JPH04280330A - File management device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store a file so that it is easily retrieved with a generation period and the like as keys even if a folder and the like are not specified at the time of generating the folder and the like and storing the file. CONSTITUTION:A folder generation part 30 refers to information on a date and time, which are outputted from a calendar part 10, and the condition of the automatic generation period of the folder, which a folder generation condition holding part 20 holds, and automatically generates the new folder. When a file management part 50 generates the file, a file automatic subordination part 60 subordinates the file generated in the folder where the generated date of the file satisfies the condition of the period held in the file management condition holding part 40. Since the file is automatically stored in the folder to which the attribute of time is given with time when the file is generated as the key, the file can easily be retrieved depending on the storage of the generation time of the file.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file management device applied to a computer system called a desktop environment in which file operations are performed using icons and the like.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a computer system with a so-called desktop environment that visualizes a file system with a tree-type directory structure, for example, Mi
MS-W running on Crosoft's MS-DOS
Windows, Xerox's Star, and US App
Finder and the like in Macintosh by le company are used.

File management devices in this type of computer system are configured so that files can be stored subordinate to higher-level directories called cabinets, binders, folders, or the like. In other words, a user can create an appropriate folder in advance to classify files based on their content, purpose, format, etc., and when creating and storing a new file, create a folder, etc. to which the file will be subordinated. By specifying files, files can be managed hierarchically.

0004

However, the conventional file management device described above has the following problems. That is, the user must create a corresponding appropriate folder, etc., after considering the classification keys (by content, by purpose, by format, etc.) to some extent in advance. Furthermore, when storing files, it is necessary to specify an appropriate folder, and if an appropriate folder does not exist, a new folder must be created each time.

[0005] Moreover, if the creation of the above folders and the selection of subordinate folders are not appropriate, when accessing the file later, it will be difficult to understand which folder the file is subordinate to and it will take time to search. Sometimes it happens. Therefore, it is necessary to assume in advance the contents of files that will be generated later and to classify files using keys that can be reliably searched, but this is generally difficult in practice.

[0006] Furthermore, even when storing files that do not need to be classified particularly strictly, the user always has to specify a folder or the like and make it subordinate, which requires time and effort. Note that it is possible to store the created file in a default folder, etc., or without making it dependent on any folder, etc., but normally, if you store it in this way, it will be immediately This is not practical because a large number of files will accumulate and it will be difficult to search for the files later.

[0007] In view of the above points, the present invention makes it possible to easily store files using the time of creation and/or access as a key, without having to create a folder or the like in advance or specify the folder or the like when storing a file. The object of the present invention is to provide a file management device that can store files so that they can be searched.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a file management device that manages files in a hierarchical structure, in which files are stored according to when the files are created and/or accessed. A file management condition holding means that holds information indicating an upper layer directory to be stored, and a file management condition holding means that automatically stores a generated and/or accessed file in a predetermined directory based on the information held in the file management condition holding means. The present invention is characterized by comprising an automatic file storage means for storing files in a dependent manner.

[0009]

[Operation] With the above configuration, the file management condition holding means holds information indicating the upper layer directory in which the file should be stored, depending on when the file was created and/or accessed. Further, the automatic file storage means automatically subordinates and stores the generated and/or accessed file in a predetermined directory based on the information held in the file management condition holding means.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a folder is used as the upper layer directory, and the key for managing a file is the date on which the file was newly created. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a file management device in an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, numeral 10 is a calendar unit that outputs information regarding the year, month, day, and time. Reference numeral 20 denotes a folder generation condition holding unit that holds information indicating conditions regarding when to automatically generate a folder and information indicating when to newly generate a file to be stored subordinate to the generated folder.

30 refers to the date and time information output from the calendar section 10 and the automatic folder generation conditions held in the folder generation condition holding section 20, and automatically creates a new folder if the conditions are met. This is a folder generator that generates folders automatically. Reference numeral 40 denotes a file management condition holding unit that holds, for each folder automatically generated by the folder generating unit 30, conditions regarding the timing of new generation of files to be stored subordinate to the folder.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a file management unit that generates, updates, deletes, etc. files, and stores the actual files. Reference numeral 60 denotes a file automatic dependence unit that subordinates the generated file to a folder whose generation date satisfies the conditions held in the file management condition holding unit 40 when a new file is generated.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a folder management unit that holds identifiers of existing folders and dependency information indicating which files are subordinate to each folder. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the folder generation condition holding unit 20 contains information indicating that a new folder is to be generated on the 1st of every month, and information that indicates that a new folder will be generated between the 1st of the month and the end of the month. Contains information indicating that the file is dependent.

[0015] Here, the folder generation condition holding unit 20
The automatic generation condition for the folder to be held may be the number of days of each month as described above, or the number of days of the week each week or the interval of days. In addition to the above, the file management device is also provided with a display unit that displays icons for specifying folders and files, a pointing device, etc., but these are not the main focus of the present invention, so their explanation will be omitted. .

In the above configuration, the folder generation unit 30
is started at preset time intervals,
By referring to the date and time information output from the calendar section 10 and the automatic folder generation conditions held in the folder generation condition holding section 20, it is possible to determine whether the date indicated by the calendar section 10 is, for example, September 1, 1990. For example, a folder with the identifier "Folder September" is generated, and the folder management unit 70 stores the identifier as shown in FIG. 3(a). However, if the folder generation unit 30 is activated again on the same day and the above identifier is already held in the folder management unit 70, no folder is generated.

