Method and system for browsing large digital multimedia object collections

A method for presenting a set of digital multimedia objects in an organized manner on a portable display screen, the method comprising;

• receiving through a user interface a selection of a first organizational metaphor from a presented set of predefined organizational metaphors representing selection criteria to be applied to a collection of digital multimedia objects;
• determining an additional set of the predefined organizational metaphors not provided to the user with the first selection set after receiving the selection of the former first organizational metaphor, the second selection set being determined based upon the former first selected organizational metaphor and representing additional selection criteria to be applied to the collection of digital multimedia objects;
• displaying the additional set of predefined organizational metaphors;
• receiving through the user interface a selection of a second organizational metaphor from the additional set;
• displaying an indicator of at least the selected first organizational metaphor in conjunction with the additional presented set of predefined organizational metaphors;
• selecting a number of the digital multimedia objects from the collection of digital multimedia objects according to the selection criteria associated with the selected organizational metaphors and the content of the digital multimedia objects or any metadata associated with the digital multimedia objects;
• organizing the selected digital multimedia objects into at least two groups according to result presentation rules based at least in part upon at least one of the selected organizational metaphors and including at least rules for selecting digital multimedia objects from the collection of digital multimedia objects, rules for selecting a number of groups, and rules for associating digital multimedia objects with particular iconic representations, wherein each group includes a plurality of the digital multimedia objects;
• and
• providing respective iconic representations of the groups;
• wherein at least one of the selected digital multimedia objects is in at least two of the groups.

A visual image display device, comprising:

• a visual display;
• a source of digital multimedia objects;
• a user input device adapted to receive an input from a user;
• and
• a processing unit operatively connected to the display, the source of digital multimedia objects, and the user input device, said processing unit being adapted to:
• cause the visual display to present a first selection set of predefined organizational metaphors representing selection criteria to be applied to the collection of digital multimedia objects, to receive a former selection of one of the first selection set organizational metaphors from the user input device,
• determine a second selection set of predefined organizational metaphors after the user selection of the former first organizational metaphor and dependent upon the first selected organizational metaphor to cause the visual display to present the second selection set of predefined organizational metaphors not presented with the first selection set and representing additional selection criteria to be applied to the collection of digital multimedia objects and to receive a former selection of one of the second set of predefined organizational metaphors;
• cause a result to be presented on the display, with the result having one of at least two group icons, each group icon indicating a respective group containing a plurality of digital multimedia objects selected from the collection according to the selection criteria associated with the former selected organizational metaphors and the content of the digital multimedia objects or metadata associated with the digital multimedia objects;
• and
• receive a selection of one of the presented group icons from the user input device and to cause one or more of the plurality of digital multimedia objects associated with the selected group icon to be presented on the display;
• wherein the group of digital multimedia objects indicated by each group icon is selected according to result presentation rules based at least in part upon at least one of the selected organizational metaphors, and
• wherein at least one of the digital multimedia objects is indicated in a first group icon associated with the former selected first and second organizational metaphor, and in a second group icon associated with a latter, different selected first and second organizational metaphor.