Method and system for traversing digital records with multiple dimensional attributes

1. A method for traversing digital records with dimensional attributes, the method comprising:

storing a number of digital records;

associating a respective digital record with a number of attributes, wherein each attribute is specified in a level from multiple levels of abstraction;

receiving inputs from a user to set one or more criteria on the attributes of the digital records to be presented by:

receiving a user-specified value of at least one fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented;

receiving a changed value for at least one non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

receiving a user-specified level of abstraction for the fixed and/or non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

presenting a set of digital records matching the attribute criteria set by the user in a sliding bar corresponding to a range of continuous values for the non-fixed attribute, wherein each of the presented digital records is associated with both the user-specified value and the user-specified level of abstraction, and wherein the digital records are ordered in the sliding bar by their values for the non-fixed attribute.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a respective digital record comprises one or more of:

a photograph;

a piece of video;

a piece of audio; and

a piece of text.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting values for non-changing, non-fixed attributes with the associated digital records, thereby providing annotative information for the presented digital records to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an attribute of a respective digital record corresponds to at least one of:

a time;

a range of time;

a place;

a person;

a group of people;

an organization;

an entity; and

an event.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving the user-specified value of the fixed attribute comprises:

receiving a time, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified time to be presented;

receiving a place, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified place to be presented;

receiving an entity, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified entity to be presented;

receiving an event, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified event to be presented; or

receiving a person, a group of people, and/or an organization, thereby allowing digital records associated with the person, group of people, or organization to be presented.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving the changed value of the non-fixed attribute comprises:

receiving a time value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different times to be presented;

receiving a place value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different places to be presented;

receiving an entity value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different entities to be presented;

receiving an event value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different events to be presented; or

receiving a value indicative of people and/or groups, thereby allowing digital records associated with different people and/or groups to be presented.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein presenting the set of digital records based on the attribute criteria set by the user comprises displaying on a graphical user interface (GUI) at least one digital record whose attributes satisfy the criteria and one or more of:

a slide bar labeled with time values to indicate the time associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different time by sliding an indicator along the slide bar;

a map to indicate the place associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different place by indicating a point on the map;

a first text field to indicate the person, group, or organization associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different person, group, or organization; and

a second text field to indicate the event associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different event.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for traversing digital records with dimensional attributes, the method comprising:

storing a number of digital records;

associating a respective digital record with a number of attributes, wherein each attribute is specified in a level from multiple levels of abstraction;

receiving inputs from a user to set one or more criteria on the attributes of the digital records to be presented by:

receiving a user-specified value of at least one fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented;

receiving a changed value for at least one non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

receiving a user-specified level of abstraction for the fixed and/or non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

presenting a set of digital records matching the attribute criteria set by the user in a sliding bar corresponding to a range of continuous values for the non-fixed attribute, wherein each of the presented digital records is associated with both the user-specified value and the user-specified level of abstraction, and wherein the digital records are ordered in the sliding bar by their values for the non-fixed attribute.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein a respective digital record comprises one or more of:

a photograph;

a piece of video;

a piece of audio; and

a piece of text.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises presenting values for non-changing, non-fixed attributes with the associated digital records, thereby providing annotative information for the presented digital records to the user.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein an attribute of a respective digital record corresponds to at least one of:

a time;

a range of time;

a place;

a person;

a group of people;

an organization;

an entity; or

an event.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the user-specified value of the fixed attribute comprises:

receiving a time, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified time to be presented;

receiving a place, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified place to be presented;

receiving an entity, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified entity to be presented;

receiving an event, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified event to be presented; or

receiving a person, a group of people, and/or an organization, thereby allowing digital records associated with the person, group of people, or organization to be presented.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the changed value of the non-fixed attribute comprises:

receiving a time value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different times to be presented;

receiving a place value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different places to be presented;

receiving an entity value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different entities to be presented;

receiving an event value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different events to be presented; or

receiving a value indicative of people and/or groups, thereby allowing digital records associated with different people and/or groups to be presented.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein presenting the set of digital records based on the attribute criteria set by the user comprises displaying on a GUI at least one digital record whose attributes satisfy the criteria and one or more of:

a slide bar labeled with time values to indicate the time associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different time by sliding an indicator along the slide bar;

a map to indicate the place associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different place by indicating a point on the map;

a first text field to indicate the person, group, or organization associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different person, group, or organization; and

a second text field to indicate the event associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different event.

15. A computer system for traversing digital records with dimensional attributes, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a repository configured to store a number of digital records;

an association mechanism configured to associate each digital record with a number of attributes, wherein a respective attribute is specified in a level from multiple levels of abstraction;

a digital-record retrieving mechanism configured to receive input from a user to set one or more criteria on the attributes of the digital records to be presented by:

receiving a user-specified value of at least one fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented;

receiving a changed value for at least one non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

receiving a user-specified level of abstraction for the fixed and/or non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented; and

a presentation mechanism configured to present a set of digital records matching the attribute criteria set by the user in a sliding bar corresponding to a range of continuous values for the non-fixed attribute, wherein each of the presented digital records is associated with both the user-specified value and the user-specified level of abstraction, and wherein the digital records are ordered in the sliding bar by their values for the non-fixed attribute.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein a respective digital record comprises one or more of:

a photograph;

a piece of video;

a piece of audio; and

a piece of text.

17. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the presentation mechanism is further configured to present values for non-changing, non-fixed attributes with the associated digital records, thereby providing annotative information for the presented digital records to the user.

18. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein an attribute of a respective digital record corresponds to at least one of:

a time;

a range of time;

a place;

a person;

a group of people;

an organization;

an entity; or

an event.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein while receiving the user-specified value of the fixed attribute, the digital-record retrieving mechanism is configured to:

receive a time, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified time to be presented;

receive a place, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified place to be presented;

receive an entity, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified entity to be presented;

receive an event, thereby allowing digital records associated with the specified event to be presented; or

receive a person, a group of people, and/or an organization, thereby allowing digital records associated with the person, group of people, or organization to be presented.

20. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein while receiving the changed value for the non-fixed attribute, the digital-record retrieving mechanism is configured to:

receive a time value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different times to be presented;

receive a place value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different places to be presented;

receive an entity value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different entities to be presented;

receive an event value, thereby allowing digital records associated with different events to be presented; or

receive a value indicative of people and/or groups, thereby allowing digital records associated with different people and/or groups to be presented.

21. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein while presenting the set of digital records based on the attribute criteria set by the user, the presentation mechanism is configured to display on a GUI at least one digital record whose attributes satisfy the criteria and one or more of:

a slide bar labeled with time values to indicate the time associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different time by sliding an indicator along the slide bar;

a map to indicate the place associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different place by indicating a point on the map;

a first text field to indicate the person, group, or organization associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different person, group, or organization; and

a second text field to indicate the event associated with the displayed digital record and to allow the user to specify a different event.