U.S. patent application number 15/929996 was filed with the patent office on 2020-11-19 for methods and systems for managing data.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Yan Arrouye, Imran Chaudhri, Gregory Christie, Pavel Cisler, Dominic Giampaolo, Stephen Olivier Lemay, Bas Ording, Kevin Tiene, Marcel van OS.
Application Number | 20200364231 15/929996 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005001420 |
Filed Date | 2020-11-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200364231 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arrouye; Yan ; et
al. |
November 19, 2020 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING DATA
Abstract
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one
exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different
software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is
searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file
differs from the type of information in metadata for another type
of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems
and machine readable media are also described.
Inventors: |
Arrouye; Yan; (Los Altos,
CA) ; Giampaolo; Dominic; (Lewiston, ME) ;
Ording; Bas; (San Francisco, CA) ; Christie;
Gregory; (San Jose, CA) ; Lemay; Stephen Olivier;
(Palo Alto, CA) ; van OS; Marcel; (Santa Cruz,
CA) ; Chaudhri; Imran; (San Francisco, CA) ;
Tiene; Kevin; (Cupertino, CA) ; Cisler; Pavel;
(Redwood City, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005001420 |
Appl. No.: |
15/929996 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15708083 |
Sep 18, 2017 |
10678799 |
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15929996 |
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14716752 |
May 19, 2015 |
9767161 |
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15708083 |
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11351249 |
Feb 8, 2006 |
9063942 |
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14716752 |
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11112350 |
Apr 22, 2005 |
7437358 |
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11351249 |
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10877584 |
Jun 25, 2004 |
7730012 |
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11112350 |
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60643087 |
Jan 7, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 707/99934 20130101;
Y10S 707/99933 20130101; G06F 16/14 20190101; G06F 16/38 20190101;
Y10S 707/99935 20130101; G06F 16/24578 20190101; Y10S 707/99943
20130101; Y10S 707/99939 20130101; G06F 16/248 20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 16/2457 20060101
G06F016/2457; G06F 16/14 20060101 G06F016/14; G06F 16/38 20060101
G06F016/38; G06F 16/248 20060101 G06F016/248 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. A machine implemented method comprising: displaying text within
a text processing application; receiving a selection of at least
some of the text; receiving a selection of a command to search a
plurality of files using the selection; displaying results of a
search of the plurality of files.
3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the selection is through a pop-up
menu which appears associated with the selection and wherein the
text processing application is capable of creating a new text
document which contains character codes which represent text
characters.
4. A method as in claim 2 wherein the search is performed through
metadata for a plurality of different files having different file
types such that the type of data in metadata for one file type is
different than the type of data in metadata for another file type
and wherein the search is a substantially system wide search and
wherein the selection of at least some of the text is received
within the text processing application and the selection of the
command is received by the text processing application and wherein
the text processing application is at least one of a text editor or
a word processor or a pdf document processor.
5. A machine implemented method comprising: running an application
in a system; and receiving a selection of information that is part
of a file being processed by the application to launch a system
wide search operation, through another software component, based on
the information.
6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the search is launched from
within the application.
7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the search is for data or
metadata of files in the system.
8. A method as in claim 7 wherein the search is performed thorough
metadata for a plurality of different files having different file
types such that the type of data in metadata for one type of file
is different than the type of data in metadata for another type of
file.
9. A method as in claim 7 wherein the information comprises at
least one of text currently highlighted in the application, the
name of an author of a file being run in the application and the
name of a file being run in the application.
10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the user is automatically
presented with a list of items associated with the application or
the file being processed by the application and given the choice to
select the information that is used to launch the search
operation.
11. A machine implemented method comprising: running a text
processing application in a computer system; selecting some text
currently being processed by the application; and automatically
using the selected text to launch a system wide search operation
based on the selected text.
12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the search is launched from
within the application.
13. A method as in claim 11 wherein the search is for data or
metadata of files in the computer system.
14. A method as in claim 11 wherein the search is performed
thorough metadata for a plurality of different files having
different file types such that metadata for one type of file is
different than metadata for another type of file.
15. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when
executed cause a system to perform a method comprising: displaying
text within a text processing application; receiving a selection of
at least some of the text; receiving a selection of a command to
search a plurality of files using the selection; displaying results
of a search of the plurality of files.
16. A medium as in claim 15 wherein the selection is through a
pop-up menu which appears associated with the selection and wherein
the text processing application is capable of creating a new text
document which contains character codes which represent text
characters.
17. A medium as in claim 15 wherein the search is performed through
metadata for a plurality of different files having different file
types such that the type of data in metadata for one file type is
different than the type of data in metadata for another file type
and wherein the search is a substantially system wide search and
wherein the selection of at least some of the text is received
within the text processing application and the selection of the
command is received by the text processing application and wherein
the text processing application is at least one of a text editor or
a word processor or a pdf document processor.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/708,083 filed Sep. 18, 2017, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/716,752 filed
on May 19, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,767,161, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/351,249 filed on
Feb. 8, 2006, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,063,942, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/112,350, filed on
Apr. 22, 2005, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,358, which claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/643,087
filed on Jan. 7, 2005, which provisional application is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/112,350 is also a continuation-in-part of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/877,584, filed on Jun. 25,
2004, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,012. The present
application claims the benefit of the provisional's filing date
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) and hereby claims the benefit of
these earlier filing dates under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Modern data processing systems, such as general purpose
computer systems, allow the users of such systems to create a
variety of different types of data files. For example, a typical
user of a data processing system may create text files with a word
processing program such as Microsoft Word or may create an image
file with an image processing program such as Adobe's PhotoShop.
Numerous other types of files are capable of being created or
modified, edited, and otherwise used by one or more users for a
typical data processing system. The large number of the different
types of files that can be created or modified can present a
challenge to a typical user who is seeking to find a particular
file which has been created.
[0003] Modern data processing systems often include a file
management system which allows a user to place files in various
directories or subdirectories (e.g. folders) and allows a user to
give the file a name. Further, these file management systems often
allow a user to find a file by searching for the file's name, or
the date of creation, or the date of modification, or the type of
file. An example of such a file management system is the Finder
program which operates on Macintosh computers from Apple Computer,
Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Another example of a file management
system program is the Windows Explorer program which operates on
the Windows operating system from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,
Wash. Both the Finder program and the Windows Explorer program
include a find command which allows a user to search for files by
various criteria including a file name or a date of creation or a
date of modification or the type of file. However, this search
capability searches through information which is the same for each
file, regardless of the type of file. Thus, for example, the
searchable data for a Microsoft Word file is the same as the
searchable data for an Adobe PhotoShop file, and this data
typically includes the file name, the type of file, the date of
creation, the date of last modification, the size of the file and
certain other parameters which may be maintained for the file by
the file management system.
[0004] Certain presently existing application programs allow a user
to maintain data about a particular file. This data about a
particular file may be considered metadata because it is data about
other data. This metadata for a particular file may include
information about the author of a file, a summary of the document,
and various other types of information. A program such as Microsoft
Word may automatically create some of this data when a user creates
a file and the user may add additional data or edit the data by
selecting the "property sheet" from a menu selection in Microsoft
Word. The property sheets in Microsoft Word allow a user to create
metadata for a particular file or document. However, in existing
systems, a user is not able to search for metadata across a variety
of different applications using one search request from the user.
Furthermore, existing systems can perform one search for data
files, but this search does not also include searching through
metadata for those files.
SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION
[0005] Methods for managing data in a data processing system and
systems for managing data are described herein.
[0006] According to one aspect described herein, an exemplary
embodiment includes a hierarchy of saved search folders, which may
be referred to as "smart" folders. A first folder represents a
first search query, and a second folder represents a second search
query. The second folder may be nested graphically within the first
folder or otherwise portrayed in a predetermined hierarchical
relationship between the two folders. Opening the first folder
reveals the search results of a first search query and opening the
second folder displays the search results of the second search
query. The predetermined relationship between the folders may be
defined by user metadata. This embodiment allows the use of
relationships of metadata to build a view of user files and to
allow the user to browse the files within a system using that view.
In one particular embodiment, the second folder may be portrayed in
a graphical user interface system as a subfolder of the first
folder. The view of files provided by the user metadata and the
saved search folders may be different than a view provided by a
file management system (e.g. Windows Explorer or the Finder on a
Macintosh) which provides a graphical view based on the relative
location in a file directory.
[0007] In another aspect of this description, an exemplary method
of processing a result of a search operation includes receiving an
input of a search operation and performing the search operation,
and displaying a list of results from the search operation, where
the list presents N items which is less than M items found from the
search operation. In one embodiment, the N items are the N most
relevant hits in the results. The list is typically grouped by
categories and the number of items within each category is also
limited to less than N. Typically the list is a non-scrollable list
which is sorted by recency and relevance and includes a command to
show all items since less than all items are shown in the list.
[0008] In another aspect of the disclosure, an exemplary embodiment
of a method for handling data includes storing on a volume an index
created from files and metadata for the files with an operating
system and making the volume available for distribution to
licensees or customers. Typically, the index is created for all
user related files beyond merely help files, such as all files
normally accessible to a user through the standard use of word
processing programs, spreadsheet programs, presentation programs,
graphics programs or other types of software. This index is stored
with the user related files and with an operating system on a
volume, which is made available for distribution to licensees or
customers. These volumes may, for example, be CD ROMs or DVD ROMs
or a bootable magnetic hard drive which is shipped with a newly
manufactured computer system.
[0009] In another aspect of the disclosure, an exemplary embodiment
of a method for processing data includes displaying an open file
window, displaying a search input field to allow entry of a search
query to find a file within the open file window, receiving a
search query and performing a search, and displaying a result of a
search within the open file window. Typically, the open file window
is invoked by using a "open" command or an "open file" command from
an application program such as a word processing program (e.g.
Microsoft Word) or a spreadsheet program (e.g. Excel), or a
presentation program (e.g. Keynote or PowerPoint), or a graphics
program (e.g. PhotoShop), etc. The open file window typically
provides an interface allowing the user to select the folder within
which files may exist. The user can select the file which is
displayed within a particular folder and then activate an "open"
button to cause the file to be opened within the application from
which the open file window was invoked.
[0010] According to another aspect of the present description, an
exemplary embodiment of a method for processing data includes
displaying text within a text processing application, receiving a
selection of at least some of the text, receiving a selection of a
command to search a plurality of files using the selection, and
displaying results of a search of the plurality of files. The
selection may be through a pop-up menu which appears associated
with the selected text within the text processing application, such
as a word processing application or an email application.
[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an exemplary
method for processing data includes displaying a search input
parameter and interface which displays an expandable plurality of
metadata search attributes, and receiving a selection of a
particular metadata search attribute from the display of the
expandable plurality of metadata attributes. The selection of a
particular metadata search attribute is typically used in forming a
search query.
[0012] In another aspect of the present description, an exemplary
embodiment of a method for processing data includes receiving a
command to perform a search for content and/or metadata of content,
displaying search results and a search window, creating or
receiving new documents, some of which may match or satisfy the
search query while the search window is open, and updating the
search results in the search window dynamically as the new
documents are created or received. New documents which match the
search query, as they are created or received, appear within the
search window without having to open or close the search window or
without having to select a command to refresh the search window.
Thus, it appears as if the search window is updated live as new
documents are created or received in the system.
[0013] A method of managing data in one exemplary embodiment
includes capturing metadata from a plurality of files having
different file types (and having different metadata content for the
different file types) or created by a plurality of different
software applications which execute on a data processing system.
The type of information in the metadata for the files of a first
software application differs from the type of information in
metadata for files of a second software application. This captured
metadata may be searched. In one embodiment, this search may occur
concurrently for all of the metadata from the different files
created by or used by the different software applications. In one
implementation of this method, a single search interface may be
provided to search all of the metadata for all of the different
files created by the different software applications, thereby
allowing a single search to search through all of the metadata for
all of the files created by the different software applications.
Further, the single search may also search through non-metadata
such as the indexed (or non-indexed) content of the actual data
files.
[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, an exemplary
method includes capturing metadata from a plurality of different
files created by a plurality of different software applications and
storing the metadata on a storage medium in a flat file format.
Another aspect relates to a flat file format for the metadata on
the storage medium.
[0015] Another aspect of the present invention relates to various
user interfaces which may be provided by a system to allow a user
to search through the metadata. In one exemplary embodiment of such
a user interface, the method includes capturing metadata from a
plurality of files created by a plurality of different software
applications and displaying a search input interface for searching
through the metadata, wherein the type of information in metadata
for files of a first software application differs from the type of
information in metadata for files of a second software application.
Various implementations of user interfaces are discussed for search
input and also for the presentation (e.g. display) of search
results. For example, the search results may be displayed in
multiple different formats (e.g. list view, icon view, column view)
and they may be displayed with headers or titles which separate the
groups of matches in a search results list. Further, the displayed
results may be limited to a predetermined number (or a dynamically
generated number) for each category so that a limited viewing can
still display multiple categories within a search result window.
Further, a search query can be saved as a folder which appears
within a user configurable portion of the search results window,
and a selection of the folder causes another search to be performed
using the saved search query (sometimes also referred to as search
criteria). A display of the search results from the saved search
query can then be sorted or further searched to limit the results
to a subset of the original matches from the saved search query.
Numerous other user interface implementations are shown and
described. Another user interface feature includes the ability to
provide both a list view and another view (e.g. icon view) for
different portions (e.g. different categories) of a search results
window.
[0016] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a
software architecture for managing metadata. One exemplary
embodiment of this architecture includes a first plurality of
application programs which are capable of creating a plurality of
different data files and a metadata management program which is
coupled through programming interfaces with the first plurality of
application programs and which is coupled to a file system storage
of metadata which is captured from files created by the first
plurality of application programs. Normally, the type of
information in metadata for files of a first application program
differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a
second application program. The metadata management program is also
coupled to other (non-metadata) sources of information about the
data files such as an indexed database of the full text content of
the data files and software which is capable of searching this
indexed database. Search queries which are directed to the metadata
may also be concurrently directed to the non-metadata sources so
that the search results include matches from both the metadata and
the non-metadata sources, and these searches, through both metadata
and non-metadata sources, may be in response to a single search
query or a single search request or command and these searches may
be performed concurrently.
[0017] Another aspect of the inventions described herein relates to
one or more importers which interact with new or modified files
created by different application programs. These one or more
importers may be invoked (e.g. called) by the application programs
or by an operating system component (e.g. a metadata processing
software) which responds to a call from the application programs or
from an operating system kernel. In one particular example, an
importer is called by a metadata processing software in response to
a notification from an OS kernel that a new file has been created
or an existing file has been modified; in this case, the particular
importer called by the metadata processing system will typically
depend upon the type of file (e.g. text file or image file or MP3
file, etc.), although one, single importer for all file types on a
system may be used regardless of the type of file. An importer will
typically specify a file path name for the extracted metadata and
specify selected data to be extracted and written into the file
path name of the file containing the extracted metadata.
[0018] Another aspect of the inventions described herein relates to
performing a search through a system while receiving input from a
user, where the search is through a plurality of data files created
by different software applications on a data processing system. In
an exemplary method of this aspect, the data processing system
begins a search through the plurality of data files as the user
enters input and before the user completes the entry of the search
query. Thus, a user may enter a search ("quick brown fox") and
before the user has entered "fox," the data processing system has
searched through, or begins to search through, the plurality of
data files created by different software applications and has
displayed the list of matches to the partial search query "quick
brown" (or at least begins to display a partial list of matches to
the partial search query "quick brown"). This search may be
performed through the plurality of data files as well as the
metadata for the plurality of data files, wherein the type of
information in metadata for files of a first software application
differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a
second software application. The search results may be sorted by
relevancy, and the system may display first only a partial list of
matches and then, in response to a user request, display all the
matches. The search results may be organized by categories (e.g.
see FIGS. 8A and 8B). Selecting one of the items in the search
result may cause the display of additional information, beyond what
is already displayed in the original search results listing.
