Hierarchical structured data organization system

• US 9,128,954 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• 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): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/147,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 707/778, 707/740, 707/802, 707/805, 707/829, 707/828, 707/822, 707/755, 707/756, 707/777, 707/652, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.009, 707/E17.047, 707/797, 707/722, 707/705, 707/706, 707/737, 707/784, 707/E17.107, 707/E17.005, 715/853, 715/810, 715/733, 715/736, 715/234, 715/239, 715/254, 715/273, 715/256, 715/265, 715/274, 715/760, 715/781, 715/721, 715/713, 715/784, 715/769, 715/841, 715/835, 715/823, 715/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Abstract

A method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files or web pages, structured or unstructured, of multiple users stored across one or more server computers into hierarchical file structures on a recordable medium of a data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files or web pages. The electronic files or web pages are organized as a function of the metalabels into the hierarchical file structures.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for organizing files or web pages, the method comprising:

automatically determining with a data processor user-defined metalabels of a plurality of users for each of a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages; and

the data processor automatically aggregating the metalabels of the plurality of users into a plurality of hierarchical structures, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same hierarchical structure;

wherein each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is identifiable by a filename, file path, or domain name on a corresponding one of a plurality of server computers, and each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels in the plurality of hierarchical structures provides a server computer location of the each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the data processor storing each of the plurality of hierarchical structures in a database associated with the data processor;

the data processor automatically linking the metalabels of each of plurality of hierarchical structures stored in the database to a corresponding one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages; and

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 location of a corresponding electronic file, data item, or web page member of the user-defined metalabel.

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, data item, or web page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the data processor receiving a query; and

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

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

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metalabels comprise hierarchical metalabels including more than one metalabel term and organized in at least one tree structure corresponding to the hierarchical metalabels.

8. A computer-implemented method for organizing files or web pages, the method comprising:

automatically determining with a data processor user-defined metalabels of a plurality of users for each of a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages, wherein each of the user-defined metalabels is an identifier in addition to a filename, file path, or a domain address established by a corresponding one of the plurality of users;

the data processor automatically aggregating the metalabels of the plurality of users into a plurality of hierarchical structures, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same hierarchical structure;

the data processor storing each of the plurality of hierarchical structures in a database associated with the data processor;

the data processor automatically linking the metalabels of each of plurality of hierarchical structures stored in the database to a corresponding one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages; and

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 location of a corresponding electronic file, data item, or web page of the user-defined metalabel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels in the plurality of hierarchical structures provides a server computer location of the each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages.

10. A computer-implemented method for organizing files or web pages, the method comprising:

automatically determining with a data processor user-defined metalabels of a plurality of users for each of a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages;

the data processor automatically aggregating the metalabels of the plurality of users into a plurality of hierarchical structures, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same hierarchical structure; and

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 location in a network of a corresponding electronic file, data item, or web page;

wherein the electronic files, data items, or web pages are also organized by a filename, file path, or a domain address in corresponding user hierarchical structures and the plurality of hierarchical structures of the metalabels is partitioned across the network from at least some of the user hierarchical structures.

11. An apparatus for organizing files, data items, web pages, or web site members, the apparatus comprising:

a taxonomy handler comprising a processor and a database and for receiving and storing user-defined metalabels for electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members in user file structures of a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members is identifiable in the user file structures b a user filename user file path or a user domain address on a corresponding one of a plurality of server computers, and each metalabel is an identifier in addition to the user filename, user file path, or a user domain address, to organize the electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members as a function of the metalabels into a plurality of additional hierarchical structures existing simultaneously with the user file structures, wherein each of the plurality of user-defined metalabels in the plurality of additional hierarchical structures provides a server computer location of the each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, web pages, or web site members, and more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, 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, data items, web pages, or web site members in a same additional hierarchical structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a software code stored on a recordable medium and executable by the taxonomy handler for establishing and maintaining the additional hierarchical structures.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a web-scan system for automatically scanning remote web pages on a network and creating metalabels for each of the web pages from text extracted from that web pages.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of additional hierarchical structures are overlapping structures.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of users each include a different computer.

16. A computer-implemented method for organizing files, data items, or web pages, the method comprising:

automatically determining with a data processor first user-defined metalabels of a first user for each of a plurality of first user electronic files, data items, or web pages;

automatically determining with a data processor second user-defined metalabels of a second user for each of a plurality of second user electronic files, data items, or web pages, wherein each of the first user-defined metalabels and the second user-defined metalabels comprise a hierarchical metalabel including more than one metalabel term; and

the data processor automatically aggregating the first user-defined metalabels and the second user-defined metalabels into a plurality of hierarchical structures organized in at least one tree structure corresponding to the first user-defined metalabels and the second user-defined metalabels, wherein each of the more than one metalabel term of the first user-defined metalabels and the second user-defined metalabels comprises a node in the at least one tree structure, and wherein more than one of the plurality of first user and second user electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel and associated with a same node in a same tree structure.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the data processor storing each of the plurality of hierarchical structures in a database associated with the data processor; and

the data processor automatically linking the first user-defined metalabels and the second user-defined metalabels stored in the database to a corresponding one of the first user or second user electronic files, data items, or web pages.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the metalabels is an identifier in addition to a filename, file path or a domain address established by the first user or the second user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of metalabels in the plurality of hierarchical structures is associated with a server computer location of the each of the electronic files, data items, or web pages.

20. A computer-implemented method for organizing files or web pages, the method comprising:

automatically determining with a data processor user-defined metalabels of a plurality of users for each of a plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages; and

the data processor automatically aggregating the metalabels of the plurality of users into a plurality of hierarchical structures, wherein more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages is assigned a same user-defined metalabel to organize the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages in a same hierarchical structure, wherein the metalabels comprise hierarchical metalabels including more than one metalabel term and organized in at least one tree structure corresponding to the hierarchical metalabels, and each of the more than one metalabel term of the hierarchical metalabels comprises a node in the tree structure, and wherein the more than one of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages assigned the same user-defined metalabel are associated with a same node in the same hierarchical structure.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of electronic files, data items, or web pages are identifiable by a filename, file path, or domain name on a corresponding one of a plurality of server computers.