US 6,307,547 B1 · Method and system for providing enhanced folder racks

Abstract

Enhanced folder racks have a number of improved capabilities, including the ability to lock a folder rack to limit access to objects held therein. The enhanced folder racks are logically partitioned to a number of slots. Each slot may hold one or more objects that are not limited solely to documents. When a slot holding multiple objects is opened, windows for each of the objects held within the slot are opened in response. A user may assign labels for each of the slots in a folder rack, and the labels may be independent of the objects held within the slots. A user may choose to configure a folder rack in accordance with a predefined scheme. The system provides a number of predefined schemes that define how many slots are included in a folder rack and predefines the labels for the slots. Each folder rack may include an auxiliary menu that lists the labels of the slots held therein.

Claims41

Dependent claims

In a computer system, a method for grouping a plurality of icons to occupy less area in a display space than a separate display for each grouped icon, each grouped icon being associated with an object, comprising:

(a) providing a folder rack having at least one slot, each slot providing an indication when it contains no objects and providing another indication when it contains one or more objects;
(b) associating the folder rack with a folder rack icon, the folder rack icon including a visual element for each slot in the folder rack, the display of the folder rack icon occupying less area in the display space than a separate display of an icon for each object contained in each slot of the folder rack;
and
(c) enabling the folder rack to be persistently locked as a unit so that all of the objects contained in each slot of the folder rack are inaccessible through the folder rack icon until the folder rack is unlocked.

1 more element

In a computer system, a method for grouping a plurality of icons to occupy less area in a display space than a separate display for each grouped icons each grouped icon being associated with an object, comprising:

(a) displaying a supply rack icon associated with a supply rack, said supply rack icon having a visual representation of at least one slot in the supply rack, each slot being able to contain a visual representation of one or more template generators, and being associated with a window, each template generator being employed to generate a new instance of an object from a template associated with a visual representation of the template generator, the supply rack icon being displayed in a fashion that occupies less area in the display space than a separate display of an icon for each template generator;
(b) in response to selecting the visual representation of the template generator, determining the template generator associated with the visual representation of the template generator;
(c) invoking the determined template generator to generate a new instance of the object from the template in a separate window when the visual representation of the template generator is selected;
(d) enabling a label to be created for each slot of the supply rack, each label being associated with a separate slot in the supply rack;
(e) displaying the supply rack icon associated with the supply rack, the supply rack icon having, an auxiliary menu within associated menu item for each label associated with a slot;
and
(f) in response to the selection of the associated menu item from the auxiliary menu for a label associated with a selected slot opening the associated window for each object held in the selected slot in the display space.

4 more elements

A computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method for grouping a plurality of icons to occupy less area in a display space than a separate display for each grouped icon, each grouped icon being associated with an object, comprising:

(a) displaying a supply rack icon associated with a supply rack, said supply rack icon having a visual representation for each slot in the supply rack, each slot being able to contain one or more visual representations of a template generator, and being associated with a window, each template generator being employed to generate a new instance of an object from a template associated with each visual representation of the template generator, the supply rack icon being displayed in a fashion that occupies less area in the display space than a separate display of an icon for each template;
(b) in response to selecting the visual representation of the template generator, determining the template generator associated with the visual representation of the template generator;
(c) invoking the determined template generator to generate a new instance of the object from the template in a separate window when the visual representation of the template generator is selected;
(d) enabling a label to be created for each slot of the supply rack, each label being associated with a separate slot in the supply rack;
(e) displaying the supply rack icon associated with the supply rack, the supply rack icon having an auxiliary menu within an associated menu item for each label associated with a slot;
and
(f) in response to the selection of the associated menu item from the auxiliary menu for a label associated with a selected slot, opening the associated window for each object held in the selected slot in the display space.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for providing enhanced folder racks

Life of this patent

Method and system for providing enhanced folder racks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41