[0019] Another aspect of the inventions relates to a method of
selecting a group of items, such as a group of individual data
files. In an exemplary method of this aspect, a data processing
system receives a selection of a plurality of items such as data
files, folders (e.g. graphical user interface representations of
subdirectories), application programs or a combination of one or
more of these items. This selection may be performed by one of the
many conventional ways to select a plurality of items such as (a)
pointing a cursor at each item individually (e.g. through movement
of a mouse) and indicating a selection individually by, for
example, pressing and releasing a button such as a mouse's button;
(b) pointing a cursor at a first item in a list and indicating a
selection of the first item and pointing the cursor at a last item
in a list of items and indicating a selection of all items from the
first item to the last item in the list; (c) drawing a selection
rectangle by a dragging operation of the cursor, etc. After the
selection of the plurality of items has been received, the data
processing system receives a command to create a new folder and add
or move, e.g. in one operation, the selected plurality of items
into the new folder. The add operation creates the new folder
(optionally with a name specified by the user as a result of a
prompt or request by the system) and copies the selected files into
the new folder, which represents a new subdirectory. This add
operation is in response to the single command which requests that
a new folder be created and that copies of the selected items be
created and stored with a path name reflecting storage within the
new folder. The move operation also creates a new folder
(optionally with a name specified by the user as a result of a
prompt or request by the system) and may merely change the path
names associated with each of the selected items, which changed
path names reflect the new file system location (within the
subdirectory of the new folder) of the selected items.
[0020] Other aspects of the present invention include various data
processing systems which perform these methods and machine readable
media which perform various methods described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and
not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which
like references indicate similar elements.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a data processing
system, which may be a general purpose computer system and which
may operate in any of the various methods described herein.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a general example of one exemplary method of
one aspect of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 3A shows an example of the content of the particular
type of metadata for a particular type of file.
[0025] FIG. 3B shows another example of a particular type of
metadata for another particular type of file.
[0026] FIG. 4 shows an example of an architecture for managing
metadata according to one exemplary embodiment of the
invention.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another exemplary method of
the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows an example of a storage format which utilizes a
flat file format for metadata according to one exemplary embodiment
of the invention.
[0029] FIGS. 7A-7E show a sequence of graphical user interfaces
provided by one exemplary embodiment in order to allow searching of
metadata and/or other data in a data processing system.
[0030] FIGS. 8A and 8B show two examples of formats for displaying
search results according to one exemplary embodiment of the
invention.
[0031] FIG. 9 shows another exemplary user interface of the present
invention.
[0032] FIG. 10 shows another exemplary user interface of the
present invention.
[0033] FIGS. 11A-11D show, in sequence, another exemplary user
interface according to the present invention.
[0034] FIGS. 12A-12D show alternative embodiments of user
interfaces according to the present invention.
[0035] FIGS. 13A and 13B show further alternative embodiments of
user interfaces according to the present invention.
[0036] FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D show further alternative
embodiments of user interfaces according to the present
invention.
[0037] FIGS. 15A, 15B, 15C and 15D show another alternative
embodiment of user interfaces according to the present
invention.
[0038] FIGS. 16A and 16B show certain aspects of embodiments of
user interfaces according to the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 17 shows an aspect of certain embodiments of user
interfaces according to the present invention.
[0040] FIGS. 18A and 18B show further aspects of certain
embodiments of user interfaces according to the present
invention.
[0041] FIGS. 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, and 19E show further illustrative
embodiments of user interfaces according to the present
invention.
[0042] FIG. 20 is a flow chart which illustrates another exemplary
method of the present invention.
[0043] FIG. 21 is a flow chart showing another exemplary method of
the present invention.
[0044] FIGS. 22A, 22B, 22C, and 22D illustrate the display of a
display device on which an embodiment of the method of FIG. 21 is
performed.
[0045] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for
creating a saved search folder.
[0046] FIG. 24 shows an exemplary user interface for creating a
saved search folder.
[0047] FIG. 25 shows a further user interface for creating a saved
search folder.
[0048] FIG. 26 and FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 show user interfaces for
using a saved search folder.
[0049] FIG. 29 is a flowchart which shows an exemplary embodiment
for live updating of search results within a search window as new
documents are created or received in the system which is being
searched.
[0050] FIG. 30 is a flowchart which shows one exemplary embodiment
for creating a hierarchy of saved search folders or
subdirectories.
[0051] FIG. 31 shows an exemplary user interface, such as a window,
for a first saved search folder which encloses, in a hierarchical
manner, a second saved search folder.
[0052] FIG. 32 shows another exemplary user interface wherein the
second saved search folder, which may be considered a subfolder of
the first saved search folder, has been opened in a separate window
which overlaps the window showing the contents of the first saved
folder.
[0053] FIG. 33 shows an example of a hierarchy of saved search
folders, such as smart folders.
[0054] FIG. 34 shows a flowchart which illustrates an exemplary
method in which modifications to one saved search folder result in
modifications to other saved search folders when the folders have a
hierarchy.
[0055] FIGS. 35, 36, and 37 illustrate exemplary user interfaces
for managing saved search folders, such as "smart" folders.
[0056] FIG. 38 shows an exemplary user interface for displaying
search results, wherein the number of items from the search result
is limited within a non-scrollable view.
[0057] FIGS. 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 show various exemplary user
interfaces for displaying search results according to certain
embodiments of the present invention.
[0058] FIG. 44 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for
displaying a limited number of items within a search result window
or interface.
[0059] FIG. 45 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for
indexing all user related files prior to the user receiving the
volume which contains the user related files and which may also
contain an operating system software on the same volume.
[0060] FIGS. 47 and 46 show exemplary user interfaces for
indicating the status of an indexing operation, which may be
necessary if the volume being searched or to be searched has not
been previously indexed, as is the case with a pre-indexed
volume.
[0061] FIG. 48 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary
embodiment for passing a search query, which has been processed by
a system wide search interface and software, to a particular
application having the file found in the search, if further
searching may be performed within the application after the search
query has passed to the application.
[0062] FIG. 49 shows an exemplary user interface having a
contextual pull down menu which includes a search option based upon
the present context of the window or interface which provides the
pull down menu.
[0063] FIG. 50 is a flowchart showing an exemplary embodiment of a
method allowing, in at least certain embodiments, system wide
searching using text selected from a text processing application,
such as a word processing application or an email application.
[0064] FIGS. 51, 52, and 53 illustrate an exemplary user interface
which implements a method such as that shown in FIG. 50.
[0065] FIGS. 54 and 55 show exemplary user interfaces for a file
open window which includes a system wide, at least in certain
embodiments, search feature.
[0066] FIG. 56 is a flowchart which illustrates an exemplary method
for providing a search input option within a file open window.
[0067] FIGS. 57 and 58 illustrate an exemplary user interface for
allowing the user to control or select preferences for searching
functions within a system.
[0068] FIGS. 59 and 60 show an exemplary user interface for
providing search results within a file browser or file management
system.
[0069] FIG. 61 is a flowchart which illustrates an exemplary method
for selecting search options, where one of those options allows for
the selection of metadata search attributes from an expandable list
of such attributes.
[0070] FIGS. 62, 63 and 64 illustrate an exemplary user interface
for implementing a method such as that shown in FIG. 61.
[0071] FIGS. 65 and 66 show an exemplary user interface for
displaying information about a particular file.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0072] The subject invention will be described with reference to
numerous details set forth below, and the accompanying drawings
will illustrate the invention. The following description and
drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be
construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are
described to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. However, in certain instances, well known or
conventional details are not described in order to not
unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail.
[0073] The present description includes material protected by
copyrights, such as illustrations of graphical user interface
images. The owners of the copyrights, including the assignee of the
present invention, hereby reserve their rights, including
copyright, in these materials. The copyright owner has no objection
to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or
the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark
Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights
whatsoever. Copyright Apple Computer, Inc. 2005.
[0074] FIG. 1 shows one example of a typical computer system which
may be used with the present invention. Note that while FIG. 1
illustrates various components of a computer system, it is not
intended to represent any particular architecture or manner of
interconnecting the components as such details are not germane to
the present invention. It will also be appreciated that network
computers and other data processing systems which have fewer
components or perhaps more components may also be used with the
present invention. The computer system of FIG. 1 may, for example,
be a Macintosh computer from Apple Computer, Inc.
[0075] As shown in FIG. 1, the computer system 101, which is a form
of a data processing system, includes a bus 102 which is coupled to
a microprocessor(s) 103 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 107 and
volatile RAM 105 and a non-volatile memory 106. The microprocessor
103 may be a G3 or G4 microprocessor from Motorola, Inc. or one or
more G5 microprocessors from IBM. The bus 102 interconnects these
various components together and also interconnects these components
103, 107, 105, and 106 to a display controller and display device
104 and to peripheral devices such as input/output (I/O) devices
which may be mice, keyboards, modems, network interfaces, printers
and other devices which are well known in the art. Typically, the
input/output devices 109 are coupled to the system through
input/output controllers 108. The volatile RAM (Random Access
Memory) 105 is typically implemented as dynamic RAM (DRAM) which
requires power continually in order to refresh or maintain the data
in the memory. The mass storage 106 is typically a magnetic hard
drive or a magnetic optical drive or an optical drive or a DVD RAM
or other types of memory systems which maintain data (e.g. large
amounts of data) even after power is removed from the system.
Typically, the mass storage 106 will also be a random access memory
although this is not required. While FIG. 1 shows that the mass
storage 106 is a local device coupled directly to the rest of the
components in the data processing system, it will be appreciated
that the present invention may utilize a non-volatile memory which
is remote from the system, such as a network storage device which
is coupled to the data processing system through a network
interface such as a modem or Ethernet interface. The bus 102 may
include one or more buses connected to each other through various
bridges, controllers and/or adapters as is well known in the art.
In one embodiment the I/O controller 108 includes a USB (Universal
Serial Bus) adapter for controlling USB peripherals and an IEEE
1394 controller for IEEE 1394 compliant peripherals.
[0076] It will be apparent from this description that aspects of
the present invention may be embodied, at least in part, in
software. That is, the techniques may be carried out in a computer
system or other data processing system in response to its
processor, such as a microprocessor, executing sequences of
instructions contained in a memory, such as ROM 107, RAM 105, mass
storage 106 or a remote storage device. In various embodiments,
hardwired circuitry may be used in combination with software
instructions to implement the present invention. Thus, the
techniques are not limited to any specific combination of hardware
circuitry and software nor to any particular source for the
instructions executed by the data processing system. In addition,
throughout this description, various functions and operations are
described as being performed by or caused by software code to
simplify description. However, those skilled in the art will
recognize what is meant by such expressions is that the functions
result from execution of the code by a processor, such as the
microprocessor 103.
[0077] Capturing and Use of Metadata Across a Variety of
Application Programs
[0078] FIG. 2 shows a generalized example of one embodiment of the
present invention. In this example, captured metadata is made
available to a searching facility, such as a component of the
operating system which allows concurrent searching of all metadata
for all applications having captured metadata (and optionally for
all non-metadata of the data files). The method of FIG. 2 may begin
in operation 201 in which metadata is captured from a variety of
different application programs. This captured metadata is then made
available in operation 203 to a searching facility, such as a file
management system software for searching. This searching facility
allows, in operation 205, the searching of metadata across all
applications having captured metadata. The method also provides, in
operation 207, a user interface of a search engine and the search
results which are obtained by the search engine. There are numerous
possible implementations of the method of FIG. 2. For example, FIG.
5 shows a specific implementation of one exemplary embodiment of
the method of FIG. 2. Alternative implementations may also be used.
For example, in an alternative implementation, the metadata may be
provided by each application program to a central source which
stores the metadata for use by searching facilities and which is
managed by an operating system component, which may be, for
example, the metadata processing software. The user interface
provided in operation 207 may take a variety of different formats,
including some of the examples described below as well as user
interfaces which are conventional, prior art user interfaces. The
metadata may be stored in a database which may be any of a variety
of formats including a B tree format or, as described below, in a
flat file format according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0079] The method of FIG. 2 may be implemented for programs which
do not store or provide metadata. In this circumstance, a portion
of the operating system provides for the capture of the metadata
from the variety of different programs even though the programs
have not been designed to provide or capture metadata. For those
programs which do allow a user to create metadata for a particular
document, certain embodiments of the present invention may allow
the exporting back of captured metadata back into data files for
applications which maintain metadata about their data files.
[0080] The method of FIG. 2 allows information about a variety of
different files created by a variety of different application
programs to be accessible by a system wide searching facility,
which is similar to the way in which prior art versions of the
Finder or Windows Explorer can search for file names, dates of
creation, etc. across a variety of different application programs.
Thus, the metadata for a variety of different files created by a
variety of different application programs can be accessed through
an extension of an operating system, and an example of such an
extension is shown in FIG. 4 as a metadata processing software
which interacts with other components of the system and will be
described further below.
[0081] FIGS. 3A and 3B show two different metadata formats for two
different types of data files. Note that there may be no overlap in
any of the fields; in other words, no field in one type of metadata
is the same as any field in the other type of metadata. Metadata
format 301 may be used for an image file such as a JPEG image file.
This metadata may include information such as the image's width,
the image's height, the image's color space, the number of bits per
pixel, the ISO setting, the flash setting, the F/stop of the
camera, the brand name of the camera which took the image,
user-added keywords and other fields, such as a field which
uniquely identifies the particular file, which identification is
persistent through modifications of the file. Metadata format 331
shown in FIG. 3B may be used for a music file such as an MP3 music
file. The data in this metadata format may include an
identification of the artist, the genre of the music, the name of
the album, song names in the album or the song name of the
particular file, song play times or the song play time of a
particular song and other fields, such as a persistent file ID
number which identifies the particular MP3 file from which the
metadata was captured. Other types of fields may also be used. The
following chart shows examples of the various fields which may be
used in metadata for various types of files.
TABLE-US-00001 Copied Item Parent in Multi- User Get- with App name
hierarchy Attribute name Description/Notes CFType value Localized
settable table copy viewable Item n/a Authors Who created or
contributed CFString Yes No Yes Yes Yes Address to the contents of
this item Book Comment A free form text comment CFString No No Yes
Yes Yes ContentType This is the type that is CFString No ? No Yes
Yes determined by UTI ContentTypes This is the inheritance of the
CFString Yes ? No Yes Yes UTI system CreatedDate When was this item
created CFDate No No No Yes Yes DisplayName The name of the item as
the CFString No Yes Yes Yes Yes Finder (or user would like to read
it. Launch Very well may be the file Services) name, but it may
also be the subject of an e-mail message or the full name of a
person, for example. Keywords This is a list words set by the
CFString Yes System- Yes Yes Ask user to identify arbitrary sets
provided of organization. The scope is keywords determined by the
user and (if any) can be flexibly used for any kind of
organization. For example, Family, Hawaii, Project X, etc. Contact
Keywords A list of contacts that are CFString Yes No Yes Yes Ask
Address associated with this Book document, beyond what is captured
as Author. This may be a person who's in the picture or a document
about a person or contact (performance review, contract)
ModifiedDate When this item was last CFDate No No No Yes modified
Rating A relative rating (0 to 5 CFNumber No n/a Yes Yes value) on
how important a particular item is to you, whether it's a person,
file or message RelatedTos A list of other items that are CFString
Yes No Yes Yes arbitrarily grouped together. TextContent An indexed
version of any CFString No No No Yes content text UsedDates Which
days was the CFDate Yes No No Yes document opened/viewed/played
Content/ Item Copyright Specifies the owner of this CFString No No
Yes Yes Data content, i.e. Copyright Apple Computer, Inc.
CreatorApp Keeps track of the CFString No ? No Yes application that
was used to create this document (if it's known). Languages The
languages that this CFString Yes Yes Yes Yes document is composed
in (for either text or audio-based media) ParentalControl A field
that is used to CFString No ? Yes Yes determine whether this is
kid- friendly content or not Publishers The name or a person or
CFString Yes No Yes Yes Address organization that published Book
this content. PublishedDate The original date that this CFDate No
No Yes Yes content was published (if it was), independent of
created date. Reviewers A list of contacts who have CFString Yes No
Yes Yes Address reviewed the contents of this Book file. This would
have to be set explicitly by an application. ReviewStatus Free form
text that used to CFString No ? Yes Yes specify where the document
is in any arbitrary review process TimeEdited Total time spent
editing CFDate No No No Yes document WhereTos Where did this go to,
eg. CD, CFString Yes System- ? Yes printed, backedup provided words
only (if any) WhereFroms Where did this come from, CFString Yes
System- ? Yes e.g. camera, email, web provided download, CD words
only (if any) BitsPerSample What is the bit depth of the CFNumber
No Yes image (8-bit, 16-bit, etc.) ColorSpace What color space
model is CFString No Yes ColorSync this document following Utility?
