System and method for filtering and organizing items based on common elements

• US 7,707,197 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kaasten, Shaun A., Ivanovic, Relja, Tubbs, Kenneth M., Miner, Patrice L., De Vorchik, David G., Banks, Richard M., Moore, Jason F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya; Fred I
• Application Number:
  US11/548,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.001, 707/999.01, 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 707/999.107, 707/999.2, 715/210, 715/774, 715/835, 715/854
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• 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 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for filtering and organizing items from computer memories based on common elements is provided. Filters can be provided for manipulating the items, which serve as tools for narrowing down a set of items. The filters can be dynamically generated based on the properties of the separate items. The system can utilize virtual folders. The virtual folders can 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. Quick links can be provided, which serve as a set of predefined links (e.g., located on the left side of the display) that can be clicked on to generate useful views of the sets of items. Libraries, which can provide large groups of usable types of items that can be associated together, may also be used.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable components for implementing a method of filtering items with metadata properties, the items being represented on a display, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of display objects on the display that each represent at least one item from a hierarchical file system structure;

presenting a filter term on the display that corresponds to a metadata property that is shared by a plurality of the items, wherein the filter term is not based on the hierarchical file system structure; and

responsive to selection of the filter term, displaying a virtual folder corresponding to a value of the metadata property, wherein the virtual folder represents each item from the hierarchical file system structure that has the value of the metadata property and the selection of the filter term causes the items that are represented on the display to be reduced to the items that share the metadata property.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the selection of the filter term displays one virtual folder for at least some of the different values of the metadata property possessed by an item, each virtual folder representing each item that has a respective different value of the metadata property.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein each virtual folder includes a numerical representation of the number of items contained therein.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein at least one item is represented by two different virtual folders.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the metadata properties of the items that are represented by the display objects; and

dynamically generating the filter term that corresponds to the metadata property that is shared by the plurality of the items based on the evaluation of metadata properties.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein a quick link is provided on the display, and the selection of the quick link provides a view of a predefined collection of items.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the quick link corresponds to a category of metadata.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the quick link corresponds to a specified value within a category of metadata.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media 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, and the filter term is configured to be used for filtering the items of the library.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the library comprises a shell browser.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein at least some of the items that are represented by the display objects on the display are physically stored in different physical folders.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the different physical folders are stored at different physical locations comprising a present computer and at least one of a different computer, a location on a network, and an external storage device.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the items that are represented by the display objects on the display comprise both file items and non-file items.

14. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable components for implementing a method of filtering items with metadata properties, the items being represented on a display, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of display objects on the display that each represent one or more items, wherein one or more of the display objects comprises a virtual folder;

evaluating the metadata properties of the items that are represented by the display objects;

dynamically generating a filter term that corresponds to a metadata property that is shared by a plurality of the items based on the evaluation of metadata properties, wherein the filter term is not based on a hierarchical file system structure; and

presenting the filter term on the display, wherein the selection of the filter term causes the items that are represented on the display to be reduced to the items that share the metadata property.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein a quick link is provided on the display, and the selection of the quick link provides a view of a predefined collection of items.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein a library is provided that includes a collection of items and a set of tools for manipulating the items of the library, and the filter term is configured to be used for filtering the items of the library.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein at least some of the items that are represented by the display objects on the display are physically stored in different physical folders.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the items that are represented by the display objects on the display comprise both file items and non-file items.

19. In a computer system having a display and a memory for storing items with metadata properties, a method of filtering items comprising:

providing a plurality of display objects on the display that each represent at least one item from a hierarchical file system structure;

presenting a filter term on the display that corresponds to a metadata property that is shared by a plurality of the items, wherein the filter term is not based on one or more common properties of the plurality of display objects in the hierarchical file system structure; and

responsive to selection of the filter term, displaying a virtual folder corresponding to a value of the metadata property, wherein the virtual folder represents each item that has the value of the metadata property and the selection of the filter term causes the items that are represented on the display to be reduced to the items that share the metadata property.