a selection of one of the editing fields; and

modifying the grouping of the objects including the property before the user modifies the property of the metadata associated with the selected editing field.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising synchronizing communication between the property component and viewing component associated with the modified cluster.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising clustering the modified cluster according to the metadata associated with the selected editing field.

11. A system that facilitates the modification of metadata associated with an item in a file system comprising:

a memory storing components for execution by a processor, the components comprising;

a property component that enables the selection of a property associated with an item in a graphical user interface property pane;

a viewing component programmed to be property directed that displays the selected item having the selected property and substantially all other items having the selected property; and

a synchronization component that synchronizes communication between the property component and the viewing component;

wherein the viewing component is configured to stack the item and the substantially all other items according to having the selected property such that each stack of items includes items that share a same value for the selected property, and wherein, when an additional property is selected associated with the item, the synchronization component enables the viewing component to substantially instantaneously display a modified stack organized based on the additional property such that each stack of items includes items that share the same value for the selected property and a same value for the selected additional property.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the additional property is a new property.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein when the additional property is a new property, the viewing component displays a new stack.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the new stack includes a document ghost associated with the new property.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the additional property is a new property for the item and the additional property is an existing property for at least some of the other items and wherein the viewing component displays a modified stack including the item and the at least some of the other items according to the additional property.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the additional property is an invalid property for the item and the additional property is an existing property for at least some of the other items and wherein the viewing component displays a modified stack including the item and the at least some of the other items including a visual feedback that the additional property for the item is an invalid property for the item.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the property component includes a plurality of editing fields configured to enable changes in the metadata.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the editing fields includes an author.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the editing fields includes a title.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the editing fields includes a subject.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the editing fields includes a category.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the editing fields includes a keyword.