ImageHeight The height of the image in CFNumber No Yes pixels
ImageWidth The width of the image in CFNumber No Yes pixels
ProfileName The name of the color profile CFString No Yes ColorSync
used with for image Utility? ResolutionWidth Resolution width of
this CFNumber No Yes (i.e. dpi from a scanner) ResolutionHeight
Resolution height of this CFNumber No Yes image (i.e. dpi from a
scanner) Image Data LayerNames For image formats that CFString Yes
Yes contain "named" layers (e.g. Photoshop files) Aperture The
f-stop rating of the CFNumber No Yes camera when the image was
taken CameraMake The make of the camera that CFString No Yes Yes
was used to acquire this image (e.g. Nikon) CamemModel The model of
the camera CFString No Yes Yes used to acquire this image (Coolpix
5700) DateTimeOriginal Date/time the picture was CFDate No Yes
taken ExposureMode Mode that was used for the CFString No Yes
exposure ExposureTime Time that the lens was CFDate No Yes exposed
while taking the picture Flash This attribute is overloaded
CFNumber No Yes with information about red- eye reduction. This is
not a binary value GPS Raw value received from CFString No Yes GPS
device associated with photo acquisition. It hasn't necessarily
been translated to a user-understandable location. ISOSpeed The ISO
speed the camera CFNumber No Yes was set to when the image was
acquired Orientation The orientation of the camera CFString No Yes
when the image was acquired WhiteBalance The white balance setting
of CFNumber No Yes the camera when the picture was taken
EXIFversion The version of EXIF that was CFString No Yes used to
generate the metadata for the image AcquisitionSources The name or
type of device CFString Yes Yes that used to acquire the media
Time- Data Codecs The codecs used to CFString Yes Yes based
encode/decode the media DeliveryType FastStart or RTSP CFString No
Yes Duration The length of time that the CFNumber No Yes media
lasts Streamable Whether the content is CFBoolean No Yes prepared
for purposes of streaming TotalBitRate The total bit rate (audio
& CFNumber No Yes video combined) of the media. AudioBitRate
The audio bit rate of the CFNumber No Yes media AspectRatio The
aspect ratio of the video CFString No Yes of the media ColorSpace
The color space model used CFString No Yes for the video aspect of
the media FrameHeight The frame height in pixels of CFNumber No Yes
the video in the media FrameWidth The frame width in pixels of
CFNumber No Yes the video in the media ProfileName The name of the
color profile CFString No Yes used on the video portion of the
media VideoBitRate The bit rate of the video CFNumber No Yes aspect
of the media Text Data Subject The subject of the text. This
CFString No Yes could be metadata that's supplied with the text or
something automatically generated with technologies like VTWIN
PageCount The number of printable CFNumber No Yes pages of the
document LineCount The number of lines in the CFNumber No Yes
document WordCount The number of words in the CFNumber No Yes
document URL The URL that will get you to CFString No Yes this
document (or at least did at one time). Relevant for saved HTML
documents, bookmarks, RSS feeds, etc. PageTitle The title of a web
page. CF String No Yes Relevant to HTML or bookmark documents
Google Hierarchy Structure of where this page CF String No Yes can
be found in the Google hierarchy. Relevant to HTML or bookmark
documents Compound Data <Abstract> There are no specific n/a
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a document attributes assigned to this item.
This is to catch all app- specific file formats that fall within
Data, but don't fit into any of the other types. Typically these
documents have multiple types of media embedded within them. (e.g.
P PDF Compound NumberOfPages The number of printable CFNumber No
Yes document pages in the document PageSize The size of the page
stored as CFNumber No No Yes points PDFTitle PDF-specific title
metadata CFString No ? Yes for the document PDFAuthor PDF-specific
author metadata CFString No ? Yes Address for the document Book
PDFSubject PDF-specific subject CFString No ? Yes PDFKeywords
PDF-specific keywords CFString Yes ? Yes metadata for the document
PDFCreated PDF-specific created CFDate No ? Yes metadata for the
document PDFModified PDF-specific modified CFDate No ? Yes metadata
for the document PDFVersion PDF-specific version CFString No ? Yes
metadata for the document SecurityMethod Method by which this
CFString No Yes document is kept secure Presentation Compound
SlideTitles A collection of the titles on CFString Yes Yes
(Keynote) document slides SlideCount The number of slides CFString
No Yes SpeakerNotesContent The content of all the speaker CFString
? Yes notes from all of the slides together Application Item
Categories The kind of application this CFString Yes Yes is:
productivity, games, utility, graphics, etc. A set list that
Message Item Recipients Maps to To and Cc: CFString Yes Yes
Address
addresses in a mail message. Book Priority The priority of the
message CFString No Yes as set by the sender AttachmentNames The
list of filenames that CFString Yes Yes represent attachments in a
particular message (should be actionable within the Finder) Authors
maps to From address in mail CFString Yes No Yes Yes Yes Address
message Book Comment Not applicable to Mail right CFString No No
Yes Yes Yes now (should we consider?) ContentType CFString No No
Yes Yes ContentTypes CFString Yes No Yes Yes CreatedDate When was
this message was CFDate No No No Yes Yes sent or received
DisplayName Subject of the message CFString No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Keywords There will be a way to set CFString Yes System- Yes Yes
Ask keywords within Mail provided keywords (if any) Contact
Keywords Could be where recipients are CFString Yes No Yes Yes Ask
Address held Book ModifiedDate Not applicable CFDate No No No Yes
Rating A relative rating (0 to 5 stars) CFNumber No n/a Yes Yes on
how important a particular message is to you (separate from a
message's Priority) RelatedTos Potentially threaded CFString Yes No
Yes Yes messages could be put into this category TextContent An
indexed version of the CFString No No No Yes mail message UsedDates
The day/time in which the CFDate Yes No No Yes mail message was
viewed/read Contact Item Company The company that this CFString No
Yes Address contact is an employee of Book E-mails A list of e-mail
addresses that CFString Yes Yes Mail this contact has IMs A list of
instant message CFString Yes Yes iChat handles this contact has
Phones A list of phone numbers that CFString Yes relate to this
contact Addresses A list of physical addresses CFString Yes that
relate to this person Authors the name of the owner of the CFString
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Address Address Book (current user Book name)
Comment CFString No No Yes Yes Yes Content Type CFString No No Yes
Yes Content Types CFString Yes No Yes Yes CreatedDate date the user
entered this into CFDate No No No Yes Yes his AddressBook (either
through import or direct entry) DisplayName Composite name of
contact CFString No Yes Yes Yes Yes (First Name, Last Name)
Keywords There will be a way to set CFString Yes System- Yes Yes
Ask keywords within Address provided Book keywords (if any) Contact
Keywords CFString Yes No Yes Yes Ask Address Book ModifiedDate Last
time this contact entry CFDate No No No Yes was modified Rating A
relative rating (0 to 5 stars) CFNumber No n/a Yes Yes on how
important a particular contact is to you (separate from a message's
Priority) RelatedTos (potentially could be used to CFString Yes No
Yes Yes associate people from the same company or family)
TextContent An indexed version of the CFString No No No Yes Notes
section UsedDates The day/time in which the CFDate Yes No No Yes
contact entry was viewed in Address Book Meeting Item Body text,
rich text or document CFString No Yes (TBD) that represents the
full content of the event Description text describing the event
CFString No Yes EventTimes time/date the event starts CFDate Yes
Yes Duration The length of time that the CFNumber No Yes meeting
lasts Invitees The list of people who are CFString Yes Yes Address
invited to the meeting Book Location The name of the location
CFString No Yes where the meeting is taking place
[0082] One particular field which may be useful in the various
metadata formats would be a field which includes an identifier of a
plug in or other software element which may be used to capture
metadata from a data file and/or export metadata back to the
creator application.
[0083] Various different software architectures may be used to
implement the functions and operations described herein. The
following discussion provides one example of such an architecture,
but it will be understood that alternative architectures may also
be employed to achieve the same or similar results. The software
architecture shown in FIG. 4 is an example which is based upon the
Macintosh operating system. The architecture 400 includes a
metadata processing software 401 and an operating system (OS)
kernel 403 which is operatively coupled to the metadata processing
software 401 for a notification mechanism which is described below.
The metadata processing software 401 is also coupled to other
software programs such as a file system graphical user interface
software 405 (which may be the Finder), an email software 407, and
other applications 409. These applications are coupled to the
metadata processing software 401 through client application program
interface 411 which provide a method for transferring data and
commands between the metadata processing software 401 and the
software 405, 407, and 409. These commands and data may include
search parameters specified by a user as well as commands to
perform searches from the user, which parameters and commands are
passed to the metadata processing software 401 through the
interface 411. The metadata processing software 401 is also coupled
to a collection of importers 413 which extract data from various
applications. In particular, in one exemplary embodiment, a text
importer is used to extract text and other information from word
processing or text processing files created by word processing
programs such as Microsoft Word, etc. This extracted information is
the metadata for a particular file. Other types of importers
extract metadata from other types of files, such as image files or
music files. In this particular embodiment, a particular importer
is selected based upon the type of file which has been created and
modified by an application program. For example, if the data file
was created by PhotoShop, then an image importer for PhotoShop may
be used to input the metadata from a PhotoShop data file into the
metadata database 415 through the metadata processing software 401.
On the other hand, if the data file is a word processing document,
then an importer designed to extract metadata from a word
processing document is called upon to extract the metadata from the
word processing data file and place it into the metadata database
415 through the metadata processing software 401. Typically, a
plurality of different importers may be required in order to handle
the plurality of different application programs which are used in a
typical computer system. The importers 413 may optionally include a
plurality of exporters which are capable of exporting the extracted
metadata for particular types of data files back to property sheets
or other data components maintained by certain application
programs. For example, certain application programs may maintain
some metadata for each data file created by the program, but this
metadata is only a subset of the metadata extracted by an importer
from this type of data file. In this instance, the exporter may
export back additional metadata or may simply insert metadata into
blank fields of metadata maintained by the application program.
[0084] The software architecture 400 also includes a file system
directory 417 for the metadata. This file system directory keeps
track of the relationship between the data files and their metadata
and keeps track of the location of the metadata object (e.g. a
metadata file which corresponds to the data file from which it was
extracted) created by each importer. In one exemplary embodiment,
the metadata database is maintained as a flat file format as
described below, and the file system directory 417 maintains this
flat file format. One advantage of a flat file format is that the
data is laid out on a storage device as a string of data without
references between fields from one metadata file (corresponding to
a particular data file) to another metadata file (corresponding to
another data file). This arrangement of data will often result in
faster retrieval of information from the metadata database 415.
[0085] The software architecture 400 of FIG. 4 also includes find
by content software 419 which is operatively coupled to a database
421 which includes an index of files. The index of files represents
at least a subset of the data files in a storage device and may
include all of the data files in a particular storage device (or
several storage devices), such as the main hard drive of a computer
system. The index of files may be a conventional indexed
representation of the content of each document. The find by content
software 419 searches for words in that content by searching
through the database 421 to see if a particular word exists in any
of the data files which have been indexed. The find by content
software functionality is available through the metadata processing
software 401 which provides the advantage to the user that the user
can search concurrently both the index of files in the database 421
(for the content within a file) as well as the metadata for the
various data files being searched. The software architecture shown
in FIG. 4 may be used to perform the method shown in FIG. 5 or
alternative architectures may be used to perform the method of FIG.
5.
[0086] The method of FIG. 5 may begin in operation 501 in which a
notification of a change for a file is received. This notification
may come from the OS kernel 403 which notifies the metadata
processing software 401 that a file has been changed. This
notification may come from sniffer software elements which detect
new or modified files and deletion of files. This change may be the
creation of a new file or the modification of an existing file or
the deletion of an existing file. The deletion of an existing file
causes a special case of the processing method of FIG. 5 and is not
shown in FIG. 5. In the case of a deletion, the metadata processing
software 401, through the use of the file system directory 417,
deletes the metadata file in the metadata database 415 which
corresponds to the deleted file. The other types of operations,
such as the creation of a new file or the modification of an
existing file, causes the processing to proceed from operation 501
to operation 503 in which the type of file which is the subject of
the notification is determined. The file may be an Acrobat PDF file
or an RTF word processing file or a JPEG image file, etc. In any
case, the type of the file is determined in operation 503. This may
be performed by receiving from the OS kernel 403 the type of file
along with the notification or the metadata processing software 401
may request an identification of the type of file from the file
system graphical user interface software 405 or similar software
which maintains information about the data file, such as the
creator application or parent application of the data file. It will
be understood that in one exemplary embodiment, the file system
graphical user interface software 405 is the Finder program which
operates on the Macintosh operating system. In alternative
embodiments, the file system graphical user interface system may be
Windows Explorer which operates on Microsoft's Windows operating
system. After the type of file has been determined in operation
503, the appropriate capture software (e.g. one of the importers
413) is activated for the determined file type. The importers may
be a plug-in for the particular application which created the type
of file about which notification is received in operation 501. Once
activated, the importer or capture software imports the appropriate
metadata (for the particular file type) into the metadata database,
such as metadata database 415 as shown in operation 507. Then in
operation 509, the metadata is stored in the database. In one
exemplary embodiment, it may be stored in a flat file format. Then
in operation 511, the metadata processing software 401 receives
search parameter inputs and performs a search of the metadata
database (and optionally also causes a search of non-metadata
sources such as the index of files 421) and causes the results of
the search to be displayed in a user interface. This may be
performed by exchanging information between one of the
applications, such as the software 405 or the software 407 or the
other applications 409 and the metadata processing software 401
through the interface 411. For example, the file system software
405 may present a graphical user interface, allowing a user to
input search parameters and allowing the user to cause a search to
be performed. This information is conveyed through the interface
411 to the metadata processing software 401 which causes a search
through the metadata database 415 and also may cause a search
through the database 421 of the indexed files in order to search
for content within each data file which has been indexed. The
results from these searches are provided by the metadata processing
software 401 to the requesting application which, in the example
given here, was the software 405, but it will be appreciated that
other components of software, such as the email software 407, may
be used to receive the search inputs and to provide a display of
the search results. Various examples of the user interface for
inputting search requests and for displaying search results are
described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0087] It will be appreciated that the notification, if done
through the OS kernel, is a global, system wide notification
process such that changes to any file will cause a notification to
be sent to the metadata processing software. It will also be
appreciated that in alternative embodiments, each application
program may itself generate the necessary metadata and provide the
metadata directly to a metadata database without the requirement of
a notification from an operating system kernel or from the
intervention of importers, such as the importers 413.
Alternatively, rather than using OS kernel notifications, an
embodiment may use software calls from each application to a
metadata processing software which receives these calls and then
imports the metadata from each file in response to the call.
[0088] As noted above, the metadata database 415 may be stored in a
flat file format in order to improve the speed of retrieval of
information in most circumstances. The flat file format may be
considered to be a non-B tree, non-hash tree format in which data
is not attempted to be organized but is rather stored as a stream
of data. Each metadata object or metadata file will itself contain
fields, such as the fields shown in the examples of FIGS. 3A and
3B. However, there will typically be no relationship or reference
or pointer from one field in one metadata file to the corresponding
field (or another field) in the next metadata file or in another
metadata file of the same file type. FIG. 6 shows an example of the
layout in a flat file format of metadata. The format may be
streamable and updateable by virtue of its flat file format. The
format 601 includes a plurality of metadata files for a
corresponding plurality of data files. As shown in FIG. 6, metadata
file 603 is metadata from file 1 of application A and may be
referred to as metadata file A1. Similarly, metadata file 605 is
metadata from file 1 of application B and may be referred to as
metadata file B1. Each of these metadata files typically would
include fields which are not linked to other fields and which do
not contain references or pointers to other fields in other
metadata files. It can be seen from FIG. 6 that the metadata
database of FIG. 6 includes metadata files from a plurality of
different applications (applications A, B, and C) and different
files created by each of those applications. Metadata files 607,
609, 611, and 617 are additional metadata files created by
applications A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 6.
[0089] A flexible query language may be used to search the metadata
database in the same way that such query languages are used to
search other databases. The data within each metadata file may be
packed or even compressed if desirable. As noted above, each
metadata file, in certain embodiments, will include a persistent
identifier which uniquely identifies its corresponding data file.
This identifier remains the same even if the name of the file is
changed or the file is modified. This allows for the persistent
association between the particular data file and its metadata.
[0090] User Interface Aspects
[0091] Various different examples of user interfaces for inputting
search parameters and for displaying search results are provided
herein. It will be understood that some features from certain
embodiments may be mixed with other embodiments such that hybrid
embodiments may result from these combinations. It will be
appreciated that certain features may be removed from each of these
embodiments and still provide adequate functionality in many
instances.
