USER INTERFACE FOR A DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120110515A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cary Scott Abramoff, Leonard Dean Blumenthal
• Original Assignee: Cary Scott Abramoff, Leonard Dean Blumenthal
• Inventors: Abramoff, Cary Scott, Blumenthal, Leonard Dean
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A graphical user interface and digital content processor for the management of digital data. The graphical user interface is characterized by two treeview controls capable of transforming the screen display of items under management by acting as a filtering mechanism for the category value pairs inherent in every item under management. The treeview controls folders, or nodes, transform the screen display of data under management to filter by the category values represented by the treeview controls'"'"' folders when selected.

Claims

1. A digital content management system shell browser defined by computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media, said digital content management system shell browser navigable by a user to manage a plurality of data items, said digital content management system shell browser comprising:

a. an items pane control listing a plurality of data items selectable by the user, wherein every data item comprises a pair of distinct classificatory categories in addition to digital content, and

b. wherein said plurality of data items are stored in, and retrieved from, a computer system database, or, from one, or more, networked database servers;

c. wherein said pair of distinct classificatory categories represents two potential values for filtering said data items;

d. a first treeview control navigable by the user to identify a primary, and discrete, set of root-level categories selectable by the user, and

1. wherein said root-level categories correspond to exactly one, of the two, of said data items'"'"' said classificatory categories, forming exactly one half, of said pair, of distinct classificatory categories, and

2. wherein said root-level categories act as a filter upon said data items by filtering on one of said data items'"'"' classificatory categories, and

3. wherein said root-level categories are expandable, selectable, and navigable by the user to identify a potential, nested level of different categories, and

4. wherein said different categories act as a secondary, and additional filter upon said data items in conjunction with the containing root-level category value thereof, and

5. wherein said nested level of different categories represents one, or more, pre-existing category-pairs of said data items'"'"' distinct classificatory categories;

e. a second treeview control navigable by the user to identify a secondary, and discrete, set of root-level categories selectable by the user, and

1. wherein said second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories correspond to exactly one, of the two, of said data items'"'"' said classificatory categories forming exactly one half, of said pair, of distinct classificatory categories,

2. and wherein said second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories represent the exact, other half of said data items'"'"' category-pair, where the first half is represented by, said first treeview control'"'"'s, said root-level categories, and

3. wherein said secondary set of root-level categories act as a filter upon said data items by filtering on one of said data items'"'"' classificatory categories, and

4. wherein said secondary, set of root-level categories are expandable, selectable, and navigable by the user to identify a potential, nested level of different categories, and

5. wherein said different categories act as a secondary, and additional, filter upon said data items in conjunction with the containing, root-level, category value thereof; and

6. wherein said nested level of different categories represents one, or more, pre-existing category-pairs of said data items'"'"' distinct classificatory categories; and

f. wherein the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories nested, secondary categories are comprised by, and map directly, to the second treeview control'"'"'s, root-level, categories, and;

g. wherein the second treeview control'"'"'s, root-level categories, nested, secondary categories are comprised by, and map directly to, the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories, and;

h. wherein the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories nested, secondary categories act as a synchronizing filter upon the second treeview control to dynamically display the corresponding, identical, root-level category value to display any, and all, potential, nested, secondary categories, and;

i. wherein the second treeview control'"'"'s, root-level, categories nested, secondary categories act as a synchronizing filter upon the first treeview control to dynamically display the corresponding identical, root-level, category value to display any, and all, potential, nested, secondary categories,

whereby said digital content management system shell browser empowers a user to easily locate, organize, and correlate said data items, and said first treeview control'"'"'s, and said second treeview control'"'"'s, respective classificatory category value pairings as existent within said data items.

2. The digital content management system shell browser of claim 1, further including a rich digital content item detail display feature, enabling a user to display a selected data item'"'"'s digital content.

3. The digital content management system shell browser of claim 1, further including a filter, upon on a selected data item'"'"'s category-pair, button, which, when clicked by a user acts as a synchronizing filter upon said first treeview control, and said second treeview control, to dynamically display their respective, corresponding, identical, root-level category values, and to further display any, and all, said potential, nested, secondary categories.

4. The digital content management system shell browser of claim 1, further including a search tab comprising a partial text search entry area whereby text entered by a user will initiate a search within said data items, presenting a list of any, and all, data items containing said text.

5. The digital content management system shell browser of claim 1, further including an items pane toolbar comprising an export button for said data items allowing a user to export a plurality of one or more of the said data items to be exported to popular computer file formats.

6. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions providing a user-navigable digital content management system shell browser executable within an operating system of a data processing device said digital content management system shell browser exposing a user interface, or display, comprising:

a. an items pane control presenting a sequential listing of a plurality of data items selectable by the user, wherein every data item comprises a pair of distinct classificatory categories, and a unique item identifier, and

b. wherein said pair of distinct classificatory categories represents two potential values for filtering said data items; and

c. a files pane presenting a sequential list of a plurality of computer files and metadata values, and

d. wherein said computer files are related to said data items according to said data items'"'"' unique item identifier;

e. a data entry form enabling a user to enter rich digital content to create, and/or edit, said data items;

f. a web-browser viewable page displaying a read-only version of said data items'"'"' digital content, and associated computer files;

g. a first treeview control presenting a user-navigable, primary, and discrete, set of root-level categories selectable by the user,

1. wherein said root-level categories correspond to exactly one, of the two, of said data items said classificatory categories, forming exactly one half of said pair of distinct categories, and

2. wherein said root-level categories represent a filter upon said data items by filtering on one of said data items'"'"' two classificatory categories, and

