Apple files self-organizing patent
updated 04:15 pm EDT, Thu September 20, 2007
Apple files new patent
Apple has filed a patent application titled "System and Methods for Organizing Data Items," which discusses the use of new methods for organizing information within Safari and file system managers, audio or video players, photo editors/managers, or any other system in which multiple data items are accessed. The patent largely seeks to address several issues Apple sees with the typical way that browsers provide history functionality: namely that users can visit a large number of web pages, which are confusing to view in a chronological order, and the forward and back buttons are an inefficient and cumbersome way to navigate through multiple web pages. Hence the patent calls for a self-organizing list of previously accessed data items based on criteria such as information about what content was viewed, information about where the content was viewed, information about when the content was viewed, information about why the content was viewed, and information about who the content was viewed by or owned by.
The patent gives an example of a user, Henry, who is using a Web browser that has the capability to group recently visited pages by subject matter. The web browser automatically determines how to organize the web pages in the history list based on information from or about the web pages. The method used to organize the web pages may change for an individual user as the items in the user's browsing history change.
In another case, the user Maggie has recently viewed Web pages categorized according to how often they are viewed: daily, monthly, etc. Henry and Maggie are using the same browsing application, but the organization is changed dynamically based on their habits.
Other embodiments of the patent may include file system managers, audio or video players, photo editors/managers, or any other system in which multiple data items are accessed.
Coming soon?
09/20, 05:37pm reply
Guess if they are publicising it's existence through a patent application, it's something that we can expect in Leopard or rather the next version of Safari that comes bundled (no sorry, that's not allowed)...er, included with Leopard.
Feathers
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 1999
About time...
09/20, 05:51pm reply
Although I simply want the ability to "flag" a page as being interesting to me, without having to make and name bookmarks, file them, and so on. Flagging it would save the page metadata and index the content.
Later on, I'd simpy do a Spotlight search looking for, say, "solar cells" to find the articles I'd flagged on solar power and solar rechargers.
nhmlco
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2007
defined logic
09/20, 06:05pm reply
Apple has always been a company that, at it's core, is defining logical maps. Finally, some executive at apple is now learned that 'logic' as well as 'content', has a value that exceeds the 'enterprise' and requires 'licensing fees' because better logic will always be defined by 'logical maps' and result in control.
And patent holders have squeezed Apple for fees before...
hokizpokis
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2007
Flags?!
09/20, 09:37pm reply
Yes, flags maybe good, but unless you can define different kinds of flags (a good idea of the Mail program too) it isn't that useful. Just save to a favorites folder.
But as hokizpokis said, logic and content are important values for organization of all kinds of information. It has been mostly used in UI rules, but now needs to be better integrated in file structures and searches.
MacnnGregor
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2004
Flags
09/21, 01:51pm reply
"Just save to a favorites folder."
Doesn't work. Tried it, and over the course of a year I had a folder with literally thousands of items, half of which were not "findable" since the URL title didn't contain the terms needed to recover the article.
And I don't think different flags are needed either, as then you're simply getting back to the complexity of bookmarks, just in a different way. Think of being able to do a full-powered Google search, but having it be limited to the universe of articles and pages you've found to be of interest.
nhmlco
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2007