[0092] FIG. 7A shows a graphical user interface which is a window
which may be displayed on a display device which is coupled to a
data processing system such as a computer system. The window 701
includes a side bar having two regions 703A, which is a
user-configurable region, and 703B, which is a region which is
specified by the data processing system. Further details in
connection with these side bar regions may be found in co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,661 filed Jun. 21, 2004,
and entitled "Methods and Apparatuses for Operating a Data
Processing System," by inventors Donald Lindsay and Bas Ording,
attorney docket number 04860.P3306. The window 701 also includes a
display region 705 which in this case displays the results of
searches requested by the user. The window 701 also includes a
search parameter menu bar 707 which includes configurable pull down
menus 713, 715, and 717. The window 701 also includes a text entry
region 709 which allows a user to enter text as part of the search
query or search parameters. The button 711 may be a start search
button which a user activates in order to start a search based upon
the selected search parameters. Alternatively, the system may
perform a search as soon as it receives any search parameter inputs
or search queries from the user rather than waiting for a command
to begin the search. The window 701 also includes a title bar 729
which may be used in conjunction with a cursor control device to
move, in a conventional manner, the window around a desktop which
is displayed on a display device. The window 701 also includes a
close button 734, a minimize button 735, and a resize button 736
which may be used to close or minimize or resize, respectively, the
window. The window 701 also includes a resizing control 731 which
allows a user to modify the size of the window on a display device.
The window 701 further includes a back button 732 and a forward
button 733 which function in a manner which is similar to the back
and forward buttons on a web browser, such as Internet Explorer or
Safari. The window 701 also includes view controls which include
three buttons for selecting three different types of views of the
content within the display region 705. When the contents found in a
search exceed the available display area of a display region 705,
scroll controls, such as scroll controls 721, 722, and 723, appear
within the window 701. These may be used in a conventional manner,
for example, by dragging the scroll bar 721 within the scroll
region 721A using conventional graphical user interface
techniques.
[0093] The combination of text entry region 709 and the search
parameter menu bar allow a user to specify a search query or search
parameters. Each of the configurable pull down menus presents a
user with a list of options to select from when the user activates
the pull down menu. As shown in FIG. 7A, the user has already made
a selection from the configurable pull down menu 713 to specify the
location of the search, which in this case specifies that the
search will occur on the local disks of the computer systems.
Configurable pull down menu 715 has also been used by the user to
specify the kind of document which is to be searched for, which in
this case is an image document as indicated by the configurable
pull down menu 715 which indicates "images" as the selected
configuration of this menu and hence the search parameter which it
specifies. The configurable pull down menu 717, as shown in FIG.
7A, represents an add search parameter pull down menu. This add
search parameter pull down menu allows the user to add additional
criteria to the search query to further limit the search results.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, each of the search parameters
is logically ANDed in a Boolean manner. Thus the current search
parameter specified by the user in the state shown in FIG. 7A
searches all local disks for all images, and the user is in the
middle of the process of selecting another search criteria by
having selected the add search criteria pull down menu 717,
resulting in the display of the pull down menu 719, which has a
plurality of options which may be selected by the user.
[0094] FIG. 7B shows the window 701 after the user has caused the
selection of the time option within pull down menu 719, thereby
causing the display of a submenu 719A which includes a list of
possible times which the user may select from. Thus it appears that
the user wants to limit the search to all images on all local disks
within a certain period of time which is to be specified by making
a selection within the submenu 719A.
[0095] FIG. 7C shows the window 701 on the display of a data
processing system after the user has selected a particular option
(in this case "past week") from the submenu 719A. If the user
accepts this selection, then the display shown in FIG. 7D results
in which the configurable pull down menu 718 is displayed showing
that the user has selected as part of the search criteria files
that have been created or modified in the past week. It can be seen
from FIG. 7D that the user can change the particular time selected
from this pull down menu 718 by selecting another time period
within the pull down menu 718A shown in FIG. 7D. Note that the
configurable pull down menu 717, which represents an add search
parameter menu, has now moved to the right of the configurable pull
down menu 718. The user may add further search parameters by
pressing or otherwise activating the configurable pull down menu
717 from the search parameter menu bar 707. If the user decides
that the past week is the proper search criteria in the time
category, then the user may release the pull down menu 718A from
being displayed in a variety of different ways (e.g. the user may
release the mouse button which was being depressed to keep the pull
down menu 718A on the display). Upon releasing or otherwise
dismissing the pull down menu 718A, the resulting window 701 shown
in FIG. 7E then appears. There are several aspects of this user
interface shown in FIG. 7A-7E which are worthy of being noted. The
search parameters or search query is specified within the same
window as the display of the search results. This allows the user
to look at a single location or window to understand the search
parameters and how they affected the displayed search results, and
may make it easier for a user to alter or improve the search
parameters in order to find one or more files. The configurable
pull down menus, such as the add search parameter pull down menu,
includes hierarchical pull down menus. An example of this is shown
in FIG. 7B in which the selection of the time criteria from the
pull down menu 717 results in the display of another menu, in this
case a submenu 719A which may be selected from by the user. This
allows for a compact presentation of the various search parameters
while keeping the initial complexity (e.g. without submenus being
displayed) at a lower level. Another useful aspect of the user
interface shown in FIG. 7A-7E is the ability to reconfigure pull
down menus which have previously been configured. Thus, for
example, the configurable pull down menu 713 currently specifies
the location of the search (in this case, all local disks),
however, this may be modified by selecting the pull down region
associated with the configurable pull down menu 713, causing the
display of a menu of options indicating alternative locations which
may be selected by the user. This can also be seen in FIG. 7D in
which the past week option has been selected by the user (as
indicated by "past week" being in the search parameter menu bar
707), but a menu of options shown in the pull down menu 718A allows
the user to change the selected time from the "past week" to some
other time criteria. Another useful aspect of this user interface
is the ability to continue adding various search criteria by using
the add search criteria pull down menu 717 and selecting a new
criteria.
[0096] It will also be appreciated that the various options in the
pull down menus may depend upon the fields within a particular type
of metadata file. For example, the selection of "images" to be
searched may cause the various fields present in the metadata for
an image type file to appear in one or more pull down menus,
allowing the user to search within one or more of those fields for
that particular type of file. Other fields which do not apply to
"images" types of files may not appear in these menus in order
reduce the complexity of the menus and to prevent user
confusion.
[0097] Another feature of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
7A-7E. In particular, the side bar region 703A, which is the
user-configurable portion of the side bar, includes a
representation of a folder 725 which represents the search results
obtained from a particular search, which search results may be
static or they may be dynamic in that, in certain instances, the
search can be performed again to obtain results based on the
current files in the system. The folder 725 in the example shown in
FIGS. 7A-7E represents a search on a local disk for all images done
on December 10th. By selecting this folder in the side bar region
703A, the user may cause the display in the display region 705 of
the results of that search. In this way, a user may retrieve a
search result automatically by saving the search result into the
side bar region 703A. One mechanism for causing a search result or
a search query to be saved into the side bar region 703A is to
select the add folder button 727 which appears in the bottom
portion of the window 701. By selecting this button, the current
search result or search query is saved as a list of files and other
objects retrieved in the current search result. In the case where
the search query is saved for later use rather than the saving of a
search result, then the current search query is saved for re-use at
a later time in order to find files which match the search query at
that later time. The user may select between these two
functionalities (saving a search result or saving a search query)
by the selection of a command which is not shown.
[0098] FIGS. 8A and 8B show another aspect of a user interface
feature which may be used with certain embodiments of the present
invention. The window 801 of FIG. 8A represents a display of the
search results which may be obtained as a result of using one of
the various different embodiments of the present invention. The
search results are separated into categories which are separated by
headers 805, 807, 809, and 811 which in this case represent periods
of time. This particular segmentation with headers was selected by
the user's selecting the heading "date modified" using the date
modified button 803 at the top of the window 801. An alternative
selection of the kind category by selecting the button 802 at the
top of the window 801A shown in FIG. 8B results in a different
formatting of the search results which are now categorized by
headers which indicate the types of files which were retrieved in
the search and are separated by the headings 815, 817, 819, and 821
as shown in FIG. 8B. The use of these headings in the search
results display allows the user to quickly scan through the search
results in order to find the file.
[0099] FIG. 9 shows another aspect of the present invention that is
illustrated as part of the window 901 shown in FIG. 9. This window
includes a display region 905 which shows the results of the search
and the window also includes two side bar regions 903A and 903B,
where the side bar region 903A is the user-configurable portion and
the side bar region 903B is the system controlled portion. A folder
add button 927 may be selected by the user to cause the addition of
a search result or a search query to be added to the
user-configurable portion of the side bar. The window 901 also
includes conventional window controls such as a title bar or region
929 which may be used to move the window around a display and view
select buttons 937 and maximize, minimize and resize buttons 934,
935, and 936 respectively. The window 901 shows a particular manner
in which the results of a text-based search may be displayed. A
text entry region 909 is used to enter text for searching. This
text may be used to search through the metadata files or the
indexed files or a combination of both. The display region 905
shows the results of a search for text and includes at least two
columns, 917 and 919, which provide the name of the file that was
found and the basis for the match. As shown in column 919, the
basis for the match may be the author field or a file name or a key
word or comments or other data fields contained in metadata that
was searched. The column 921 shows the text that was found which
matches the search parameter typed into the text entry field 909.
Another column 911 provides additional information with respect to
the search results. In particular, this column includes the number
of matches for each particular type of category or field as well as
the total number of matches indicated in the entry 913. Thus, for
example, the total number of matches found for the comments field
is only 1, while other fields have a higher number of matches.
[0100] FIG. 10 shows certain other aspects of some embodiments of
the present invention. Window 1001 is another search result window
which includes various fields and menus for a user to select
various search parameters or form a search query. The window 1001
includes a display region 1005 which may be used to display the
results of a search and a user-configurable side bar portion 1003A
and a system specified side bar portion 1003B. In addition, the
window 1001 includes conventional scrolling controls such as
controls 1021 and 1022 and 1021A. The window further includes
conventional controls such as a title bar 1029 which may be used to
move the window and view control buttons 1037 and maximize,
minimize, and resize buttons 1034, 1035, and 1036. A start search
button 1015 is near a text entry region 1009. A first search
parameter menu bar 1007 is displayed adjacent to a second search
parameter bar 1011. The first search parameter search bar 1007
allows a user to specify the location for a particular search while
two menu pull down controls in the second search parameter menu bar
1011 allow the user to specify the type of file using the pull down
menu 1012 and the time the file was created or last modified using
the menu 1013.
[0101] The window 1001 includes an additional feature which may be
very useful while analyzing a search result. A user may select
individual files from within the display region 1005 and associate
them together as one collection. Each file may be individually
marked using a specific command (e.g. pressing the right button on
a mouse and selecting a command from a menu which appears on the
screen, which command may be "add selection to current group") or
similar such commands. By individually selecting such files or by
selecting a group of files at once, the user may associate this
group of files into a selected group or a "marked" group and this
association may be used to perform a common action on all of the
files in the group (e.g. print each file or view each file in a
viewer window or move each file to a new or existing folder, etc.).
A representation of this marked group appears as a folder in the
user-configurable portion 1003A. An example of such a folder is the
folder 1020 shown in the user-configurable portion 1003A. By
selecting this folder (e.g. by positioning a cursor over the folder
1020 and pressing and releasing a mouse button or by pressing
another button) the user, as a result of this selection, will cause
the display within the display region 1005 of the files which have
been grouped together or marked. Alternatively, a separate window
may appear showing only the items which have been marked or
grouped. This association or grouping may be merely temporary or it
may be made permanent by retaining a list of all the files which
have been grouped and by keeping a folder 1020 or other
representations of the grouping within the user-configurable side
bar, such as the side bar 1003A. Certain embodiments may allow
multiple, different groupings to exist at the same time, and each
of these groupings or associations may be merely temporary (e.g.
they exist only while the search results window is displayed), or
they may be made permanent by retaining a list of all the files
which have been grouped within each separate group. It will be
appreciated that the files within each group may have been created
from different applications. As noted above, one of the groupings
may be selected and then a user may select a command which performs
a common action (e.g. print or view or move or delete) on all of
the files within the selected group.
[0102] FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D show an alternative user
interface for allowing a user to input search queries or search
parameters. The user interface shown in these figures appears
within the window 1101 which includes a user-configurable side bar
region 1103A and a system specified side bar region 1103B. The
window 1101 also includes traditional window controls such as a
window resizing control 1131 which may be dragged in a conventional
graphical user interface manner to resize the window, and the
window further includes scrolling controls such as controls 1121,
1122, and 1123. The scrolling control 1121 may, for example, be
dragged within the scrolling region 1121A or a scroll wheel on a
mouse or other input device may be used to cause scrolling within a
display region 1105. Further, traditional window controls include
the title bar 1129 which may be used to move the window around a
desktop which is displayed on a display device of a computer system
and the window also includes view buttons 1137 as well as close,
minimize, and resize buttons 1134, 1135 and 1136. A back and
forward button, such as the back button 1132, are also provided to
allow the user to move back and forth in a manner which is similar
to the back and forth commands in a web browser. The window 1101
includes a search parameter menu bar 1111 which includes a "search
by" pull down menu 1112 and a "sort by" pull down menu 1114. The
"search by" pull down menu 1112 allows a user to specify the
particular search parameter by selecting from the options which
appear in the pull down menu once it is activated as shown in FIG.
11B. In particular, the pull down menu 1113 shows one example of a
pull down menu when the "search by" pull down menu 1112 has been
activated. The "sort by" pull down menu 1114 allows a user to
specify how the search results are displayed within a display
region 1105. In the example shown in FIGS. 11A-11D a user has used
the "sort by" pull down menu 1114 to select the "date viewed"
criteria to sort the search results by. It should also be noted
that the user may change the type of view of the search results by
selecting one of the three view buttons 1137. For example, a user
may select an icon view which is the currently selected button
among the view buttons 1137, or the user may select a list view or
a column view.
[0103] FIG. 11B shows the result of the user's activation of a
"search by" pull down menu 1112 which causes the display of the
menu 1113 which includes a plurality of options from which the user
may choose to perform a search by. It will be appreciated that
there are a number of different ways for a user to activate the
"search by" pull down menu 1112. One way includes the use of a
cursor, such as a pointer on a display which is controlled by a
cursor control device, such as a mouse. The cursor is positioned
over the region associated with the "search by" menu title (which
is the portion within the search parameter menu bar 1111 which
contains the words "search by") and then the user indicates the
selection of the menu title by pressing a button, such as a mouse's
button, to cause the pull down menu to appear, which in this case
is the menu 1113 shown in FIG. 11B. At this point, the user may
continue to move the cursor to point to a particular option within
the menu, such as the "time" option. This may result in the display
of a submenu to the left or to the right of the menu 1113. This
submenu may be similar to the submenu 719A or to the menu 1214
shown in FIG. 12A. If the "kind" option is selected in the menu
1113, the submenu may include a generic list of the different kinds
of documents, such as images, photos, movies, text, music, PDF
documents, email documents, etc. or the list may include references
to specific program names such as PhotoShop, Director, Excel, Word,
etc. or it may include a combination of generic names and specific
names. FIG. 11C shows the result of the user having selected
PhotoShop type of documents from a submenu of the "kind" option
shown in menu 1113. This results in the display of the search
parameter menu bar 1111A shown in FIG. 11C which includes a
highlighted selection 1111B which indicates that the PhotoShop type
of documents will be searched for. The search parameter menu bar
1111 appears below the search parameter menu bar 1111A as shown in
FIG. 11C. The user may then specify additional search parameters by
again using the "search by" pull down menu 1112 or by typing text
into the text entry field 1109. For example, from the state of the
window 1101 shown in FIG. 11C, the user may select the "search by"
pull down menu 1112 causing the display of a menu containing a
plurality of options, such as the options shown within the menu
1113 or alternative options such as those which relate to PhotoShop
documents (e.g. the various fields in the metadata for PhotoShop
type of documents). A combination of such fields contained within
metadata for PhotoShop type documents and other generic fields
(e.g. time, file size, and other parameters) may appear in a menu,
such as the menu 1113 which is activated by selecting the "search
by" pull down menu. The user may then select another criteria such
as the time criteria. In this case, the window 1101 displays a new
search parameter menu bar 1115 which allows a user to specify a
particular time. The user may select one of the times on the menu
bar 1115 or may activate a pull down menu by selecting the menu
title "time," which is shown as the menu title 1116. The state of
the window 1101 shown in FIG. 11D would then search for all
PhotoShop documents created in the last 30 days or 7 days or 2 days
or today or at any time, depending on the particular time period
selected by the user.
[0104] FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D show another example of a user
interface for allowing the creation of search queries for searching
metadata and other data and for displaying the results of the
search performed using a search query. The different implementation
shown in FIGS. 12A-12D shows a user interface presentation in a
column mode; this can be seen by noting the selection of the column
button, which is the rightmost button in the view buttons 1237
shown in FIG. 12A. The window 1201 has two columns 1211 and the
display region 1205, while the window 1251 of FIG. 12C has three
columns which are columns 1257, 1259, and the display region 1255,
and the window 1271 has three columns which are columns 1277, 1279,
and the display region 1275.
