Method and system for graphical file management

• US 20030156119A1
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allan R. Bonadio
• Original Assignee: Allan R. Bonadio
• Inventors: Bonadio, Allan R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable media for graphically identifying properties of files represented on a user interface, such as a computer display. File properties such as file permissions, file ages and relative file sizes may be graphically represented using color encoding of icons in part or in total, color encoding of text associated with icons representative of files, unique icon shapes and relatively sized icons, as well as combinations of these features.

Claims

1. A method for graphically representing properties of files, directories and the like on a computer display, said method comprising:

determining at least one file property of a file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating at least one color assignment with the file, the color assigned being indicative of the file property that is determined; and

displaying at least a portion of one of text and graphics on the display in the color assigned to graphically indicate the file property to a user, wherein the at least one of text and graphics are indicative of the file the property of which is being displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one file property is selected from file properties comprising permissions and ages of the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file is a data file, text file, executable file, symlink, directory, sub-directory, folder, linking file or graphics file.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said permissions properties comprise read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said ages comprise time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein various categories of users are defined relative to said permission properties.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said various categories comprise owner, group, world.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first color is associated with the file property viewed by an owner or superuser and permitted only to the owner or superuser, a second color is associated with the file property viewed by an owner or superuser and permitted only to the owner, superuser and group, and a third color is associated with the file property viewed by an owner or superuser and permitted to the world category.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a fourth color is associated with the file property viewed by a group member other than an owner or superuser and permitted to the group, and a fifth color is associated with the file property viewed by a group member other than an owner or superuser and not permitted to the group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a fourth color is associated with the file property viewed by a world member other than an owner or superuser and permitted to the world, and a fifth color is associated with the file property viewed by a world member other than an owner or superuser and not permitted to the world.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the fourth color is associated with the file property viewed by a world member other than an owner or superuser and permitted to the world, and the fifth color is associated with the file property viewed by a world member other than an owner or superuser and not permitted to the world.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a fourth color is associated with the file property viewed by an owner or superuser and not permitted to the owner or superuser.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a fifth color is associated with the file property when an illogical permission scheme has been assigned.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein a color assignment associated with a file property relating to the age of the file is selected from a plurality of colors, each of the plurality of colors being associated with a different elapsed time interval, and wherein the color assignment associated is the color associated with the elapsed time interval that is nearest the age to be represented.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein a color assignment associated with a file property relating to the age of the file is derived from two colors selected from a plurality of colors, each of the plurality of colors being associated with a different elapsed time interval, and wherein the color assignment is accomplished by determining two adjacent time intervals wherein the first of the two adjacent time intervals is less than the age and the second of the two adjacent time intervals is greater than the age, and interpolating between first and second colors associated with the first and second adjacent time intervals, based upon the relative time distance of the age from each of the first and second adjacent time intervals.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least a second file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a second color assignment with the file, the second color assigned being indicative of the second file property that is determined; and

displaying the second color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the second file property to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first file property is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions and the second file property is different from the first file property and is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first file property is an age property selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed, and the second file property is an age property different from the first file property and is selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphics comprises an icon, the first color is displayed in an inner portion of the icon, and the second color is displayed on an outer portion of the icon.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphics comprises an icon, the first color is displayed on at least a portion of the icon, and the second color is displayed on the text.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining at least a third file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a third color assignment with the file, the third color assigned being indicative of the third file property that is determined; and

displaying the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the third file property to the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first file property is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions, the second file property is different from the first file property and is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions, and the third file property is different from the first and second file properties and is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first file property is an age property selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed, the second file property is an age property different from the first file property and is selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed, and the third file property is an age property different from the first and second file properties and is selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the graphics comprises an icon, the first color is displayed in a first portion of the icon, the second color is displayed in a second portion of the icon and the third color is displayed in at least a portion of the text.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first color is displayed in an inner portion of the icon and the second color is displayed on an outer portion of the icon.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphics comprises an icon shaped to graphically represent the particular type of file that the icon is associated with.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of the content and depletion properties of the file;

assigning a size index to the graphics assigned to graphically indicate the relative size of the file; and

displaying the graphics in a size indicated by the size index.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the graphics are displayed in a font size the same as the text when the file size or depletion is substantially zero.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein said size index logarithmically scales the relative sizes in which the graphics are to be represented.