The folder generation section 30 also sends the above-mentioned "folder 9" to the file management condition holding section 40, as shown in FIG. The information "September 1, 1990 to September 30, 1990" indicating the generation time of the file to be subordinated to "Month" is held together with the folder identifier "Folder September".

After the "folder September" is generated as described above, when a new file with the file identifier "file 11" is generated by the file management unit 50 on September 20th, for example, the file The management unit 50 provides the automatic file dependency unit 60 with information indicating new generation of a file;
The file identifier "file 11" and the creation date and time are output.

The automatic file dependency section 60 refers to the file management condition holding section 40, searches for a folder to which "File 11" should be subordinated, and detects that "Folder September" satisfies the dependency condition. Information to that effect is output to the folder management section 70. Therefore, the folder management section 70
As shown in FIG. 3(b), the folder identifier “Folder 9
The file identifier "file 11" is held in association with "month".

Here, if there is no folder to be subordinated, the created file may be subordinated to a default folder or the like, or may not be subordinated to any folder. Even in this case, since such files are only those that do not satisfy the dependent conditions, they can be found relatively easily when searching for files later.

Similarly, if "File 12" and "File 13" are generated in September, and "File 21" and "File 22" are generated in October,
As shown in FIG. 3C, the folder management unit 70 holds the folder identifier of each folder and the file identifier of each file as a list. That is, a minimum key with a time attribute is automatically assigned and managed based on the file generation date.

[0022] The file stored as above is
The user can easily search by specifying a folder based on the memory of the creation date and time. In the above example, each file is subordinated to one folder, but the file is not limited to this, and may be subordinated to multiple folders, for example, as shown below.

That is, the folder generation condition holding unit 20 stores the following as the subordinate condition of the file to the generated folder:
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if you set the period from the 25th of the month in which the folder was created to the 5th of the month after the next month, the file management condition holding unit 40 will have "August 25, 1990 to October 5, 1990" is held as a condition, and "September 25, 1990 to November 5, 1990" is held as a subordinate condition of "folder October". In other words, files generated during the 11 days from September 25th to October 5th will be managed subordinate to two folders: "Folder September" and "Folder October".

Therefore, for example, if a user searches for a file created at the end of September by specifying "folder October" based on vague memory, or for a file created at the beginning of October, Even when searching by specifying "folder September", the desired file can be accessed. In other words, the more overlapping periods there are, the more redundant the search becomes.

[0025]Also, in this embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper directory to which a file is subordinated is a folder, but this is also a folder, a cabinet, a binder, a drawer, etc.
The same applies to other metaphors as well. In addition, although we have shown an example of using the creation date of a file as a condition for a file to be subordinated to a folder, it is not limited to this; for example, it can also be used to Alternatively, it may be made to be subordinate to all folders corresponding to the creation date or access date.

[0026] In addition, although an example has been shown in which the year, month, and day are used as dependent conditions held by the file management condition holding unit 40, various ranges such as "first half of 1990,""Monday," and "morning" may be used. The date and time may also be used. Also,
File management condition holding unit 40 and folder management unit 70
The information held is not limited to folder identifiers and file identifiers, but may also be information indicating an area where information regarding a folder or file is stored, or information indicating an area where the actual file is stored.

Furthermore, the folder generation unit 30 is not limited to being activated at predetermined time intervals, but may be configured to be activated when a file is generated or the like. Further, it may be made to overlap and be subordinated to folders, etc., which are classified using file contents, purposes, formats, etc. as keys, which are used in conventional file management devices.

[0028]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
A file management condition holding means that holds information indicating a folder etc. in which a file should be stored according to the generation time of the file, etc.; By having an automatic file storage means that automatically stores files in a predetermined folder, etc. based on the above information, there is no need to create folders, etc. in advance or specify folders, etc. when storing files. , later, you can easily search using the generation time as a key, so you can manage files easily and reliably.
This has the effect of saving the effort of organizing files that do not require strict classification.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a file management device in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents held in a folder generation condition holding unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents held by a folder management unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents held in a file management condition holding unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the content held in the folder generation condition holding unit.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the content held by the file management condition holding unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Calendar section 20 Folder generation condition holding unit 30 Folder generation section 40 File management condition holding unit 50 File management department 60 File automatic dependent section 70 Folder management department

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1: In a file management device that manages files in a hierarchical structure, file management conditions that hold information indicating a directory in an upper hierarchy in which a file should be stored depending on when the file is created and/or accessed. and a file automatic storage means for automatically storing generated and/or accessed files in a predetermined directory in a dependent manner based on information held in the file management condition holding means. A file management device characterized by: 2. The file management device according to claim 1, further comprising information indicating when to automatically generate a directory and when to generate and/or access files to be stored subordinate to the generated directory. Based on the directory generation condition holding means held and the information held in the directory generation condition holding means,
1. A file management device comprising: directory automatic generation means for automatically generating a new directory. 3. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the file management condition holding means is configured to be able to hold information indicating a plurality of directories to which the same file should be subordinated, and A file management device characterized in that the automatic storage means is configured to be able to simultaneously store the same file in a subordinate manner in a plurality of directories indicated by the file management condition holding means.