[0105] The window 1201 shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B includes a
display region 1205 which shows the results of a search; these
results may be shown dynamically as the user enters search
parameters or the results may be shown only after the user has
instructed the system to perform the search (e.g. by selecting a
"perform search" command). The window 1201 includes conventional
window controls, such as a resizing control 1231, a scrolling
control 1221, a title bar 1229 which may be used to move the
window, a window close button, a window minimize button, and a
window resize button 1234, 1235, and 1236, respectively. The window
1201 also includes a user-configurable side bar region 1203A and a
system specified side bar region 1203B. It can be seen from FIG.
12A that a browse mode has been selected as indicated by the
highlighted "browse" icon 1203C in the system specified side bar
region 1203B. The window 1201 also includes a text entry region
1209, which a user may use to enter text for a search, and the
window 1201 also includes view selector buttons 1237.
[0106] A column 1211 of window 1201 allows a user to select various
search parameters by selecting one of the options which in turn
causes the display of a submenu that corresponds to the selected
option. In the case of FIG. 12A, the user has selected the "kind"
option 1212 and then has used the submenu 1214 to select the
"photos" option from the submenu, resulting in an indicator 1213
(photos) to appear in the column 1211 under the "kind" option as
shown in FIG. 12A. It can also be seen that the user has previously
selected the "time" option in the column 1211 and has selected from
a submenu brought up when the "time" option was selected the "past
week" search parameter. When the user has finished making
selections of the various options and suboptions from both the
column 1211 and any of the corresponding submenus which appear,
then the display showed in FIG. 12B appears. Note that the submenus
are no longer present and that the user has completed the selection
of the various options and suboptions which specify the search
parameters. Column 1211 in FIG. 12B provides feedback to the user
indicating the exact nature of the search query (in this case a
search for all photos dated in the past week), and the results
which match the search query are shown in the display region
1205.
[0107] FIGS. 12C and 12D show an alternative embodiment in which
the submenus which appear on a temporary basis in the embodiment of
FIGS. 12A and 12B are replaced by an additional column which does
not disappear after a selection is made. In particular, the column
1259 of the window 1251 functions in the same manner as the submenu
1214 except that it remains within the window 1251 after a
selection is made (wherein the submenu 1214 is removed from the
window after the user makes the selection from the submenu). The
column 1279 of window 1271 of FIG. 12D is similar to the column
1259. The window 1251 includes a side bar which has a
user-configurable side bar region 1253A and a system defined side
bar region 1253B. The system specified side bar region 1253B
includes a "browse" selection region 1254 which has a clear button
1258 which the user may select to clear the current search query.
The window 1271 of FIG. 12D provides an alternative interface for
clearing the search query. The window 1271 also includes a user
configurable side bar region 1273A and a system specified side bar
region 1273B, but the clear button, rather than being with the
"search" region 1274 is at the top of the column 1277. The user may
clear the current search parameter by selecting the button 1283 as
shown in FIG. 12D.
[0108] FIG. 13A shows another embodiment of a window 1301 which
displays search results within a display region 1302. The window
1301 may be a closeable, minimizeable, resizeable, and moveable
window having a resizing control 1310, a title bar 1305 which may
be used to move the window, a text entry region 1306 and a user
configurable portion 1303, and a system specified portion 1304. The
window 1301 further includes buttons for selecting various views,
including an icon view, a list view, and a column view. Currently,
the list view button 1316 has been selected, causing the display of
the search results in a list view manner within the display region
1302. It can be seen that the text ("button") has been entered into
the text entry region 1306 and this has caused the system to
respond with the search results shown in the display region 1302.
The user has specified a search in every location by selecting
"everywhere" button 1317. Further, the user has searched for any
kind of document by selecting the "kind" option from the pull down
menu 1315 and by selecting the "any" option in the pull down menu
1319. The where or location slice 1307 includes a "+" button which
may be used to add further search parameters, and similarly, the
slice 1308 includes a "+" and a "-" button for adding or deleting
search parameters, respectively. The slice 1307 further includes a
"save" button 1309 which causes the current search query to be
saved in the form of a folder which is added to the user
configurable portion 1303 for use later. This is described further
below and may be referred to as a "smart folder." The search input
user interface shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B is available within, in
certain embodiments, each and every window controlled by a
graphical user interface file management system, such as a Finder
program which runs on the Macintosh or Windows Explorer which runs
on Microsoft Windows. This interface includes the text entry region
1306 as well as the slices 1307 and 1308.
[0109] The window 1301 shown in FIG. 13B shows the activation of a
menu by selecting the search button 1323A, causing a display of a
menu having two entries 1323 and 1325. Entry 1323 displays recently
performed searches so that a user may merely recall a prior search
by selecting the prior search and cause the prior search to be run
again. The menu selection 1325 allows the user to clear the list of
recent searches in the menu.
[0110] FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C show examples of another window in a
graphical user interface file system, such as the Finder which runs
on the Macintosh operating system. These windows show the results
of a particular search and also the ability to save and use a smart
folder which saves a prior search. The window 1401 shown in FIG.
14A includes a display region 1403, a user configurable region
1405, a smart folder 1406, a system specified region 1407, an icon
view button 1409, a list view button 1410, and a column view button
1411. The window 1401 also includes a text entry region 1415 and a
location slice 1416 which may be used to specify the location for
the search, which slice also includes a save button 1417.
Additional slices below the slice 1416 allow the user to specify
further details with respect to the search, in this case specifying
types of documents which are images which were last viewed this
week. The user has set the search parameters in this manner by
selecting the "kind" option from the pull down menu 1419 and by
selecting the "images" type from the pull down menu 1420 and by
selecting the "last viewed" option from pull down menu 1418 and by
selecting "this week" from the pull down menu 1422. The user has
also selected "everywhere" by selecting the button 1421 so that the
search will be performed on all disks and storage devices connected
to this system. The results are shown within the display region
1403. The user can then save the search query by selecting the
"save" button 1417 and may name the saved search query as "this
week's images" to produce the smart folder 1406 as shown in the
user configurable portion 1405. This allows the user to repeat this
search at a later time by merely selecting the smart folder 1406
which causes the system to perform a new search again, and all data
which matches the search criteria will be displayed within the
display region 1403. Thus, after several weeks, a repeating of this
search by selecting the smart folder 1406 will produce an entirely
different list if none of the files displayed in the display region
1403 of FIG. 14A are viewed in the last week from the time in which
the next search is performed by selecting the smart folder
1406.
[0111] FIG. 14B shows a way in which a user may sort or further
search within the search results specified by a saved search, such
as a smart folder. In the case of FIG. 14B, the user has selected
the smart folder 1406 and has then entered text "jpg" 1425 in the
text entry region 1415. This has caused the system to filter or
further limit the search results obtained from the search query
saved as the smart folder 1406. Thus, PhotoShop files and other
files such as TIF files and GIF files are excluded from the search
results displayed within the display region 1403 of FIG. 14B
because the user has excluded those files by adding an additional
search criteria specified by the text 1425 in the text entry region
1415. It can be seen that the "jpg" text entry is ANDed logically
with the other search parameters to achieve the search results
displayed in the display region 1403. It can also be seen that the
user has selected the icon view by selecting the icon view button
1409. Thus, it is possible for a user to save a search query and
use it later and to further limit the results of the search query
by performing a search on the results of the search query to
further limit the search results. An aspect of this further
limiting of the search results from a saved search query is
described below and may be referred to as hierarchical smart
folders.
[0112] FIG. 14C shows the window 1401 and shows the search results
displayed within the display region 1403, where the results are
based upon the saved search specified by the smart folder 1406. The
user has caused a pull down menu 1427 to appear by selecting the
pull down region 1427A. The pull down region 1427 includes several
options which a user may select. These options include hiding the
search criteria or saving the search (which is similar to selecting
the button 1417) or showing view options or opening the selected
file. This allows the user, for example, to hide the search
criteria, thereby causing the slice 1416 and the other search
parameters to be removed from the window 1401 which is a moveable,
resizeable, minimizeable, and closeable window.
[0113] FIG. 14D shows an example of a user interface which allows
the user to specify the appearance of a smart folder, such as the
smart folder 1406.
[0114] A saved search folder may also be created before doing a
search rather than after a search has been performed. An exemplary
method for creating a saved search folder before a search is
performed is shown in FIG. 23. In operation 2301, a data processing
system receives a command to create a new saved search folder. This
command may be from the selection of an option in a pull down menu
or from a user's activation of a button on a graphical user
interface. In operation 2303, the system may then display an
interface for selecting or inputting search input parameters. The
system then receives, in operation 2305, the inputted search input
parameters specified by a user as well as a name of the new saved
search folder. Then in operation 2307, the system performs the
search specified by the saved search folder and displays the search
results in an interface, such as a window.
[0115] FIGS. 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 show examples of graphical user
interfaces for creating, editing, and using one or more saved
search folders, such as a "smart" folder. Window 2401 may be a
typical window found in the Macintosh 10.3 operating system
(referred to as "Panther"), and thus the window may be resizeable,
moveable, closeable, and capable of being minimized through the
activation of various interface features. The window 2401 also
includes a side bar region 2405 and a main display region 2403. The
main display region 2403 shows, in FIG. 24, the results of a
search. The user has decided to save this search and has instructed
the system to do so by activating a button, such as the "save"
button 2408. This can cause the display of the naming panel 2407
which includes a text field 2409 into which a user may enter the
name for the saved search folder. The panel 2407 also includes a
location menu 2411 which the user can use to select the location of
the saved search folder. The panel 2407 also includes a save button
2415 and a cancel button 2417 as well as a check box 2413.
Activation of the save button 2415 causes the smart folder to be
saved in the location specified by the location menu 2411. If the
check box 2413 is checked, then a representation, such as an icon,
of the saved search folder will appear in the side bar 2405. If the
user activates the cancel button 2417, then the system closes the
naming panel 2407 and the search query is not saved as a saved
search folder.
[0116] FIG. 25 shows the window 2401 after the user has entered
text into the text input field 2409. The user can then save the new
saved search folder by activating the save button 2415 (e.g. by
positioning a cursor over the save button 2415 and by pressing a
mouse button or by otherwise signaling to the computer to activate
the button). The saving of the new smart folder may, in one
embodiment, cause the system to close the folder and also cause an
icon of the saved search folder to appear in the side bar. FIG. 26
shows an example of a saved search folder which has been added to
the side bar. In particular, the window 2601 includes a side bar
2603 which displays an icon of a saved search folder 2605 which was
created from the operations shown in FIG. 25. The first panel 2609
of the window 2601 shows folders which are contained within the
volume "Panther HD" indicated by icon 2607. The selection of the
icon 2605, which represents the saved search folder, causes the
system to perform the search specified by the saved search folder
and to display the search results within a window. This can be seen
in FIG. 27 in which the user has selected the icon 2605 in the side
bar region 2603, causing the display of a plurality of files 2707
within the main display portion 2709 of the window 2701. The files
2707 represent the results of this current search performed through
the use of the saved search folder which specifies a saved search
query. These results represent all of the current files which match
the search query. Buttons 2713 and 2715 allow a user to change the
views within the main portion 2709 from a list view shown in FIG.
27 to an icon view. Currently, button 2713 has been activated,
resulting in the list view. The user may edit the saved search
folder by selecting the edit button 2711 which results in the
display of the window 2701 shown in FIG. 28. The edit button
changes from an edit button to a save button 2719 and an upper
portion of the window now includes a text entry field 2717 as well
as pull down menus which allow for the selection of various search
input parameters. The pull down menu 2731 allows for the selection
of a type of a search input parameter, such as a "kind" type, and
the pull down menu 2729 allows for the selection of a further
specification of that type. In the example shown in FIG. 28, the
user has selected "kind" from the pull down menu 2731 and "images"
from the pull down menu 2729 and has entered the word "test" in the
text input field 2717. This represents the originally saved search
input or search query for the images smart folder saved from the
interface shown in FIG. 25. This may be edited by changing the text
within the text input field 2717 or by selecting a different
parameter from either of the pull down menus 2731 and 2729.
Furthermore, the search input may be varied or edited by adding
additional search parameters by selecting the "addition" button
2722, or a search parameter may be removed by selecting the
"subtraction" button 2721. The window 2721 in its upper portion
includes a slice 2726 which allows for the selection of various
search locations and which also specifies, by indicator 2725, the
presently selected location. The window also includes the name of
the saved search folder in the title region 2727.
[0117] One attribute of windows which display search results,
according to at least certain embodiments of the present invention,
is the ability for live updating, wherein the results in the search
results window are dynamically updated as new documents are created
or received by the system which is executing the search. FIG. 29
shows an exemplary method for providing live updating of search
results windows. In operation 2901, the system receives a command
to perform a search on the content of files or metadata of the
files. This input may be a result of opening a saved search folder
or the result of typing text in a search input field or by
selecting one or more search parameters and causing the system to
do a search. In operation 2903, the system responds by displaying
the search results in a search window. While this search window is
still displayed, the user may create or receive new files, such as
word processing files or documents or email messages, some of which
match the search query of the search window which is still open.
This is shown in operation 2905 of FIG. 29. Then in operation 2907,
the system updates automatically the search results in the search
window dynamically as the new documents are created or received.
Thus, as new documents which match the search query are created or
received, then a representation of them appear within the search
result window without having to close and reopen the window and
without having to select a command to refresh the window.
[0118] FIGS. 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 illustrate exemplary
embodiments in which a plurality of saved search folders have a
hierarchical relationship among themselves, such as a predetermined
relationship in a graphical user interface. FIG. 30 shows one
method for creating such a hierarchy. In operation 3001, a first
search query is created; this may occur as a result of receiving
user input which specifies this first search query and user input
which specifies that the first search query is to be saved. The
system responds in operation 3003 by saving the first search query
and by associating it with a first graphical user interface folder
in response to the user command. Then in operation 3005 a second
search query is created, and this second search query is saved and
associated with a second graphical user interface folder in
response to a user command in operation 3007. Then in operation
3009, the second graphical user interface folder is displayed as a
subfolder of the first graphical user interface folder. This is one
exemplary form of a predetermined relationship or hierarchical
relationship between the two folders. FIGS. 31 and 32 show a
portion of a graphical user interface which includes one or more
windows which may overlap. In particular, FIG. 31 shows the window
3100 which includes a main display portion 3103 and a title portion
3101. Within the main display portion 3103, a plurality of items,
which represent the items found in the first search query, are
displayed, including items 3105, 3107 and 3109. The icon 3109
represents a second saved search folder which may be opened into a
second window using conventional graphical user interface
techniques. For example, the user may position a mouse over the
icon 3101 and select an open command or rapidly depress a button
twice, causing the display of the window 3150 shown in FIG. 32,
which overlaps the window 3100. The window 3150 shows the search
results of the second saved search which represents the second
smart folder within the main display portion 3153 of the window
3150. The second smart folder, or second saved search folder, may
represent a more specific search created by adding additional
search parameters in a Boolean AND operation. The graphical user
interface for a hierarchy of smart folders may use overlapping
windows, with one or more folders nested within another folder, as
in the case of the example shown in FIGS. 31 and 32 or may use a
hierarchical view within the same window, as in the case of FIGS. 5
and 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,486,897 which is, for the purposes of
these FIGS. 5 and 6, incorporated herein by reference. Other
alternative hierarchical views may also be used, such as column
views or Web browser style views (which use back and forward
buttons or commands to move within a hierarchy, optionally in the
same window).
[0119] FIG. 33 shows an example of a hierarchy created by adding
search parameters with a Boolean AND operation. The hierarchy 3301
shown in FIG. 33 includes a first smart folder which represents a
saved search query which causes the search for all documents which
have been modified in the last week. The second smart folder
modifies that first search query by adding a "kind" parameter which
specifies a search for images (e.g. JPG or PhotoShop files, etc.).
Thus, the second saved search query represented by the second smart
folder 3305 searches for all images modified in the last week. A
second smart folder may be graphically nested within the first
smart folder as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32 or may be displayed or
represented in other fashions to show the predetermined
relationship between the two folders. The third smart folder, 3307,
may also be considered nested within or a subfolder of the first
smart folder 3303. The third smart folder represents a saved search
query which searches for all documents of a text type (e.g.
