Method for accessing computer files and data, using linked categories assigned to each data file record on entry of the data file record

• US 5,544,360 A
• Filed: 02/03/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SpeedTrack, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paragon Concepts Incorporated
• Inventors: Matousek, Jon, Grzechnik, Slawek, Lewak, Jerzy
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choules, Jack M.
• Application Number:
  US08/384,379
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 364/282.1, 364/282.3, 364/283.1, 364/283.2, 364/283.3, 364/286.4, 364/286.5
• 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 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A computer filing system for accessing files and data according to user-designated criteria. The system allows the user to define a virtually unlimited number of hybrid folders by describing, using terms of their own selection, the file contents of those files which are to belong to particular hybrid folders. Such hybrid folders can be implemented on top of, and used in addition to, the normal hierarchical structured directory, or they may replace such normal structures entirely. The inventive computer file control system could therefore be used as the basis of a new computer operating system. In the process of search and retrieval, the invention ensures in two ways that the user defines a filter which will always find at least one file. The user is not required to type the key words to search but instead chooses the words from pick lists, making mistyping impossible. As the user builds the search filter definition, categories which would find no data are automatically excluded as pick list possibilities.

Claims

1. A method for accessing files in a data storage system of a computer system having means for reading and writing data from the data storage system, displaying information, and accepting user input, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) initially creating in the computer system a category description table containing a plurality of category descriptions, each category description comprising a descriptive name, the category descriptions having no predefined hierarchical relationship with such list or each other;

(b) thereafter creating in the computer system a file information directory comprising at least one entry corresponding to a file on the data storage system, each entry comprising at least a unique file identifier for the corresponding file, and a set of category descriptions selected from the category description table; and

(c) thereafter creating in the computer system a search filter comprising a set of category descriptions, wherein for each category description in the search filter there is guaranteed to be at least one entry in the file information directory having a set of category descriptions matching the set of category descriptions of the search filter.

2. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 1, wherein each category description comprises a user defined category name and a unique category description identifier created by the computer system.

3. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 2, wherein each category description further comprises a category type designation.

4. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 2, wherein the step of creating a category description table comprises the steps of:

(1) accepting user input defining a new category description;

(2) displaying the new category description;

(3) creating a unique category description identifier associated with the new category description; and

(4) storing the new category description and unique category description identifier in the category description table.

5. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 4, wherein the step of creating a file information directory comprises the steps of:

(1) accepting user input selecting a file;

(2) displaying each category description in the category description table;

(3) accepting user input associating the selected file with at least one category description selected by the user from the displayed category descriptions;

(4) creating a new entry in the file information directory;

(5) storing in the new entry the file identifier of the selected file; and

(6) storing in the new entry the category description identifier of each of the selected category descriptions.

6. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 5, wherein the data storage system further includes a file name for each file and the step of selecting a file comprises the steps of:

(1) displaying at least one file name; and

(2) accepting a user selected of a file from the displayed file names.

7. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of creating a search filter comprises the steps of:

(1) disabling category descriptions which if added to the search filter would not match the category descriptions of at least one entry in the file information directory;

(2) accepting user input selecting at least one category description as a component of the search filter.

8. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 7, wherein disabled category descriptions are indicated by means of a unique display attribute.

9. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 7, wherein the step of creating a search filter further comprises the steps of;

(1) relating at least two selected category descriptions with logical operations.

10. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 7, wherein the data storage system includes the time of creation of each file, and the step of creating a search filter further comprises the step of:

(1) accepting user input defining a time range to limit matching to only those entries in the file information directory having creation times in the selected time range.

11. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 7, wherein each category description comprises a user defined category description name and a unique category description identifier created by the computer system, and further including the step of displaying the name of each file in the file information directory having category description identifiers matching the category description identifiers of the category descriptions in the search filter.

12. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(1) selecting one of the displayed file names; and

(2) opening the file corresponding to the selected file name.

13. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of selecting a file name comprises the step of:

(1) accepting user input selecting a file from the displayed file names.

14. A method for accessing files in accordance with claim 12 wherein the step of opening a file comprises the step of:

(1) testing if only one file name is displayed, and if so, then opening the file corresponding to that file name.

15. A system for accessing files in a data storage system comprising:

(a) a plurality of files in a data storage system;

(b) a plurality of user-defined category descriptions, each category description comprising a descriptive name, the category descriptions having no predefined hierarchical relationship with such list or each other;

(c) file association means for associating at least one file with at least one category description selected from the plurality of previously defined category descriptions;

(d) category description addition means for adding one or more additional category descriptions to the plurality of user-defined category descriptions; and

(e) category linking means for linking at least one linking category description to at least one linked category description, such that if a specific file is associated with a linking category description, the user must also associate that specific file with at least one of the linked category descriptions corresponding to the linking category description.

16. A system for accessing files in a data storage system as set forth in claim 15, further including a linking reminder activated upon associating a specific file with a linking category description, such that the linking reminder provides an indication to the user that the user must associate that file with at least one of the linked category descriptions corresponding to the linking category description.

17. A system for accessing files in a data storage system as set forth in claim 15, further including password-controlled file encryption means for encrypting at least one of the plurality of files, such that if a specific file is encrypted, associating that file with a category requires provision by the user of a password, and any access to that file requires provision by the user of a password.

18. A system for accessing files in a data storage system of a computer system having means for reading and writing data from the data storage system, displaying information, and accepting user input, wherein each file located on the data storage system has a file name, the system comprising:

(a) means for initially defining in the computer system at least one list having a plurality of category descriptions, each category description comprising a descriptive name, the category descriptions having no predefined hierarchical relationship with such list or each other;

(b) means for thereafter accepting user input associating with a file at least one category description from at least one defined list;

(c) means for storing in the data storage system a file record containing at least the file name, file location information, and the associated category descriptions for the file;

(d) means for displaying from each defined list, as selectable items, only those category descriptions associated with at least one file;

(e) means for accepting user positional input defining a search filter of at least one category description selected from at least one displayed defined list;

(f) means for automatically disabling, in the computer system, selectability of all other category descriptions in each displayed list that do not have associated files which are also associated with the category descriptions of the defined search filter;

(g) means for searching in the computer system the category descriptions of each stored file record for a logical match to the category descriptions of the defined search filter;

(h) means for displaying the file names of all file records having category descriptions that logically match each category description of the defined search filter.

19. The system for accessing files of claim 18, further including:

(a) means for accepting user input selecting at least one file from the displayed file names;

(b) means for accessing each selected file on the data storage system using the file location information from the file record associated with each corresponding selected file.

20. A method for accessing files in a data storage system of a computer system having means for reading and writing data from the data storage system, displaying information, and accepting user input, wherein each file located on the data storage system has a file name, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) initially defining in the computer system at least one list having a plurality of category descriptions, each category description comprising a descriptive name, the category descriptions having no predefined hierarchical relationship with such list or each other;

(b) thereafter accepting user input associating with a file at least one category description from at least one defined list;

(c) storing in the data storage system a file record containing at least the file name, file location information, and the associated category descriptions for the file;

(d) displaying from each defined list, as selectable items, only those category descriptions associated with at least one file;

(e) accepting user positional input defining a search filter of at least one category description selected from at least one displayed defined list;

(f) automatically disabling, in the computer system, selectability of all other category descriptions in each displayed list that do not have associated files which are also associated with the category descriptions of the defined search filter;

(g) searching in the computer system the category descriptions of each stored file record for a logical match to the category descriptions of the defined search filter;

(h) displaying the file names of all file records having category descriptions that logically match each category description of the defined search filter.

21. The method for accessing files of claim 20, further including the steps of:

(a) accepting user input selecting at least one file from the displayed file names;

(b) accessing each selected file on the data storage system using the file location information from the file record associated with each corresponding selected file.