ELECTRONIC BACKUP OF APPLICATIONS

• US 20120124507A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Paterson, Toby Charles Wood, Lyons, David, Robert, Julien Yann, Cisler, Pavel, Chinn, Robert M., Jalon, Julien Jacques, Arrouye, Yan
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• 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 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for storing and restoring digital data. In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, while a current view of an application is displayed in a user interface, a first user input requesting that a history view associated with the current view of the application be displayed, retrieve data associated with the history view, determining a presentation format for the data, and displaying the history view in response to the first user input in accordance with the presentation format, the history view including data associated with at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the current view of the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, while a current view of an application is displayed in a user interface, a first user input requesting that a history view associated with the current view of the application be displayed;

retrieve data associated with the history view;

determining a presentation format for the data; and

displaying the history view in response to the first user input in accordance with the presentation format, the history view including data associated with at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the current view of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, where the earlier version of the current view includes a first element, and further comprising:

receiving, while the history view is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view of the application be modified according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view of the application according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element.

3. The method of claim 1, where the presentation format includes an application interface that is similar to the interface provided in the current view of the application.

4. The method of claim 3, where generating the history view of the application interface includes generating a simplified application interface.

5. The method of claim 4, where generating a simplified application interface includes omitting metadata associated with the application interface from display.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a restored items folder in the current application and where modifying the current view of the application includes storing the first element in the restored items folder.

7. A method comprising:

identifying application data to store during a first backup operation, the application data including a plurality of application files and an index;

storing the application data during the first backup operation; and

storing a backup index, the backup index being a subset of the index.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initiating a second backup operation, including storing changed application data relative to the first backup operation and updating the backup index.

9. The method of claim 7, where the application is an e-mail application.

10. A system comprising:

an application, the application including a user interface providing interaction with data associated with the application;

a backup component configured to store backup data capturing views of the application; and

a helper application, the helper application being configured to interpret the backup data in order to generate visual representations for a backup interface.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an interface coupling the backup component and the helper application, the interface providing a communication link between the backup component and the helper application such that a backup user interface can display a captured view of the application.