Microsoft Word ".doc" documents, ".txt", ".rtf", and other types of
text files) that have been modified in the last week. The fourth
smart folder 3309 and the fifth smart folder 3311 may be considered
to be subfolders of the third smart folder 3307 or otherwise
enclosed within or dependent upon the third smart folder. Thus, for
example, the fourth and fifth smart folders may be shown as folders
within the contents (e.g. search results of) the third smart folder
in a manner which is similar to that shown in FIG. 31. The fourth
smart folder 3309 represents a saved search query which causes a
search for all text type documents modified in the last week and
which were authored by "John." The fifth smart folder 3311
represents a saved search query which causes the search for all
text type documents modified in the last week and which were
authored by "Joe." It can be seen that both the fourth and fifth
smart folders can be obtained from the third smart folder by
editing or modifying the saved search query which is represented by
the third smart folder. For example, the saved search query of the
third smart folder may be edited to include (through a Boolean AND
operator) an author input field in which the name of the author,
such as Joe or John, can be specified.
[0120] The user interface provided by a hierarchy of saved search
folders provides a powerful mechanism to browse user files on a
data processing system. In the example shown in FIG. 33, a single
smart folder encapsulates or encloses four other folders. By
opening the first smart folder, the user will see a display of
search results showing all documents which have been modified in
the last week, and the search results, at least in certain
embodiments, will also include four folders which represent the
second, third, fourth, and fifth smart folders. The user may then
"tunnel" into the different folders (which may be saved with names
that indicate the content of the folders or which specify the
search query) and thereby provide or obtain more specific search
results. A window displaying the search results obtained by the
first smart folder 3303 will include icons representing at least
the second smart folder 3305 and the third smart folder 3307. A
hierarchical view within this window may also optionally display
the fourth and fifth smart folders 3309 and 3311 (e.g. in an
indented manner to show the nesting or hierarchy of the smart
folders). The user may, from the window displaying the results of
the first saved search, open the third smart folder, causing the
display of search results obtained by the third smart folder, which
results will also include at least a representation of the fourth
and fifth smart folders 3309 and 3311. The user may continue to
"dig" into the fourth or fifth smart folders to look for a file.
These smart folders may be implemented within or in conjunction
with a file management system (e.g. such as the Finder on Macintosh
operating systems (OS) or Windows Explorer on Microsoft's Windows
OS) or within an application program, such as an email program
(e.g. Apple Computer's Mail program or IBM's Lotus Notes program)
which includes the ability for the user to create folders within an
email "in box" to store emails (e.g. received emails) within the
user created folders. The user created folders could be implemented
as one or more smart folders (e.g. each being a saved search
folder) which can search all the saved emails (or a selected group
of saved emails) based on a search query which causes a search
through content (e.g. indexed content) of the saved emails as well
as metadata for those saved emails. User interfaces for
implementing this may employ folders or other graphical
representations; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,101.
[0121] FIG. 34 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the system
automatically changes search queries for subfolders in the
hierarchy of saved search folders. In operation 3401, a first
search query is saved as a first folder or enclosure, such as a
first smart folder. In operation 3403, a second search query is
saved as a second folder or enclosure, such as a second smart
folder which is hierarchically nested within the first folder. The
user, in operation 3405, changes the first search query. For
example, the first search query is changed from a location of
documents within a work folder which have an image type to a query
specified by a location within the work folder and which are also
image type files and have been authored by John. Since the second
smart folder is contained within or hierarchically dependent upon
the first smart folder, the second search query is automatically
modified by the system in operation 3407 in response to the user's
changing of the first search query. For example, the system would
automatically change the second search query from "location=work
folder AND kind=images AND date=last week" to a search query of
"location=work folder AND author=John AND kind=images AND date=last
week." In this manner, if a user has specified to the system that
the hierarchy of the folders is to be maintained through changes of
the search queries, the system will automatically adjust dependent
search queries in a manner which is similar to that shown in FIG.
34.
[0122] FIGS. 35, 36 and 37 illustrate exemplary graphical user
interfaces for editing and displaying a saved search folder. The
window 3501 shown in FIG. 35 includes a side bar region 3503 which
includes an icon 3505 which represents the smart folder "last
button psd." The user has selected the icon 3505, causing the
display of the search results performed in response to the saved
search query represented by the smart folder. The main display
portion 3507 of the window 3501 shows the search results. The
window also includes a title 3509 which shows the name of the smart
folder. The window 3501 also includes an edit button 3511 which the
user may activate to allow editing of the saved search query.
Activating the button 3511 causes the display of the window 3501a
in which a search input region 3600 is displayed. The edit button
now changes to a save button 3512 which may be activated if the
user modifies the search query to save another search query as a
new smart folder. If the search query is modified by ANDing in a
Boolean operation an additional search parameter, then the search
may be considered hierarchically dependent upon the original search
and thus two hierarchical smart folders may be created through an
editing operation of the first smart folder. The search query may
be edited using the various controls within the input region 3600.
This region includes a location slice which specifies a location,
such as everywhere 3601 and also includes a text entry field 3603
into which text may be entered. In the case shown in FIG. 36, the
word "button" has been entered into the text entry field 3603 such
that the search query searches for any Adobe PhotoShop document
containing the word "button" which was viewed this week. The
additional parameters of the kind of document and the date of the
document are specified by the pull down menus 3605, 3607, 3609, and
3611. Additional search parameters may be added to the search by
selecting one of the + buttons or one of the input parameters may
be removed from the search query by selecting the
appropriate--button in the right portion of the input region 3600.
Thus, for example, if the user wanted to add a search parameter
relating to the author of a document, the user can select one of
the + buttons and from a pull down menu select the author input
attribute and then select a particular author from the menu. In the
example shown in FIG. 36, the current saved search query
represented by the last button psd smart folder has been specified
by selecting the "kind" attribute from the pull down menu 3605 and
by specifying Adobe PhotoShop as the particular type or kind from
the pull down menu 3607. Further, the date parameter has been
specified by selecting the "date viewed" parameter from the pull
down menu 3609 and then selecting the "this week" input from the
pull down menu 3611. After the user has finished modifying the
search query, the user may activate the save button 3512, resulting
in the display of the naming panel 3701 shown in FIG. 37. This
panel includes a text input field 3703 into which a user may enter
the new name for the new smart folder. It also includes a location
menu 3705, from which the user may select the location for storing
the new smart folder. The panel 3701 also includes a save button
3711, a cancel button 3709, and a check box 3707, each of which
function in a manner which is similar to the corresponding elements
shown in FIG. 25. If the user activates the save button 3711, a new
smart folder will be created. If the user created this new smart
folder by adding an additional search input parameter which is
ANDed in a Boolean fashion with the previous saved search query,
then a hierarchical set of folders will be created in at least
certain embodiments of the present invention.
[0123] FIGS. 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D show an example of a system
wide search input user interface and search result user interface.
In one particular exemplary embodiment, these user interfaces are
available on the entire system for all applications which run on
the system and all files and metadata, and even address book
entries within an address book program, such as a personal
information manager, and calendar entries within a calendar
program, and emails within an email program, etc. In one exemplary
embodiment, the system begins performing the search and begins
displaying the results of the search as the user types text into a
text entry field, such as the text entry field 1507. The search
results are organized by categories and are displayed as a short
list which is intentionally abbreviated in order to present only a
selected number of the most relevant (scored) matches or hits to
the search query. The user can ask for the display of all the hits
by selecting a command, such as the "show all" command 1509. FIG.
15A shows a portion of a display controlled by a data processing
system. This portion includes a menu bar 1502 which has at its far
end a search menu command 1505. The user can select the search menu
command by positioning a cursor, using a mouse, for example, over
the search menu command 1505 and by pressing a button or by
otherwise activating or selecting a command. This causes a display
of a text entry region 1507 into which a user can enter text. In
the example shown in FIG. 15A, which is a portion of the display,
the user has entered the text "shakeit" causing the display of a
search result region immediately below a "show all" command region
1509 which is itself immediately below the text entry region 1507.
It can be seen that the hits or matches are grouped into categories
("documents" and "PDF documents") shown by categories 1511 and 1513
within the search result region 1503. FIG. 15B shows another
example of a search. In this case, a large number of hits was
obtained (392 hits), only a few of which are shown in the search
result region 1503. Again, the hits are organized by categories
1511 and 1513. Each category may be restricted in terms of the
number of items displayed within the search result region 1503 in
order to permit the display of multiple categories at the same time
within the search result region. For example, the number of hits in
the documents category may greatly exceed the available display
space within the search result region 1503, but the hits for this
category are limited to a predetermined or dynamically determinable
number of entries within the search result region 1503 for the
category 1511. An additional category, "top hit" is selected based
on a scoring or relevancy using techniques which are known in the
art. The user may select the "show all" command 1509 causing the
display of a window, such as window 1601 shown in FIG. 16A. FIG.
15C shows a display of a graphical user interface of one embodiment
of the invention which includes the menu bar 1502 and the search
menu command 1505 on the menu bar 1502. FIG. 15D shows another
example of the search result region 1503 which appeared after a
search of the term "safari" was entered into the text entry region
1507. It can be seen from the search result region 1503 of FIG. 15D
that the search results are again grouped into categories. Another
search result window 1520 is also shown in the user interface of
FIG. 15D. It can be seen that application programs are retrieved as
part of the search results, and a user may launch any one of these
application programs by selecting it from the search result region,
thereby causing the program to be launched.
[0124] FIGS. 16A and 16B show examples of search result windows
which may be caused to appear by selecting the "show all" command
1509 in FIG. 15A or 15B. Alternatively, these windows may appear as
a result of the user having selected a "find" command or a some
other command indicating that a search is desired. Moreover, the
window 1601 shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B may appear in response to
either of the selection of a show all command or the selection of a
find command. The window 1601 includes a text entry region 1603, a
group by menu selection region 1605, a sort by menu selection
region 1607, and a where menu selection region 1609. The group by
selection region 1605 allows a user to specify the manner in which
the items in the search results are grouped according to. In the
example shown in FIG. 16A, the user has selected the "kind" option
from the group by menu selection region 1605, causing the search
results to be grouped or sorted according to the kind or type of
document or file. It can be seen that the type of file includes
"html" files, image files, PDF files, source code files, and other
types of files as shown in FIG. 16A. Each type or kind of document
is separated from the other documents by being grouped within a
section and separated by headers from the other sections. Thus,
headers 1611, 1613, 1615, 1617, 1619, 1621, and 1623 designate each
of the groups and separate one group from the other groups. This
allows a user to focus on evaluating the search results according
to certain types of documents. Within each group, such as the
document groups or the folder groups, the user has specified that
the items are to be sorted by date, because the user has selected
the date option within the sort by menu region 1607. The user has
also specified that all storage locations are to be searched by
selecting "everywhere" from the where menu selection region 1609.
Each item in the search result list includes an information button
1627 which may be selected to produce the display of additional
information which may be available from the system. An example of
such additional information is shown in FIG. 17 in which a user has
selected the information button 1627 for item 1635, resulting in
the display of an image 1636 corresponding to the item as well as
additional information 1637. Similarly, the user has selected the
information button for another item 1630 to produce the display of
an image of the item 1631 as well as additional information 1632.
The user may remove this additional information from the display by
selecting the close button 1628 which causes the display of the
information for item 1635 to revert to the appearance for that item
shown in FIG. 16A. The user may collapse an entire group to hide
the entries or search results from that group by selecting the
collapse button 1614 shown in FIG. 16A, thereby causing the
disappearance of the entries in this group as shown in FIG. 16B.
The user may cause these items to reappear by selecting the expand
button 1614A as shown in FIG. 16B to thereby revert to the display
of the items as shown in FIG. 16A.
[0125] The search results user interface shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B
presents only a limited number of matches or hits within each
category. In the particular example of these figures, only the five
top (most relevant or most highly sorted) hits are displayed. This
can be seen by noticing the entry at the bottom of each list within
a group which specifies how many more hits are within that group;
these hits can be examined by selecting this indicator, such as
indicator 1612, which causes the display of all of the items in the
documents category or kind for the search for "button" which was
entered into the text entry region 1603. Further examples of this
behavior are described below and are shown in conjunction with
FIGS. 18A and 18B. It will be appreciated that window 1601 is a
closeable and resizable and moveable window and includes a close
button and a resizing control 1625A.
[0126] FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate another window 1801 which is
very similar to the window 1601. The window 1801 includes a text
entry region 1803, a group by menu selection region 1805, a sort by
menu selection region 1807, and a where menu selection region 1809,
each of which function in a manner which is similar to the regions
1605, 1607, and 1609 respectively of FIG. 16A. Each item in a list
view within the window 1801 includes an information button 1827,
allowing a user to obtain additional information beyond that listed
for each item shown in the window 1801. The window 1801 further
includes headers 1811, 1813, 1815, 1817, 1819, 1821, and 1823 which
separate each group of items, grouped by the type or kind of
document, and sorted within each group by date, from the other
groups. A collapse button 1814 is available for each of the
headers. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B shows the
ability to switch between several modes of viewing the information.
For example, the user may display all of the hits within a
particular group by selecting the indicator 1812 shown in FIG. 18A
which results in the display of all of the images files within the
window 1801 within the region 1818A. The window is scrollable,
thereby allowing the user to scroll through all the images. The
user can revert back to the listing of only five of the most
relevant images by selecting the "show top 5" button 1832 shown in
FIG. 18B. Further, the user can select between a list view or an
icon view for the images portion shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B. The
user may select the list view by selecting the list view button
1830 or may select the icon view by selecting the icon view button
1831. The list view for the images group is shown in FIG. 16A and
the icon view for the images group is shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B.
It can be seen that within a single, moveable, resizable, closeable
search result window, that there are two different views (e.g. a
list view and an icon view) which are concurrently shown within the
window. For example, the PDF documents under the header 1819 are
displayed in a list view while the images under the header 1817 are
displayed in an icon view in FIGS. 18A and 18B. It can also be seen
from FIGS. 18A and 18B that each image is shown with a preview
which may be capable of live resizing as described in a patent
application entitled "Live Content Resizing" by inventors Steve
Jobs, Steve Lemay, Jessica Kahn, Sarah Wilkin, David Hyatt, Jens
Alfke, Wayne Loofbourrow, and Bertrand Serlet, filed on the same
date as this application, and being assigned to the assignee of the
present inventions described herein, and which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
[0127] FIG. 19A shows another example of a search result window
which is similar to the window 1601. The window 1901 shown in FIG.
19A includes a text entry region 1903 and a group by menu selection
region 1905 and a sort by menu selection region 1907 and a where
menu selection region 1908. Further, the window includes a close
button 1925 and a resizing control 1925A. Text has been entered
into the text entry region 1903 to produce the search results shown
in the window 1901. The search results again are grouped by a
category selected by a user which in this case is the people
options 1906. This causes the headers 1911, 1913, 1915, and 1917 to
show the separation of the groups according to names of people.
Within each group, the user has selected to sort by the date of the
particular file or document. The user interface shown in FIG. 19A
allows a user to specify an individual's name and to group by
people to look for communications between two people, for example.
FIG. 19B shows another way in which a user can group a text search
("imran") in a manner which is different from that shown in FIG.
19A. In the case of FIG. 19B, the user has selected a flat list
from the group by menu selection region 1905 and has selected
"people" from the sort by menu region 1907. The resulting display
in window 1901A is without headers and thus it appears as a flat
list.
[0128] FIG. 19C shows the user interface of another search result
window 1930 which includes a text entry region 1903 and the
selection regions 1905, 1907, and 1908 along with a scrolling
control 1926. The results shown in the window 1930 have been
grouped by date and sorted within each group by date. Thus, the
headers 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, and 1940 specify time periods such
as when the document was last modified (e.g. last modified today,
or yesterday, or last week). Also shown within the search results
window 1930 is the information button 1942 which may be selected to
reveal further information, such as an icon 1945 and additional
information 1946 as shown for one entry under the today group. This
additional information may be removed by selecting the contraction
button 1944.
[0129] FIG. 19D shows a search result window 1950 in which a search
for the text string "te" is grouped by date but the search was
limited to a "home" folder as specified in the where menu selection
region 1908. Time specific headers 1952, 1954, 1956, and 1958
separate items within one group from the other groups as shown in
FIG. 19D.
[0130] FIG. 19E shows an alternative embodiment of a search result
window. In this embodiment, the window 1970 includes elements which
are similar to window 1901 such as the selection regions 1905,
1907, and a scrolling control 1926 as well as a close button 1925
and a resizing control 1925A. The search result window 1970 further
includes a "when" menu selection region 1972 which allows the user
to specify a search parameter based on time in addition to the text
entered into the text entry region 1903. It can be seen from the
example shown in FIG. 19E that the user has decided to group the
search results by the category and to sort within each group by
date. This results in the headers 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1979 as
shown in FIG. 19E.
