Abstract:
A data moving method and a user window interface used in general computer operating systems or portable electronic systems for moving, copying, cutting, or pasting files or folders in a one to many, many to one or even many to many manner. The user window interface comprises a data source area in which at least one source file or source folder is selected, a data target area in which at least one target data folder or target disk drive is selected for accommodating the source file or source folder to be moved, and an instruction control area in which at least one instruction for moving the source file or source folder is directed so that the source file or source folder may be moved to the target data folder or target disk drive in a one to many, many to one or many to many manner.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a user window interface used with an operating system (OS), through which at least one file or folder thereon may be cut or copied into at least one folder, directory or data disk drive in a one to many, many to one or even many to many manner.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     For current computers or operating systems (OSs), only those files or sub-folders in the same folder may be selected when they are to be moved, copied, cut, or pasted to a target position. The target position may be a folder in the same computer, a position under a disk drive root directory, or the like. The target position may also be a folder in another computer or a server that may be accessed through use of the Internet, a local network, or the like. Based on this method of moving data, messages, communication books, calendars, and the like in a mobile phone system are generally moved and arranged internally or moved externally to a home computer or another mobile device.  
         [0005]     However, data moving or transferring operations and required instructions have to be carried out in a step-by-step manner. For instance, when files in different folders will be moved, only a/several file(s) in a folder may be selected and moved to a target position by issuing an instruction for file moving. Other files in another folder to be moved have to be operated successively by executing the same operations. When files in the same folder are to be moved to different folders, these files may be moved into their respective target folders by only being individually selected and moved those files to put in the same target folder. Then, files to be moved into each of other target folder(s) are selected and moved with the same process.  
         [0006]     Such a selection method is troublesome and inconvenient to the user, particularly in mobile phone applications.  
         [0007]     Now, an example is given for illustrating a process of the prior technology described above with respect to data moving on an operating system (OS) where a plurality of data sets are to be moved to a plurality of target positions. A flowchart illustrating the prior data moving technology is shown in  FIG. 1 . In this example, a folder C:\windows is to be cut and pasted to a target folder D:\peter and also copied to a network data folder \\192.168.10.23\share, and a file C:\windows\kk.dll is to be copied to the folder \\192.168.10.23\share. In so doing, the user enters a directory C:\ first and then gives an instruction to cut the folder “windows” (Step  902 ). Next, the folder D:\peter is located and an instruction is issued to paste the folder “windows” to the folder D:\peter (Step  904 ). Then, under the directory D:\peter an instruction for copying the folder “windows” is sent (Step  906 ). Thereafter, the folder \\192.168.10.23\share is located and an instruction is issued to paste the folder “windows” thereto (Step  908 ). Then, the folder D:\peter\windows is located and an instruction to copy the file kk.dll is sent (Step  910 ). Finally, the folder \\192.168.10.23\share is located and an instruction is issued to paste the file kk.dll to the folder \\192.168.10.23\share (Step  912 ).  
         [0008]     Although those files and folders may be moved according to the issued instructions, the process is inefficient. Furthermore, before an instruction is issued, a determination has to be made as to whether the involved folder or file has been moved to the prescribed position.  
         [0009]     Therefore, there is a need to provide an efficient data moving method and a user window interface therefor.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     To address the problems in the prior art, the invention provides a user window interface through which a plurality of data articles (files or folders) may be moved to a plurality of target positions at the same time so as to simplify the operating process of data moving. The invention comprises a source directory frame showing all files and folders in a computer or handheld device upon which a user selects at least a data article intended to be moved, a source display frame on which a data article selected in the source directory frame is displayed, a target directory frame showing all target positions upon which the user selects at least one target position for accommodation of the data article intended to be moved, a target display frame on which the target position selected in the source directory frame is displayed, and a plurality of instruction control buttons including a confirmation button and a cancel button through which the user selects an instruction for moving the selected data articles. The selected data articles displayed in the source display frame are moved to the target position selected in the target directory frame and displayed in the target display area.  
         [0011]     The invention also discloses a method of moving a data article at the same time on the user window interface, comprising the steps of providing a source directory frame and a source display frame, selecting a data article intended to be moved in the source directory frame, displaying the data article selected in the source display frame, providing a target directory frame and a target display frame, selecting a target position in the target directory frame for accommodating the data article, displaying the target position selected in the target directory frame on the target display frame, selecting an instruction in the instruction control area and moving the data article as selected to the target position.  