30. A method for graphically representing properties of files, directories and the like on a computer display, said method comprising:

determining at least one file property of a file to be graphically represented on the display;

determining and assigning a size index to graphics to be graphically displayed to the file property; and

displaying the graphics in a size determined by the size index.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one file property comprises file content.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one file property comprises depletion of a directory or file.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the file property is depletion of a directory, said determining a size index comprises logarithmically scaling a default graphic size according to a quotient of the depletion of the directory divided by a depletion of a parent directory in which the directory resides.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein a default graphics size is displayed when the depletion of the directory is less than or equal to a value from which a calculated size index would indicate use of the default graphics size.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising assigning a unique icon to indicate an empty directory or empty file when the size of the associated directory or file is determined to be zero.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the file property is file content, said determining a size index comprises comparing the file content with a total depletion of a directory in which the file content resides, and said assigning comprises assigning a largest size index available when it is determined that the file content is greater than or equal to the total depletion.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the file property is file content, said determining a size index comprises logarithmically scaling a default graphic size according to a quotient of the file content divided by a total content of a directory in which the file content resides.

38. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

determining at least a second file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating at least one color assignment with the file, the color assigned being indicative of the at least a second file property that is determined; and

displaying at least a portion of one of text and graphics on the display in the color assigned to graphically indicate the file property to a user, wherein the text and graphics are indicative of the file the properties of which are being displayed.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

determining at least a third file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a second color assignment with the file, the second color assigned being indicative of the third file property that is determined; and

displaying the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the third file property to the user.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

determining at least a fourth file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a third color assignment with the file, the third color assigned being indicative of the fourth file property that is determined; and

displaying the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the fourth file property to the user.

41. A method of graphically identifying properties of files, said method comprising:

assigning various colors to varying values of a single file property to enable visual differentiation among the varying values; and

displaying at least a portion of at least one of an icon and a textual display which is representative of a file, on a display in an assigned color indicative of the value of the file property being displayed.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising assigning various colors to varying values of a second file property to be displayed on the at least a portion of at least one of an icon and textual display;

selecting one of the first or second file properties to be displayed; and

displaying the assigned color of the file property to be displayed on the at least a portion of at least one of the icon and textual display.

43. A method of graphically identifying properties of files, said method comprising:

assigning an icon shape to an icon to be displayed to identify the file, wherein the icon shape graphically indicates the type of file being represented;

assigning a size index to the icon to display the icon in relative size indicative of the relative size of the file being represented; and

displaying the icon in the assigned shape and size.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

assigning at least one color to the icon which is indicative of another property of the file; and

displaying the at least one color on at least a portion of the icon.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said assigning at least one color to the icon comprises assigning at least two colors to the icon which are indicative of two properties of the file.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

displaying a textual identifier of the file along with the display of the icon;

assigning at least one color to at least one of the icon and textual identifier which is indicative of another property of the file; and

displaying the at least one color on at least a portion of the at least one of the icon and textual identifier.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said assigning at least one color comprises assigning at least two colors to at least one of the icon and textual identifier, said at least two colors being indicative of two properties of the file.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein said assigning at least one color comprises assigning at least three colors to the icon and textual identifier;

and displaying two of said colors on different portions of said icon and one of said colors on said textual indicator.

49. A system for graphically representing properties of files, directories and the like on a computer display, said method comprising:

means for determining at least one file property of a file to be graphically represented on the display;

means for associating at least one color assignment with the file, the color assigned being indicative of the file property that is determined; and

means for displaying at least a portion of one of text and graphics on the display in the color assigned to graphically indicate the file property to a user, wherein the at least one of text and graphics are indicative of the file the property of which is being displayed.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the at least one file property is selected from file properties comprising permissions and ages of the file.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the file is a data file, text file, executable file, symlink, directory, sub-directory, folder, linking file or graphics file.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein a color assignment associated with a file property relating to the age of the file is selected from a plurality of colors, each of the plurality of colors being associated with a different elapsed time interval, and wherein the color assignment associated is the color associated with the elapsed time interval that is nearest the age to be represented.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein a color assignment associated with a file property relating to the age of the file is derived from two colors selected from a plurality of colors, each of the plurality of colors being associated with a different elapsed time interval, and wherein the color assignment is accomplished by determining two adjacent time intervals wherein the first of the two adjacent time intervals is less than the age and the second of the two adjacent time intervals is greater than the age, and interpolating between first and second colors associated with the first and second adjacent time intervals, based upon the relative time distance of the age from each of the first and second adjacent time intervals.

54. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

means for determining at least a second file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

means for associating a second color assignment with the file, the second color assigned being indicative of the second file property that is determined, wherein said means for displaying displays the second color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the second file property to the user.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the first file property is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions and the second file property is different from the first file property and is selected from read permissions, write permissions and execute permissions.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein the first file property is an age property selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed, and the second file property is an age property different from the first file property and is selected from time since the file was last read, time since the file was last written to and time since the file was created or had the header changed.

57. The system of claim 54, wherein said means for displaying displays the graphics in the form of an icon, the first color is displayed in an inner portion of the icon, and the second color is displayed on an outer portion of the icon.