[0131] FIG. 20 shows an exemplary method of operating a system wide
menu for inputting search queries, such as the system wide menu
available by selecting the search menu command 1505 shown in FIG.
15A or 15B, or 15C. In operation 2001, the system displays a system
wide menu for inputting search queries. This may be the search menu
command 1505. The user, in operation 2003, inputs a search, and as
the search query is being inputted, the system begins performing
and begins displaying the search results before the user finishes
inputting the search query. This gives immediate feedback and input
to the user as the user enters this information. The system is, in
operation 2005, performing a search through files, metadata for the
files, emails within an email program, address book entries within
an address book program, calendar entries within a calendar
program, etc. The system then, in operation 2007, displays an
abbreviated (e.g. incomplete) list of hits if there are more than a
certain number of hits. An example of this abbreviated listing is
shown in FIG. 15B. The listing may be sorted by relevance and
segregated into groups such as categories or types of documents.
Then in operation 2009, the system receives a command from the user
to display all the hits and in operation 2011 the system displays
the search results window, such as the window 1601 shown in FIG.
16A. This window may have the ability to display two different
types of views, such as an icon view and a list view within the
same closeable, resizable, and moveable window. It will be
appreciated that the searching, which is performed as the user is
typing and the displaying of results as the user is typing may
include the searching through the metadata files created from
metadata extracted from files created by many different types of
software programs.
[0132] FIGS. 21, and 22A, 22B, 22C, and 22D will now be referred to
while describing another aspect of the inventions. This aspect
relates to a method of selecting a group of files, such as a group
of individual data files. In an exemplary method of this aspect, a
data processing system receives a selection of a plurality of
items, such as data files, folders (e.g. graphical user interface
representations of subdirectories), application programs or a
combination of one or more of these items. This selection may be
performed by one of the many conventional ways to select a
plurality of items such as (a) positioning a cursor at each item
individually (e.g. through the movement of a mouse) and indicating
a selection individually by, for example, pressing and releasing a
button, such as a mouse's button; (b) pointing a cursor at a first
item in a list and indicating a selection of the first item and
pointing the cursor at a last item in a list of items and
indicating a selection of all items from the first item to the last
item in the list; (c) drawing a selection rectangle by a dragging
operation of the cursor, etc. Thus operation 2101 shown in FIG. 21
receives one or more inputs indicating a selection of a plurality
of items. The system in operation 2103 receives a command
requesting both the creation of a new storage facility (e.g. a
folder) and an association of the plurality of items with the new
storage facility. While the operation 2103 is shown following
operation 2101, in certain embodiments operation 2103 may precede
operation 2101. The association of operation 2103 may be a copy or
a move operation. For example, the user may select multiple items
and then command the system to move those items from their existing
locations to a new folder which is created in one operation as a
result of the move and create new folder command. In response to
the command received in operation 2103, the system creates a new
storage facility, such as a new folder, with a predetermined
directory path name or a user specified path name and the system
further associates the selected plurality of items with the new
storage facility. This association may be either a move or a copy
operation. A copy operation would typically involve making a copy
of each selected item and storing the item with a path name that
reflects the storage of the item within the new folder having a
predetermined directory path name or a user specified directory
path name. A move operation, in which the items are moved into the
new folder, may merely change the path names associated with each
of the selected items (rather than making a copy of the items)
which changed path names will reflect the new file system location
(e.g. within the subdirectory of the new folder) of the selected
items.
[0133] FIGS. 22A-22D show one example of the method of FIG. 21. A
desktop 2201 on a display device is shown containing multiple
windows and also an icon 2227 on the desktop. A cursor 2211 is also
shown on the desktop. The windows 2203, 2205, and 2207 each contain
a plurality of items shown as icons. In particular, window 2203
includes a data file represented by icon 2215 in a folder (e.g. a
graphical representation of a subdirectory in a file storage
system) represented by icon 2217. The window 2205 includes a
program icon 2223 and a document icon 2219 and another document
icon 2225 and a folder icon 2221. The window 2207 shows a list view
of several files including "File B." The user may then, using the
cursor 2211 or using other conventional user interface techniques,
select multiple items. This may be done with one input or more
inputs which indicate the selection of multiple items. FIG. 22B
shows the result of the user having selected icons 2215, 2217,
2223, 2225, 2227, and "File B" in window 2207. It can be seen that
the cursor 2211 is positioned adjacent to the icon 2225 at this
point in the operation. Then the user, after having selected a
plurality of items, may invoke the command referred to in operation
2103. An example of this is shown in FIG. 22C which represents a
portion of the desktop 2201, which portion is designated 2201A as
shown in FIG. 22C. The user has caused a pop-up menu 2230 to
appear, which pop-up menu includes three options 2231, 2232, and
2233. Option 2231 would allow a user to move all the selected items
into the trash (e.g. delete them) while options 2232 and 2233
relate to the command referred to in operation 2103 of FIG. 21. In
particular, option 2232 is a command which is selectable by the
user to create a new folder and, in the same operation, move the
items which have been selected into the new folder. Option 2233 is
a command which allows the user to, in one operation, create a new
folder and copy the selected items into the new folder. In the
example shown in FIGS. 22A-22D, the user will select option 2232,
thereby causing the system to create a new storage facility, such
as a new folder with a predetermined directory name (e.g. "new
folder") or alternatively, a user specified path name. This result
is shown in FIG. 22D in which the desktop 2201 now includes a new
window labeled "new folder" which represents and shows the contents
of this new folder, which is also shown as the folder 2253 which is
a graphical user interface representation of this new folder.
[0134] It will be appreciated that this method may employ various
alternatives. For example, a window may appear after the command
option 2232 or 2233 has been selected, and this window asks for a
name for the new folder. This window may display a default name
(e.g. "new folder") in case the user does not enter a new name.
Alternatively, the system may merely give the new folder or new
storage facility a default path name. Also, the system may merely
create the new folder and move or copy the items into the new
folder without showing the new window as shown in FIG. 22D.
[0135] Another aspect of certain embodiments of aspects described
herein relate to the presentation of a limited number of items
found from a search query rather than displaying a full list of
items found from the search query. In a particular implementation,
shown in FIG. 38, a limited number of items (e.g. the N most
relevant hits, where N is a finite number such as 20) is displayed
within a non-scrollable display region, such as display region 3801
shown in FIG. 38. This region also includes a command "show all"
3811 which may be selected by the user to display all of the items
found in the search, and the region may also include a "top hit"
command such as top hit 3813 shown in FIG. 38. Selection of the
"show all" command 3811 causes the display of a window which is
capable of showing all of the items found in the search (which may
be referred to as "hits"); examples of such windows are shown in
FIGS. 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43. The contents of display region 3801
are obtained by performing a search, which may occur by selecting
the icon 3805 on the menu bar 3803, which causes the display of a
text entry field 3807, into which a user may enter a word or phrase
to cause the search to be performed. The results may appear as a
user enters characters in the search entry field 3807 or after the
user hits a return key or otherwise instructs the system to perform
a search using the inputted text. The icon 3809 may be used to
either start or stop a search. The items which are found in the
search are ranked according to relevancy and/or recency. Techniques
for ranking files that are found in a search according to recency
and/or relevancy are known in the art. This ranking typically
results in the determination of a most relevant file which is shown
as the top hit file 3813 for a particular search. The system
identifies this file as shown in FIG. 38 so that the user can
select the file to be opened. For example, in one embodiment,
pressing the return key will cause the "show all" window to be
displayed, while pressing the enter key or a combination of keys
will open the top hit. The items found in the search are grouped
and displayed within their categories as shown in FIG. 38. For
example, categories 3815a, 3815b, 3815c, 3815d, 3815e, 3815f,
3815g, and 3815h are all distinct categories having items which
were found in the search. The total number of hits within the
display region 3801 is limited to a predetermined number or,
alternatively, to some number less than the total number of items
which were found in the search. In addition, the number of items
within each category, such as category 3815d (which is for html
documents) is also limited such that it will be less than the total
number of items found. This also allows more than one category to
be displayed in the listing. The interface provided by the example
shown in FIG. 38 allows a user to quickly assimilate a small number
of hits. This may facilitate a recognition by the user that the
search query was improper. It may also facilitate the rapid finding
of a particular item. The use of grouping by categories as shown in
FIG. 38 also facilitates rapid finding as the user may be able to
examine a category of a document which is being searched for and
thus can look into that category quickly. FIG. 44 shows an
exemplary method for displaying an interface such as that shown in
FIG. 38. In operation 4401, a search is performed and the files
which are found are ranked within each category. Optionally, the
categories themselves may be ranked; for example, the categories
may be ranked based upon the most relevant file within each
category. In operation 4403, an abbreviated list is displayed, such
as the list shown in the display region 3801 of FIG. 38. This list
of search results may be displayed in a non-scrollable list, and
the list does not show all of the items found. For example, if the
number M is the number of files found in a search, only N number of
most relevant files are displayed in the display region 3801, where
N is less than M. Further, the files are grouped within categories
in the list as shown in FIG. 38 and the number of displayed files
in the list within a category is also limited. Concurrently with
operation 4403 or at a different time, a top hit selection will be
displayed and a show all command may also be displayed as in
operation 4405. Operation 4407 indicates the manner in which the
user may cause the show all window to be displayed in certain
embodiments or may cause the top hit to be opened in those certain
embodiments.
[0136] FIGS. 39-43 illustrate a graphical user interface which
allows the user to control the manner in which the search results
are displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 39, the window 3901 has
the capability of displaying all of the search results from
performing the search shown in FIG. 38. Window 3901 thus is capable
of displaying all of the search results from performing the search
shown in FIG. 38. Window 3901 thus is capable of displaying all 272
results from the search, rather than the limited number shown in
display region 3801. The window 3901 is a scrollable window which
includes a scroll control 3911 and scrolling arrow buttons 3912 and
3913, all of which allow for the control of the scrolling of the
files displayed within the window 3901. Headings for each category
with the name of the category are included within the main display
region of the window 3901. These headings distinguish between the
different categories of files, such as folders, html documents,
images, PDF files, documents, etc. The headings 3917, 3919, 3925,
3927, and 3929 also include corresponding toggle switches 3917a,
3919a, 3925a, 3927a, and 3929a which allow for the display of items
within each category to be collapsed or expanded depending upon the
state of the particular toggle switch. This is described further
below in conjunction with FIGS. 42 and 43. The text input field
3902 shows the text that was entered to cause the search. The group
control 3903 allows the user to group the search results according
to a variety of different parameters. In the particular example
shown in FIG. 39, the user has selected the "kind" parameter to
group the search results by. In other words, the type of document
(e.g. an html document or an image document, etc.) is used to group
the results by so that the documents are displayed within
categories. Alternatively, using the group control 3903, the user
may select the date parameter (to group by dates), the people
parameter (to group by people), or a flat list (no group) to
achieve different displays. The date parameter will list and group
the documents by date, and the people parameter will list and group
the documents based upon the author of the document so that the
categories will be the author of the document or in some other way
which is based upon an identifier of a person. The sort by control
3905 allows the user to sort within groups to the extent that the
results are displayed within groups. In the example shown in FIG.
39, the user has selected the date parameter from the sort control
3905. A "when" control 3907 shows that the search input is not
restricted by date (and thus "any date" is highlighted in the
"when" control 3907). Thus this control indicates a parameter as
opposed to receiving an input from a user. Alternatively, the
"when" control 3907 may allow the user to alter the selected time
period which will cause the search to be redone based upon a new
time period. The "where" control 3909 shows where the search was
performed. It may be the entire computer or remote servers or a
particular partition or folder of a volume or hard drive. The
"where" control 3909 may be a mere display which shows the location
or, alternatively, may be a control which allows the user to change
the location and thereby redo the search. The search results shown
in FIG. 39 are similar to the search results shown in FIG. 38 in
that within each category, there are only a limited number of
documents shown in the window 3901. Thus, for example, in the
"documents" category under the heading 3919, there are five files
3921 which are shown within the window 3901. A clickable button
3920 shows that there are a 145 more documents which were found by
the search. The activation of this button will cause the display of
all of the files in this category as shown in FIGS. 40 and 41 which
figuratively show, in a scrollable view, all the files within the
"documents" category. Scrolling may be performed by using the
scroll control 3911a or by using the scrolling arrows 3912 and
3913. The user may return back to the view showing only the top 5
(top 5 most relevant files within the "documents" category) by
activating either button 3935 or 3935a shown in FIGS. 40 and 41,
respectively. The files 3921a shown in both FIGS. 40 and 41
represent the complete files in the "documents" category, where the
view in FIG. 40 is the top of the list within the documents
category and the view within FIG. 41 is the bottom of the list
within the documents category; it will be appreciated that a set of
files between this top and bottom is not displayed in either FIG.
40 or 41. The user can return back to showing the top 5 files
within the documents category by selecting either button 3935 or
3935a, thereby returning to the view shown in FIG. 39. The user can
also expand and collapse the categories themselves to provide more
space to reveal other files in other categories. An example of this
is shown in FIGS. 42 and 43. In FIG. 42, the categories
"AppleScript", "documents", "folders", and "html" have been
collapsed while the categories "images", "PDF documents", and
"source code" are shown in expanded form (but in each case limited
to the top 5 hits within each category). The expansion or
collapsing is controlled by activation of the respective toggle for
each category, such as the toggle 3917a for the AppleScript
category. The html category is shown in a collapsed form in FIG. 42
while in FIG. 43 it has been expanded by the user's activation of a
toggle 3927a.
[0137] FIG. 45 shows another aspect of at least certain embodiments
in which volumes containing user related files are indexed prior to
the user receiving the volume. The volume may be a CD ROM
containing an operating system, certain user software applications
and user related files. The user related files may include template
files, reference data files (e.g. a dictionary or encyclopedia),
read me files, and other related files in addition to help files.
So, for example, if the volume contains a word processing
application, such as Microsoft Word, the user related files may
include many Word template files and other preexisting user related
files which are accessible by the user through the use of Microsoft
Word or another user application program. The volume may
alternatively be a magnetic hard drive which is the main boot drive
of a computer system, and the method of FIG. 45 describes a portion
of the manufacturing process in which the hard drive is created
with all of the necessary operating system software as well as the
user related files and application programs for use by the user.
The method of FIG. 45 may begin in operation 4501 in which the
manufacturer's system indexes all user related files for a
particular volume. The data which is indexed includes user sample
files, user template files, and metadata for the files. It is
clear, thus, that the indexing which is performed is beyond
indexing of just help files. After the index is created in
operation 4501, it is stored with the user related files and with
the operating system software on a volume. The storage process may
involve a block copy operation to write the data to the storage
volume, such as a CD ROM or a magnetic hard drive which would be
the main boot drive of a newly manufactured computer system. Then
in operation 4505, the volume is distributed to a licensee or
customer. For example, the volume is distributed as a CD ROM or a
DVD disk to a licensee or customer or the customer of a newly
manufactured computer receives the volume as a magnetic hard drive
of the system which causes the system to start up by using the
operating system software on the hard drive. The pre-indexing of
files prior to the user receiving the volume saves the user time.
However, files may be indexed on volumes not previously indexed and
the user may be alerted of this indexing process in the manners
shown in FIGS. 46 and 47.
[0138] When a volume has not been previously indexed, the user may
still cause the volume to be indexed. This may happen automatically
as a consequence of attaching the volume (e.g. attaching a hard
drive which is portable and which includes a USB interface to a
computer system through a USB port, etc.) or as a result of the
user instructing the system to do so through a command on a
graphical user interface. In either case, it may take some time to
index the volume, and a progress bar, such as the progress bars
4607 or 4707 may be displayed while this indexing is being
performed. In one implementation (e.g. the example shown in FIG.
46), no searching may be allowed while the indexing is being
performed. In an alternative implementation, a search of the files
which have been indexed so far may be allowed, which is the
implementation shown in FIG. 47. FIG. 46 shows a graphical user
interface 4601 which includes a menu bar 4603 and a search pull
down icon 4605 which may be used to enter text into a text entry
field, such as the field 4709 shown in FIG. 47. Similarly, FIG. 47
shows another graphical user interface 4701 which includes a menu
bar 4703 and a search menu 4705 which is activated from the search
pull down icon on the menu bar 4703.
