Patent ID: 6317739
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A data management method in a data management apparatus including storage means for storing a plurality of data of interest, and an attribute value respectively assigned to said plurality of data as to an arbitrary number of attributes,a display device,operation designation input means for receiving operation designation from a user through an operation by the user with respect to an object displayed on said display device, anddata operation means for carrying out an operation on said plurality of data according to operation designation obtained by said operation designation input means, said data management method comprising the steps of:displaying a plurality of icons representing said plurality of data respectively inside a certain region in a display screen of said display device;having a new attribute defined by a user using said operation designation input means;adding a new region differing from said certain region into the display screen of said display device using said operation designation input means to generate a plurality of regions;having an attribute value defined to each of said plurality of regions by a user using said operation designation input means;detecting movement of any of said plurality of icons between said plurality of regions by said operation designation input means;determining which of said regions said moved icon is shifted to; andmodifying the attribute value of the data corresponding to the moved icon to an attribute value defined to the region in which the moved icon is located; generating another new region when there is data that does not have an attribute value for a certain attribute; anddisplaying an icon representing said data that does not have an attribute value for a certain attribute within said new region.