System and method utilizing virtual folders

• US 20040193621A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., Ballou, Nathaniel H., Sheldon, David J., Miner, Patrice L., Banks, Richard M., Chalivendra, Sasanka C., Kaasten, Shaun A., Moore, Jason F., Vorchik, David De
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/192 Implementing virtual folder structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method utilizing virtual folders. The virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. The virtual folders contain collections of items. The system includes a folder processor that obtains queries from a user and a relational database for storing information about the items. The folder processor first obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database. The relational database provides results back to the folder processor, and based on the results from the relational database, the folder processor provides the results to the user as virtual folders. Users are able to work with the virtual folders through direct manipulation (e.g., clicking and dragging, copying, pasting, etc.).

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items, the items having associated metadata properties, a method of exposing the items to a user, the method comprising:

selecting a first metadata property;

searching for items that have the selected first metadata property; and

providing a first virtual folder display object that represents the collection of items that have the first metadata property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual folder display object is represented as a stack.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a second metadata property is selected to create a second virtual folder within the first virtual folder, the items that are in the first virtual folder being further searched to determine if they have the second metadata property, the second virtual folder representing the items within the first virtual folder that have the second metadata property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of virtual folder display objects are provided on the display, each virtual folder display object representing a collection of items that have a selected metadata property.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a plurality of the items are also physically stored in physical folders.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a user can select to view the physical folders.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected metadata property can be added to selected items.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the addition of a metadata property to an item also causes the item to be added to a virtual folder that is based on the selected metadata property.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected metadata property is a specified category.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user can make changes to the virtual folder through direct manipulation of the virtual folder display object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one type of direct manipulation comprises clicking and dragging a virtual folder.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein clicking and dragging can be used to copy the items from a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder, and the copying is implemented at least in part by adding the selected metadata property of the second virtual folder to each of the items from the first virtual folder.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a filter is provided on the display that can be selected by a user to filter items based on the metadata property specified by the filter.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a quick link is provided on the display that can be selected by a user to view a specified collection of items.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a library is provided that includes a collection of items and a set of tools for manipulating the items of the library.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the items in a virtual folder may be physically stored in memories at different physical locations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the different physical locations comprise a present computer and at least one of a different computer, a location on a network, and an external storage device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the items comprise both file items and non-file items.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the non-file items comprise at least one of contacts or e-mails.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for implementing a method of exposing items to a user, the items having associated metadata properties, the method comprising:

selecting a first metadata property;

searching for items that have the selected first metadata property; and

providing a first virtual folder display object that represents the collection of items that have the first metadata property.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the virtual folder display object is represented as a stack.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein a second metadata property is selected to create a second virtual folder within the first virtual folder, the items that are in the first virtual folder being further searched to determine if they have the second metadata property, the second virtual folder representing the items within the first virtual folder that have the second metadata property.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein a selected metadata property can be added to selected items.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the user can make changes to the virtual folder through direct manipulation of the virtual folder display object.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the items in a virtual folder may be physically stored in memories at different physical locations.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the items comprise both file items and non-file items.

27. In a system for displaying items, the system comprising:

means for selecting a first metadata property;

means for searching for items that have the selected first metadata property; and

means for providing a first virtual folder display object that represents the collection of items that have the first metadata property.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for creating a second virtual folder within the first virtual folder.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising means to add a selected metadata property to a selected item.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the means to add a metadata property to an item comprises means for selecting a metadata property of an item and entering a new property.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for implementing direct manipulation of virtual folder display objects.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for including items from different physical locations in the search for items that have the selected first metadata property.

33. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for including both file items and non-file items in the search for items that have the selected first metadata property.

34. A system for exposing items that are stored in a memory to a user, comprising:

a folder processor that obtains queries from a user;

a relational database for storing information about items; and

wherein;

the folder processor obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database;

the relational database provides results back to the folder processor; and

based on the results from the relational database, the folder processor provides the results to the user as virtual folders.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the query is a default query that is taken from a registry.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the query is obtained from a user that has decided to change the pivot of the virtual folder view.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the query that is passed to the relational database comprises a database query object that is constructed by the folder processor.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the results that are provided back to the folder processor comprise database rows and columns.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein after receiving the results from the relational database the folder processor takes the results and converts them into an enumerator structure.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the enumerator structure is used to populate the display with the resulting virtual folders.

41. A system for displaying items, comprising:

a folder processor means;

a relational database means;

wherein;

the folder processor means obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database;

the relational database means provides results back to the folder processor; and

based on the results from the relational database means, the folder processor means provides the results to the user as virtual folders.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising means for obtaining a query from a user.

43. The system of claim 41, further comprising means for constructing a database query object that is included in the query that is passed to the relational database.

44. The system of claim 41, further comprising means for providing database rows and columns as the results that are provided back to the folder processor.

45. The system of claim 41, further comprising means for converting the results from the relational database into an enumerator structure.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising means to populate a display with virtual folders which result from the enumerator structure.

47. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items, a method for manipulating the items, comprising:

representing groups of items as virtual folders; and

providing at least a first defined action that can be performed for direct manipulation of a virtual folder, wherein when the first defined action is performed, the virtual folder is manipulated as directed by the performed action.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the defined action is clicking and dragging the virtual folder.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein clicking and dragging a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder performs the function of copying the items of the first virtual folder to the second virtual folder.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein items are contained within a virtual folder on the basis of having a selected metadata property that is the basis for the virtual folder, and the action of copying the items from a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder is implemented at least in part by adding the metadata property of the second virtual folder to each of the items from the first virtual folder.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the metadata property that is added to the items of the first virtual folder is a category.

52. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for implementing a method for manipulating items, comprising:

representing groups of items as virtual folders; and

providing at least a first defined action that can be performed for direct manipulation of a virtual folder, wherein when the first defined action is performed, the virtual folder is manipulated as directed by the performed action.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the defined action is clicking and dragging the virtual folder.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein clicking and dragging a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder performs the function of copying the items of the first virtual folder to the second virtual folder.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein items are contained within a virtual folder on the basis of having a selected metadata property that is the basis for the virtual folder, and the action of copying the items from a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder is implemented at least in part by adding the metadata property of the second virtual folder to each of the items from the first virtual folder.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the metadata property that is added to the items of the first virtual folder is a category.

57. A system for manipulating items, comprising:

means for representing groups of items as virtual folders; and

means for implementing defined direct manipulation actions for the manipulation of the virtual folders.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the means for implementing direct manipulation includes means for implementing clicking and dragging of a virtual folder.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein clicking and dragging a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder performs the function of copying the items of the first virtual folder to the second virtual folder.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein items are contained within a virtual folder on the basis of having a selected metadata property that is the basis for the virtual folder, and the action of copying the items from a first virtual folder to a second virtual folder is implemented at least in part by adding the metadata property of the second virtual folder to each of the items from the first virtual folder.