58. The system of claim 54, wherein said means for displaying displays the graphics in the form of an icon, the first color is displayed on at least a portion of the icon, and the second color is displayed on the text.

59. The system of claim 54, further comprising:

means for determining at least a third file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

means for associating a third color assignment with the file, the third color assigned being indicative of the third file property that is determined, wherein said means for displaying displays the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the third file property to the user.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said means for displaying displays the graphics in the form of an icon, the first color is displayed in a first portion of the icon, the second color is displayed in a second portion of the icon and the third color is displayed in at least a portion of the text.

61. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

means for determining at least one of the content and depletion properties of the file; and

means for assigning a size index to the graphics assigned to graphically indicate the relative size of the file;

wherein said means for displaying displays the graphics in a size indicated by the size index.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the graphics are displayed in a font size the same as the text when the file size or depletion is substantially zero.

63. The system of claim 61, wherein said means for assigning a size index logarithmically scales the relative sizes in which the graphics are to be represented.

64. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for graphically representing properties of files, directories and the like on a computer display, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining at least one file property of a file to be graphically represented on the display;

determining and assigning a size index to graphics to be graphically displayed to the file property; and

displaying the graphics in a size determined by the size index.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the at least one file property comprises file content.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the at least one file property comprises depletion of a directory or file.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the file property is depletion of a directory or file, said determining a size index comprises logarithmically scaling a default graphic size according to a quotient of the depletion of the directory or file divided by a depletion of a parent directory in which the directory or file resides.

68. The computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein a default graphics size is displayed when the depletion of the directory or file is less than or equal to a value from which a calculated size index would indicate use of the default graphics size.

69. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein a unique icon is assigned to indicate an empty directory or empty file when the size of the associated directory or file is determined to be zero.

70. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the file property is file content, said determining a size index comprises comparing the file content with a total depletion of a directory in which the file content resides, and said assigning comprises assigning a largest size index available when it is determined that the file content is greater than or equal to the total depletion.

71. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the file property is file content, said determining a size index comprises logarithmically scaling a default graphic size according to a quotient of the file content divided by a total content of a directory in which the file content resides.

72. The computer readable medium of claim 64, wherein the following further steps are performed:

determining at least a second file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating at least one color assignment with the file, the color assigned being indicative of the at least a second file property that is determined; and

displaying at least a portion of one of text and graphics on the display in the color assigned to graphically indicate the file property to a user, wherein the text and graphics are indicative of the file the properties of which are being displayed.

73. The computer readable medium of claim 72, wherein the following further steps are performed:

determining at least a third file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a second color assignment with the file, the second color assigned being indicative of the third file property that is determined; and

displaying the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the third file property to the user.

74. The computer readable medium of claim 73, wherein the following further steps are performed:

determining at least a fourth file property of the file to be graphically represented on the display;

associating a third color assignment with the file, the third color assigned being indicative of the fourth file property that is determined; and

displaying the third color on at least a portion of the graphics or text to graphically indicate the fourth file property to the user.

75. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for graphically identifying properties of files, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

assigning various colors to varying values of a single file property to enable visual differentiation among the varying values; and

displaying at least a portion of at least one of an icon and a textual display which is representative of a file, on a display in an assigned color indicate of the value of the file property being displayed.

76. The computer readable medium of claim 75, wherein the following further steps are performed:

assigning various colors to varying values of a second file property to be displayed on the at least a portion of at least one of an icon and textual display;

selecting one of the first or second file properties to be displayed; and

displaying the assigned color of the file property to be displayed on the at least a portion of at least one of the icon and textual display.

77. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for graphically identifying properties of files, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

assigning an icon shape to an icon to be displayed to identify the file, wherein the icon shape graphically indicates the type of file being represented;

assigning a size index to the icon to display the icon in relative size indicative of the relative size of the file being represented; and

displaying the icon in the assigned shape and size.

78. The computer readable medium of claim 77, wherein the following further steps are performed:

assigning at least one color to the icon which is indicative of another property of the file; and

displaying the at least one color on at least a portion of the icon.

79. The computer readable medium of claim 78, wherein said assigning at least one color to the icon comprises assigning at least two colors to the icon which are indicative of two properties of the file.

80. The computer readable medium of claim 77, wherein the following further steps are performed:

displaying a textual identifier of the file along with the display of the icon;

assigning at least one color to at least one of the icon and textual identifier which is indicative of another property of the file; and

displaying the at least one color on at least a portion of the at least one of the icon and textual identifier.

81. The computer readable medium of claim 80, wherein said assigning at least one color comprises assigning at least two colors to at least one of the icon and textual identifier, said at least two colors being indicative of two properties of the file.

82. The computer readable medium of claim 80, wherein said assigning at least one color comprises assigning at least three colors to the icon and textual identifier;

and displaying two of said colors on different portions of said icon and one of said colors on said textual indicator.