3. wherein said presented root-level categories are expandable, selectable, and user-navigable, further presenting a potential, nested level of different categories, and

4. wherein said different categories present a secondary, and additional, filter, upon said data items in addition to the containing root-level category value thereof; and

5. wherein said nested level of different categories represents one, or more, pre-existing category-pairs of said data items'"'"' distinct classificatory categories;

h. a second treeview control presenting a user-navigable secondary, and discrete, set of user-selectable root-level categories, and

1. wherein said second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories correspond to exactly one, of the two, of said data items'"'"' said classificatory categories forming exactly one half, of said pair, of distinct classificatory categories,

2. wherein said second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories correspond to exactly one, of the two, of said data items'"'"' said classificatory categories, representing exactly one half, of said pair, of distinct categories, and

3. wherein said second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories represent the exact, second half, of said data items'"'"' category-pair, where the first half is represented by said first treeview control'"'"'s said root-level categories, and

4. wherein said secondary set of root-level categories represent a filter upon said data items by presenting a filtering mechanism on one of said data items'"'"' classificatory categories, and

5. wherein said secondary set of root-level categories present an expandable, selectable, and user-navigable nested level of different categories, and

6. wherein said different categories present a secondary, and additional, filter upon said data items, in conjunction with, the containing root-level category value thereof;

i. wherein the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories nested, secondary categories are comprised by, and directly reference, the second treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories, and;

j. wherein the second treeview control'"'"'s, root-level categories, nested, secondary categories are comprised by, and map directly to, the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories, and;

k. wherein the first treeview control'"'"'s root-level categories nested, secondary categories transform the second treeview control to present, or synchronize, the corresponding, identical, root-level category value thereby displaying any, and all, potential, nested, secondary categories, and;

l. wherein the second treeview control'"'"'s, root-level, categories nested, secondary categories transform the first treeview control to present, or synchronize, the corresponding identical, root-level, category value thereby displaying any, and all, potential, nested, secondary categories,

whereby said user interface enables a user to easily locate and correlate said data items, and said first treeview control'"'"'s, and said second treeview control'"'"'s, respective classificatory category pairs existent within said digital content management system'"'"'s stored data items.

7. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser further comprises an explorer mode toggle control selectably changeable by the user to direct said first treeview control'"'"'s, and said second treeview control'"'"'s, respective classificatory categories to filter upon said items pane, or, said files pane accordingly.

8. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises a details editor tab exposing functionality for a user to add, and/or edit, rich digital content, and/or html.

9. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises an email/share tab exposing functionality for a user to generate a URL link for said data item that points to said web-browser viewable page displaying said data item, and any, and all, associated computer files.

10. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises an attachments tab exposing functionality for a user to add, rename, or delete, computer files associated with said data items.

11. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises an add video tab exposing functionality for a user to embed video in said data items.

12. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises a minibrowser tab exposing functionality for a user to embed web pages in said data items.

13. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises an item info tab exposing functionality for a user to add, and/or, edit metadata values for said data items comprising an item type identifier enabling a user to label said data items as tasks.

14. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s data entry form further comprises an item info tab exposing functionality for a user to add, and/or, edit metadata values for said data items comprising an item type identifier enabling a user to label said data items as tasks.

15. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s web-browser viewable page further comprises a supersave me button exposing functionality for a user to clone said data items, and said associated computer files.

16. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s said items pane further comprises a selected items checkbox column enabling a user to select one or more of the plurality of said data items.

17. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s said files pane further comprises a selected files checkbox column enabling a user to select one or more of the plurality of said computer files.

18. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s said items pane further comprises a selected items filter checkbox selectable by a user, and wherein when the user selects the checkbox said items pane filters said data items to display all previously selected data items from one or more of the plurality of data items.

19. The computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the digital content management system shell browser'"'"'s said files pane further comprises a selected files checkbox filter selectable by a user, and wherein when the user selects the checkbox said files pane filters said computer files to display all previously selected computer files from one or more of the plurality of said computer files.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions providing a user-navigable digital content management system shell browser executable within an operating system of a data processing device, said digital content management system shell browser exposing a user interface, comprising:

a. an items pane presenting a sequential list of digital data items comprising digital content, and metadata values, wherein the sequential list of metadata values is comprised by a distinct, dual, category-pair;

b. a first treeview control presenting a hierarchical tree of root-level, classificatory categories wherein said tree of classificatory categories corresponds to one of said data items'"'"' category-related metadata values;

c. a second treeview control presenting a sequential tree of root-level, classificatory categories wherein said tree of classificatory categories corresponds to one of said data items'"'"' category-related metadata values thereby complementing the first treeview controls'"'"' said corresponding root-level category values, and vice-versa; and

d. wherein both said first, and second, treeview controls classificatory categories comprise a second level of classificatory categories referencing the data item'"'"'s category-pairs such that they comprise a dual category-pair filter controller enabling users to further restrict one or more of the of the plurality of data items by said first, and second, treeview controls respective second level category values, and said first, and second, treeview controls'"'"' respective root-level category values corresponding to existing category-pairs comprised within the data items, and

1. wherein said second level of classificatory categories reference the corresponding root-level category values in the opposite treeview controls and,

2. wherein said reference further restricts the plurality of root-level categories to display the referenced, corresponding category value, and any, and all, associated second level categories corresponding to category-pairs said root-level category values are active participating members in, within said data items, thereby providing a cross-referencing mechanism between the two treeview controls corresponding to category metadata values found within said data items,

whereby said digital content management system shell browser enables a user to easily locate and correlate said data items, and classificatory categories'"'"' pairings within said data items.