System, method and apparatus for data management with rules on containers for collections of data
View Patent ↗System, method and apparatus are provided for creating and managing programmable rules on containers for collections of data items presented through the operating environment. This invention gives a container (folders or enhanced containers) the ability to be more than a straight-forward receptacle to contain a collection of data objects and other sub-containers. The invention provides for adding a data item into a container system, collecting information from the data item and any pre-existing metadata, matching the information to a container using the container's rules, and if any matching containers are found, filing of the data item proceeds into any candidate locations.
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically filing data objects into containers comprising:
providing an interface for a user to:
a) add and edit inclusion rules defining which data objects are included in a container and exclusion rules defining what data objects are excluded from a container;
b) correlate inclusion and exclusion rules to new and existing containers in a data system organized by containers;
storing records of the inclusion and exclusion rules and the correlated containers in a database;
monitoring Operating System events signifying addition of a new data object into the data system;
upon addition of a data object into a data system organized by containers:
a) collecting pre-existing metadata from the data object;
b) extracting key information from content of the data object;
c) analyzing the key information by interpreting and classifying content to create enhanced metadata;
d) querying the database by performing phrase matching of the pre-existing metadata and enhanced metadata on the inclusion and exclusion rules;
e) retrieving a set of containers correlated with matching inclusion and exclusion rules;
f) said computer, automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in any and all matching containers on a data storage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if no matching containers are found, one or more new containers are created and automatic storing of a persistent copy of the data object proceeds in the one or more new containers on a data storage.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in any and all matching containers, requiring a user to approve each matching container.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
before automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in the one or more new containers, requiring a user to approve each matching container.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one container, allowing a user to manually store a persistent copy of the data object in a container on a data storage.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one new container, allowing a user to manually store a persistent copy of the data object in a container on a data storage.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one new container, automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in a default container on a data storage.
8. A computer-implemented method for automatically filing data objects into containers comprising:
providing an interface for a user to:
a) add and edit inclusion rules defining which data objects are included in a container and exclusion rules defining what data objects are excluded from a container;
b) correlate inclusion and exclusion rules to new and existing containers in a data system organized by containers;
storing records of the inclusion and exclusion rules and the correlated containers in a database;
monitoring Operating System events signifying addition of a new data object into the data system;
upon addition of a data object into a data system organized by containers:
a) collecting pre-existing metadata from the data object;
b) extracting key information from content of the data object;
c) analyzing the key information by interpreting and classifying content to create enhanced metadata;
d) creating an enhanced data object by adding the pre-existing metadata and enhanced metadata as object attributes;
e) querying the database by performing phrase matching of the pre-existing metadata and enhanced metadata on the inclusion and exclusion rules;
f) retrieving a set of containers correlated with matching inclusion and exclusion rules;
g) said computer, automatically storing a persistent copy of the enhanced data object in any and all matching containers on a data storage.
9. An apparatus for automatically filing a data object in a container comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to at least perform:
providing an interface for a user to:
a) add and edit inclusion rules defining which data objects are included in a container and exclusion rules defining what data objects are excluded from a container;
b) correlate inclusion and exclusion rules to new and existing containers in a data system organized by containers;
storing records of the inclusion and exclusion rules and the correlated containers in a database;
monitoring Operating System events signifying addition of a new data object into the data system;
upon addition of a data object into a data system organized by containers:
a) collecting pre-existing metadata from the data object;
b) extracting, by a processor, key information from content of the data object;
c) analyzing the key information by interpreting and classifying content to create enhanced metadata;
d) querying the database by performing phrase matching of the pre-existing metadata and enhanced metadata on the inclusion and exclusion rules;
e) retrieving a set of containers correlated with matching inclusion and exclusion rules;
f) said apparatus, automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in any and all matching containers on a data storage.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein if no matching containers are found, one or more new containers are created and automatic storing of a persistent copy of the data object proceeds in the one or more new containers on a data storage.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
before automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in any and all matching containers, requiring a user to approve each matching container.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
before automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in the one or more new containers, requiring a user to approve each matching container.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one container, allowing a user to manually store a persistent copy of the data object in a container on a data storage.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one new container, allowing a user to manually store a persistent copy of the data object in a container on a data storage.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein if the user does not approve of at least one new container, automatically storing a persistent copy of the data object in a default container on a data storage.