Architecture for a hierarchical folder structure in hand-held computers

(54) ARCHITECTURE FOR A HIERARCHICAL FOLDER STRUCTURE IN HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

(75) Inventors: Chad A. Schwitters, Redmond, WA

(US); Roman Sherman, Bellevue, WA
(US)

(73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, VA (US)

( * ) Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions ol 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).

Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/407,648

(22) Filed: Sep. 28, 1999

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2002/0099719 Al Jul. 25, 2002

(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 17/30

(52) U.S. CI 707/104; 707/100

(58) Field of Search 707/104, 10, 100,

707/102, 200, 203; 709/310, 206, 204

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,684,984 A * 11/1997 Jones et al 707/10

5,758,354 A * 5/1998 Huang et al 707/201

5,812,773 A * 9/1998 Norin 709/204

5,961,590 A * 10/1999 Mendez et al 709/206

6,131,096 A * 10/2000 Ng et al 707/10

6,167,402 A * 12/2000 Yeager 707/10

6,324,587 Bl * 11/2001 Trenbeath et al 709/310

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Sanjiv Shah

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Merchant & Gould RC.

(57) ABSTRACT

A method ol operating a hand-held computer including a database and a data port lor communications with a server, the database including a plurality ol records that correspond to a folder data structure. The method comprises searching the database for an available folder ID; creating a folder, the folder having a data structure being stored as a record in the database and including folder ID field, a parent folder ID field, and a folder name field, the available folder ID being stored in the folder ID field; and repeating searching and creating thereby creating a plurality of folders, wherein the value stored in the folder ID field for one folder equals the value stored in the parent folder ID field for another folder, thereby creating a parent/child relationship between the folders.

41 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets

107

109