[0139] FIG. 48 shows another aspect of certain embodiments
described herein. The method shown in FIG. 48 allows a system wide
search utility to pass a search query to an application which
created a file which was found by the search query, to thereby
allow the application to continue searching by modifying the search
query within the application. An example of this method may be
implemented with an email program, where an email file is found by
the system wide search utility (e.g. "Spotlight") as a result of
the search query. Opening of the email file from the search results
window results in launching the email program and displaying the
particular email which was found in the search results. In
addition, the email program may display the search parameters, such
as the search query which was used to find the opened file in the
system wide search utility, and may allow the user to modify that
request and search specifically within email files managed by the
email program. The method of FIG. 48 may begin in operation 4801 in
which a search is performed in the operating system's search
software (for example, using Spotlight to perform a search), and
the results of the search are displayed in a search window, such as
the search results window shown in FIG. 39. In operation 4803, the
system receives a user selection of a particular file in the search
results window, and this results in the system opening the
application for the file and displaying the file within the
application and also displaying a search input field within the
application. This search input field may indicate the search query
which was used in operation 4801. Further, the search input field
may allow the user to further modify the search query or introduce
a new search query in operation 4807. Then the email program or
other application program which was opened or launched in operation
4805 will then display the search results based on either a new
search input or a further search input within the application
window itself.
[0140] FIG. 49 illustrates another aspect of certain embodiments of
the inventions described herein. According to this aspect, a search
menu option generated by a window or application program is based
upon the context of the window or application program, and the
search option allows for the execution of a system wide search
through files, including files created by other applications and
including searching through the content as well as metadata of the
files. In the example shown in FIG. 49, an address book program
which controls the window 4901 has a menu option for searching
based on the context. The context may be, as in the case of window
4901, some predetermined type of information in the currently
opened window. This predetermined type may be user selectable. This
menu option is activated by activating the icon 4905, which may be
referred to as a tool icon. The activation of this icon results in
the display of a pull down menu 4907 which includes the search
option 4909. Since the address book is currently showing address
information for a person "Patrick Coffman," the menu option 4909
allows the user to launch a search using the term "Patrick
Coffman." Thus, the context of the address book software
application which controls window 4901 controls, in this exemplary
embodiment, the particular search term which is passed through, in
this case, a system wide search utility, causing the display of the
search result window 4903 which is shown behind the window 4901.
The search may be through content of all indexed files on the
system and through the metadata of files (of various different file
types) on the entire system or a portion of the system (e.g.,
specific folders). The search result window 4903 is similar to the
window 3901 shown in FIG. 39. If the software application is an
email application as opposed to an address book application, the
contextual menu 4907, which may be activated from a tool icon
within the email program, may allow for the searching using either
the sender's name or the recipient's name of a particular email
which is displayed within the email window when the tool icon is
activated to produce a pull down menu which is similar to the menu
4907 shown in FIG. 49. Similarly, in a word processing application,
the contextual menu, which is similar to the menu 4907, for a
particular document may allow for the searching of the author's
name, where the author is specified as metadata for the particular
file being viewed within the word processing application's
window.
[0141] FIG. 50 shows another aspect of the present invention.
According to this aspect, text within a text processing
application, such as a word processing application or a text
editing application or an email application or a PDF processing
application, may be selected, and then after selection, a user may
cause a menu to appear or may command the system to perform a
search through other files (e.g. of different file types) in the
system, including other files created by other software programs.
Further, the search may be a search of content of the files as well
as metadata of the files. The search may be in files of selected
directories or through all user files in the system, as in the case
of a system wide search. An exemplary method is shown in FIG. 50
and is also illustrated in FIGS. 51, 52, and 53 which illustrate an
exemplary user interface. In operation 5001, the system receives a
selection of text within an application, such as a text processing
application. The text, "Greg Christie," is shown selected in FIGS.
51, 52 and 53. The selected text 5103 may then be used as an input
to a system wide search by causing a menu to appear. This is shown
in operation 5003 in which the system receives a command to display
a pop-up menu which includes a search option. There are a number of
different ways to cause this menu to appear, such as right-clicking
(placing a cursor over the selected text and pressing and releasing
a mouse's right button) on the selected text or by pressing a
combination of keys, etc. before or after the text has been
selected. Then the system, in operation 5005, receives the
selection of the search option from the pop-up menu, which is shown
as option 5107 within the menu 5105 shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 shows
that the option has been selected by the highlighting 5107a. After
the system receives the selection of the option, it performs a
search through the content of the indexed files and the metadata
for the files. The searching occurs in the file having the selected
text as well as other files created by the same application and
other files which are not created by the same application. The
search results are then displayed in operation 5007, and an example
of the display of the search results is shown as window 5301 in
FIG. 53. Thus, a system wide search through files (e.g. of various
different types) and metadata for the files may be activated from a
text processing application, such as the application which controls
the window 5101 shown in FIGS. 51, 52 and 53 which may be a text
editing application or an email program or a word processing
application. The text processing application is, at least in
certain embodiments, capable of creating a new text document (e.g.
a new word processing document or a new email message) and is
capable of editing existing text documents. Further, the text
processing application is typically capable of creating a text
document which contains character codes (e.g. ASCII or Unicode
codes) which represent text characters. The selection of text
within the window of the text processing application may be through
one of a variety of graphical user interface techniques (e.g.
dragging a cursor across the text while pressing a button,
etc.).
[0142] FIGS. 54, 55 and 56 show another aspect according to certain
embodiments of the present invention. Conventional open dialog
boxes or windows normally provide a list view of files within a
particular folder or subfolder on a storage medium. These open
dialog boxes or windows further include an open button and a cancel
button to allow the user to either cancel the operation or to open
the selected file. If the user needed to perform a search in order
to find a file, the user had to cancel the open operation by
selecting the cancel button and then invoke a searching utility to
search the storage medium. According to one aspect as described
herein, certain embodiments of the present invention provide the
ability to search a plurality of different files having different
file types and different types of metadata created by the same
application or different software applications and to perform that
search within an open dialog box or open window or open panel which
is used to open a file within a software program. The search
function provided within the file open window, such as window 5401
shown in FIGS. 54 and 55, may be similar to or identical to the
search functionality provided by any one of the system wide
software mechanisms described herein, including a mechanism to
search for content within files and metadata for the files for a
plurality of different software applications, where the metadata is
different for different types of files. The open window 5401
includes a conventional open button 5417 and a conventional cancel
button 5415. In addition, it includes a list view 5411 which
displays the files within a particular folder or subfolder selected
by the location menu 5407. In addition, the open window 5401 also
includes a side bar region 5403 and a volume region 5405. The user
may enter text for a search into the text input field 5409 to cause
a search to be performed within a designated location, such as the
location "macdesktops" as indicated in FIG. 54. Once the user
enters the text (or other search parameters such as types of files,
etc. through user interfaces which are similar to those described
herein), then the system will perform a search for files which
match the search criteria and display those files in a list view
5411 as shown in FIG. 55. In this way, a file open window which is
invoked from an application program may allow a user to perform a
search for files within that file open window. FIG. 56 shows an
exemplary method which may be performed with such a file open
window. Operation 5601 involves receiving an open file command
within an application, such as a word processing application or a
graphics creation application. Typically, most software
applications designed for use by normal consumers allow for the
opening of files created by that application and possibly other
applications. It is this open file command which is referred to in
operation 5601. The system responds, in operation 5603, by
displaying a file open window with a search input option. This
option may be a single text input field or a text input field in
combination with additional parameters which may be defined by a
user such as the region 3600 shown in FIG. 36. In addition, in
operation 5605, the user may specify a particular folder containing
files to be opened and the system can display a list of files which
can be opened by the application which caused the file open window
to be displayed. Then the user may enter, in operation 5607, a
search input within the file open window and cause the search to be
performed. The results of the search may be displayed within the
file open window in operation 5609 and the user may complete the
open operation by selecting a file within the file open window and
instructing the system to open the file by, for example, activating
the open button 5417.
[0143] In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to provide the
user with the ability to set preferences for the searching
functions provided by the various embodiments described herein.
FIGS. 57 and 58 provide an example of user interfaces which allow a
user to set such preferences. The window 5701 shown in FIG. 57
includes a privacy button 5703 and a results button 5705. These two
buttons switch between windows 5701 (which is selected when the
privacy button 5703 is activated) and window 5701a (which is
selected and displayed when the results button 5705 has been
activated). The window 5701 also includes a list 5707 which
displays folders and files which can be added to the list by using
the add button 5709 or which can be removed from the list by using
the remove button 5711. Adding a folder to the list 5707, in
certain embodiments, will prevent files contained within those
folders from being indexed and thus they will not appear in the
search results. In certain embodiments, the metadata from these
files will also not be included in any metadata databases so that
searches through metadata will not retrieve these files. A folder
may be removed from the list 5707 by selecting the folder and then
selecting the remove button 5711. A folder may be added to the list
5707 by activating the add button 5709 which then causes a file
open window to be displayed, from which the user can select a
folder or file to be added to the list 5707. The window 5701 also
includes a check box 5713 which allows the user to activate and
specify a particular keyboard shortcut. The particular shortcut
which is selected may be selected from the pull down menu 5715. In
an alternative embodiment, adding a folder to the list 5707 does
not prevent the contents of the folder from being indexed or
searched, but the contents are not displayed in the search results.
In other words, the contents of folders in the list 5707 are still
indexed and still searched, but they are not displayed in the
search results (and thus they are hidden); in a further alternative
embodiment, they can be caused to be displayed by the entry of a
password or code by the user.
[0144] The window 5701a is displayed in response to activating the
results window 5705. This window includes a list 5800, which is a
list of the various categories which appear in the search result
windows, such as the window of FIG. 39. The check boxes, such as
check box 5801, may be checked by a user to indicate that that
particular category may appear in search results. If a check box is
not selected (e.g. there is no check in the box), then the category
will not appear in the search results window (however, for reasons
relating to efficiency of indexing, the items within such a
category will still be indexed, and searched through, even though
they do not appear in the search results). The order of the
categories may be changed by dragging the categories within the
list 5800.
[0145] FIGS. 59 and 60 show a particular embodiment in which search
results are displayed within a Finder window, such as the Finder
windows which appear in the Macintosh OS 10.3 operating system.
These Finder windows typically include a side bar region, such as
side bar region 5903 and a volume region 5905. The window 5901 also
includes a location slice which specifies a location of the current
view, such as the current view indicator 5909 and which allows for
the selection of a different location. A text entry field 5907 is
also provided in the upper portion of the window 5909, thereby
allowing the user to enter text to be used as a search input query.
A + button 5911 may be used to add additional search parameters to
the search query. For example, if the + button 5911 is activated,
this will cause the display of an additional slice shown in FIG. 60
which has been defined by the pull down menus 5913 and 5915 to
specify a search for all documents of the image type. The result of
any such search is displayed within the main display portion
5910.
[0146] There are many different types of files which presently
exist (e.g. word processing files, spreadsheet files, presentation
files, email files, html files, PDF files, various types of image
files, etc.). As a result, there are many different types of data
which can exist as metadata for any one type of file. This can be
seen from the large table shown herein which gives an example of
metadata for certain types of files. Furthermore, through changes
in file types, the creation of new types of software applications,
and the creation of importers to input data from a file into a
metadata database, it is apparent that the types of metadata can
expand in the future. Thus, a list of metadata attributes should be
expandable, and in certain embodiments of the present invention, it
is expandable. It may be made expandable through the use of an
interface which allows for the selection of "other" metadata or
search attributes. FIGS. 61, 62, 63, and 64 give one example of a
method for picking metadata search attributes from an expandable
list of a plurality of metadata search attributes. This expandable
list may be achieved automatically by adding new importers or file
sniffers which are designed to import metadata from new types of
files into a metadata database and which add the metadata search
attributes into a list used by the user interface of the metadata
search software. The exemplary method shown in FIG. 61 begins in
operation 6101 in which a search input window is displayed. FIGS.
62 and 64 show an exemplary search input window. The window 6201
includes a side bar 6203 and a volume region 6205 and also includes
a text entry field 6202 into which text may be entered to cause a
search to be performed based on the entered text. In addition,
through the use of pull down menus, such as menus 6207 and 6207a
and 6209, the user may specify search input parameters. The menu
6207 may be activated to reveal a list of various search
attributes, such as kind, last opened, last modified, created, key
words, color label, name, etc. as shown in the menu 6207. In
addition, the search attributes or inputs provided by menus 6207
includes the "other" option 6211. If the user selects this option,
as in operation 6103 of FIG. 61, then a list of available search
attributes is displayed as panel 6301 as shown in FIG. 63. This
list will typically include all available search attributes
currently supported by the system, such as those attributes
provided by importers which have been described herein as well as
other potential mechanisms for obtaining the metadata from a file.
The user may select the particular attribute (e.g. "author"
attribute) as the "other" attribute and then select the "ok" button
6305 to cause the attribute to be added into the menu 6207, forming
the menu 6207a. The menu 6207a now includes the authors option 6401
which the user can select. Then the user can select from the pull
down menu 6403 from a list of available authors or type in into the
adjacent text entry field an author name to cause a search, in the
case of the window of FIG. 64, for all documents which include the
word "test" and which are authored by a particular author. By being
able to add additional metadata search attributes into the list
6303, the system has an expandable list of metadata search
attributes. This allows for an open-ended solution for future file
types as well as future importers.
[0147] FIGS. 65 and 66 show another aspect of certain embodiments
described herein. In these embodiments, it is possible to obtain
information about a particular file. This information may be
displayed within a window such as the window 6501 or the window
6502 shown in FIG. 66. In one embodiment, these windows may be
displayed by selecting the particular file and then activating a
command (e.g. "Get Info" or "Show Properties") to obtain more
information or properties about the file. The file may be shown in
a list view or an icon view and may be selected while in those
views and then a command to obtain information or show properties
about the document may then be selected and executed. In an
alternative embodiment, a button, which when activated displays
these windows (e.g. as in FIG. 65 or 66), may be placed at the
rightmost column of a multiple column view, such as the column view
available within a Finder window of the Panther operating system
(Macintosh OS 10.3). An example of this column view is shown in
FIG. 26. When a user file is selected in column view, the rightmost
column normally contains basic information about the file and may
contain a thumbnail preview or other type of preview of the file.
Activating the toggle button 6507 will reveal general information,
such as the information 6601 shown in FIG. 66. In addition, both
windows shown in FIGS. 65 and 66 include the ability to enter
comments which are saved into either the index database or the
metadata database for that particular document. In this way, a user
can obtain information about a particular file and then enter
additional comments into the comment field 6503 which are then used
by the metadata processing systems described herein.
[0148] An optional privacy feature may be included with one or more
of the various embodiments described herein. This privacy feature,
if enabled, causes the system to determine that a user has stopped
inputting search queries after a period of time (e.g. after N
minutes which may be 5 minutes, etc.), and if the user has stopped,
the system stops updating (e.g. as in FIG. 29) the search results
and may also remove the search results window from the display
area. Thus, after a period of time the search query and the results
of the search will be removed from the display in order to protect
the privacy of the user. In an alternative embodiment, the search
query and the results of the search are removed from the display
(e.g. the windows containing this information are closed) but the
updating of the search results occurs in the background (without
being displayed), and this updated information may be retrieved by
re-opening the pertinent windows.
[0149] At least certain embodiments of the various inventions allow
for the searching of system preference or system setting or system
configuration files or data structures through the use of a
searching utility. For example, a system wide searching utility may
be used to search for a system preference or system setting or
system configuration file or data structure by entering the name or
a synonym of the system preference or system setting or system
configuration file or data structure. Metadata and/or content of
the system preference or system setting or system configuration
file or data structure may be searched by the searching utility and
cause the system preference or system setting or system
configuration file or data structure to be retrieved as one of the
search results and then opened from the list of search results. In
this exemplary manner, the search utility can open a particular
system preference or system setting or system configuration file or
data structure through a search process.
[0150] At least certain embodiments of the various embodiments
provide intelligent mail boxes in email software. In one exemplary
embodiment, the email software includes "in boxes" or folders which
contain new or received email and these folders or "in boxes" (or
mail boxes) may be configured to act as smart folders to
automatically search through incoming email and segregate the email
based on the saved search queries associated with each of the email
in boxes which act in a manner which is similar to the way smart
folders act. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,724 in connection with
this type of email box. The email software may be configured to
allow multiple folders, each of which or at least one of which may
be defined as having a saved search query which is automatically
used to search through newly received emails and, if any of the
emails match the search query, the email is moved to the folder or
"in box" (or the email is copied and the copy is moved to the
folder). Thus, these folders automatically move emails from a
general in box to folders or specific "in boxes" which are
specified by a search query.
[0151] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been
described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof.
It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto
without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the
invention as set forth in the following claims. The specification
and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative
sense rather than a restrictive sense.
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