Method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer system

An apparatus for organizing and viewing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means for displaying a graphical iconic representation of a collection of said first plurality of documents;
• means for displaying a first indicia of a first document of said collection by selecting a first position from said graphical iconic representation, wherein said first position on said graphical iconic representation is capable of being at any one of a plurality of locations on said graphical iconic representation and wherein said selecting from said graphical iconic representation comprises positioning a cursor on said graphical iconic representation;
• and
• means for displaying in series a second indicia of a second document and a third indicia of a third document by positioning said cursor first on a second position on said graphical iconic representation next on a third position on said graphical iconic representation.

A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing and viewing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

• displaying a graphical iconic representation of a collection of said first plurality of documents;
• displaying a first indicia of a first document of said collection by selecting a first position from said graphical iconic representation, wherein said first position on said graphical iconic representation is capable of being at any one of a plurality of locations on said graphical iconic representation and wherein said selecting from said graphical iconic representation comprises positioning a cursor on said graphical iconic representation;
• and
• displaying in series a second indicia of a second document and a third indicia of a third document by positioning said cursor first on a second position on said graphical iconic representation next on a third position on said graphical iconic representation.

An apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means for displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document and a graphical representation of a second document from said first plurality of documents;
• means for creating a collection of documents comprising a second plurality of documents having said first document and said second document;
• means for determining for said collection at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and said second documents;
• means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents on said display device;
• and
• means for viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document wherein said viewing comprises pointing a cursor on said display device at a graphical representation of one of said documents in said collection for a predetermined period of time to reveal an indicia of said document in said collection and wherein said indicia has multiple pages for a multiple page document and wherein the user views the multiple pages of said indicia by signaling to the computer to move from page to page of said indicia.

An apparatus for organizing information in a computer system having a display device, said apparatus comprising:

• means for displaying at some time on said display device a representation of a first document and a representation of a second document;
• means for creating a collection of documents comprising said first and said second documents;
• means for determining for said collection of documents at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a first user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and second documents;
• means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents;
• and
• means for determining a further internal representation of said collection when a third document is added to said collection based on one of:
• (a) an internal representation of each of the documents in said collection, or (b) said first or a second user defined specification wherein said computer system has a filing system having a graphical user interface and said method is performed in part by said filing system and wherein said representations of said first document and said second document are graphical representations and wherein said further internal representation of said collection is one of said first and second user defined specifications defining a selected user defined specification and wherein the user indicates to said computer system to add a fourth item to said collection, which fourth item has an internal representation which does not match said selected user defined specification, and wherein, after the user has indicated to add said fourth item to said collection, said computer system prompts the user to determine whether the fourth item is to be added to said collection without modifying said selected user defined specification or the fourth item is to be added and said selected user defined specification is to be modified.

An apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means for displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document;
• means for creating a collection of documents comprising at least a second document and said first document, wherein said creating a collection comprises indicating to said computer system that a collection of documents is to be created using said first document as a sample document for said collection of document and wherein said computer system searches said first plurality of documents based on said first document to find said second document;
• and
• means for displaying a graphical representation of said collection on said display device.

A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

• displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document and a graphical representation of a second document from said first plurality of documents;
• creating a collection of documents comprising a second plurality of documents having said first document and said second document;
• determining for said collection at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and said second documents;
• displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents on said display device;
• and
• viewing at least one of the documents in said collection by displaying an indicia of said at least one document by selecting, from said graphical representation of said collection, said at least one document wherein said viewing comprises pointing a cursor on said display device at a graphical representation of one of said documents in said collection for a predetermined period of time to reveal an indicia of said document in said collection and wherein said indicia has multiple pages for a multiple page document and wherein the user views the multiple pages of said indicia by signaling to the computer to move from page to page of said indicia.

A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer system having a display device, said method comprising:

• displaying at some time on said display device a representation of a first document and a representation of a second document;
• creating a collection of documents comprising said first and said second documents;
• determining for said collection of documents at least one of (a) an internal collective representation or (b) a first user defined specification, wherein said internal collective representation is based on internal representations of said first and second documents;
• displaying a graphical representation of said collection of documents;
• and
• determining a further internal representation of said collection when a third document is added to said collection based on one of:
• (a) an internal representation of each of the documents in said collection, or (b) said first or a second user defined specification wherein said computer system has a filing system having a graphical user interface and said method is performed in part by said filing system and wherein said representations of said first document and said second document are graphical representations and wherein said further internal representation of said collection is one of said first and second user defined specifications defining a selected user defined specification and wherein the user indicates to said computer system to add a fourth item to said collection, which fourth item has an internal representation which does not match said selected user defined specification, and wherein, after the user has indicated to add said fourth item to said collection, said computer system prompts the user to determine whether the fourth item is to be added to said collection without modifying said selected user defined specification or the fourth item is to be added and said selected user defined specification is to be modified.

A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause said computer system to perform a method for organizing information in a computer filing system having a display device and a first plurality of documents, said method comprising:

• displaying at some time on said display device a graphical representation of a first document;
• said computer system creating a collection of documents comprising at least a second document and said first document, wherein said creating a collection comprises indicating to said computer system that a collection of documents is to be created using said first document as a sample document for said collection of document and wherein said computer system searches said first plurality of documents based on said first document to find said second document;
• and
• displaying a graphical representation of said collection on said display device.