         [0012]     The features and implementations of the invention will be described below with reference to the preferred embodiments in connection with accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart illustrating a prior data moving technology, wherein a plurality of files or folders is moved to a plurality of folders or directories;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a user window interface according to the invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of a first example of connection lines connected between a plurality of data articles and a plurality of target positions to which the data articles are to be moved;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram of a second example of connection lines connected between a plurality of data articles and a plurality of target positions to which the data articles are intended to be moved;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method of moving a single data article to a plurality of target positions according to another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method of moving a plurality of data articles to a single target position according to another embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of the method according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 2  depicts a user window interface  100  of the invention. The user window interface  100  is an operating system (OS) such as Microsoft windows, Mac, and the like, which has a window form and is operated with a mouse or the like so as to facilitate operations conducted thereon. The user window interface  100  has several frames. Among them, a data source area  110 , a data target area  120  and an instruction control area  130  are three main areas. The data source area  110  comprises a source directory frame  112 , a source disk indication frame  114 , and a source display frame  116 . The data target area  120  comprises a target directory frame  122 , a target disk frame  124 , and a target display frame  126 . The instruction control area  130  comprises a confirmation button  134 , a cancel button  136  and a small square frame  138 .  
         [0021]     When the user window interface  100  is opened, the source directory frame  112  in the data source area  110  displays a plurality of folders, each comprising sub-folders and files. When a user wishes to access files in one of the sub-folders, s/he may make two quick left clicks on the sub-folder with a mouse. When the user wishes to select a folder in which the sub-folder resides, s/he may click an up-folder button  118  at the upper-right position of the data source area  100 . The source disk indication frame  114  is used for disk switching. Upon being clicked, content displayed by the source disk indication frame  114  may be changed from the current disk directory to another disk directory as selected or clicked, such as a floppy directory A:\, a CD-ROM directory E:\ or a distant directory or file that may be accessed through a network. Furthermore, recently selected directories and files may be displayed in the source disk indication frame  114  to facilitate data moving by the user. A source display frame  116  is provided at a lower portion of the source directory frame  112  and the source disk indication frame  114 . In the source display frame  116 , all selected files or folders  117  may be displayed; the displayed files or folders  117  are hereinafter termed data articles  117 . Preferably, attributes associated with the data articles  117  in the source display frame  116  may be exhibited, such as their file names, sub-file names and paths, so that the user can know any data article  117  that s/he has selected. In selecting a folder in the source directory frame  112  to be a data article  117 , the folder may also be dragged directly to the source display frame  116 . On the other hand, a file in the source directory frame  112  may also be dragged to the source display frame  116  to become a data article  117 , which may be alternatively done by two quick left clicks of the mouse. Upon being selected as the file or folder (data article) to be moved, a next file or folder to be moved may be selected in the source directory frame  112  or the source display frame  114 . If wanting to delete a selected data article  117  in the source display frame  116 , two quick left clicks of the mouse on the data article  117  are conducted.  
         [0022]     After the data articles  117  in the source directory frame  112  are selected and then displayed in the source display frame  116 , small square deleting frames  119  are displayed in the source display frame  116 , following the data articles  117  respectively. This small square deleting frame  119  may have a default status as being selected or non-selected. In the case of not-selected, the small square deleting frame  119  may be selected with the mouse by a single click, and the data articles in their original positions are deleted after all instructions are performed. Otherwise, the data articles in the original positions are maintained and the moving of data articles is a copying operation.  
         [0023]     In the data target area  120 , target positions to which the data articles will be moved are displayed, such as a target folder position, a target disk position, a network disk position, or a network folder position. As mentioned, the network disk position or the network file position may be accessed through the Internet or a local network. If the user wishes to enter a sub-folder, the user may enter the sub-folder by clicking twice, and if wishing to enter an upper folder, the upper layer button  128  at the upper part of the target directory frame  122  may be clicked and thus the user may enter the upper folder.  
         [0024]     A target display frame  126  is provided below the target directory frame  122  and the target disk indication frame  124  in the user window interface  100 . In the target display frame  126 , target positions  127  selected in the target directory frame  122  are displayed so that the user can know the selected target positions  127 . If the selected target positions  127  are not in the local computer, complete paths thereof are also displayed. If the selected item in the target directory is a folder, the folder may be dragged with the mouse to the target display frame  126  as a target position  127 . If a target position  127  is to be deleted from the target display frame  126 , the user may delete it with two quick left clicks of the mouse. After selection of the data articles is finished, the instruction control area  130  is operated to select an instruction for the moving data.  
         [0025]     In the instruction control area  130 , there is a confirmation button  134 , a cancel button  136  and a small square frame  138 . Upon selection of the confirmation button  134 , the data articles  117  displayed in the source display frame  116  are moved one by one to the target positions  127  displayed in the target display frame  126 . In the moving operation, a window (not shown) pops up in which rate of progress and time required for moving the data articles  117  are shown. If the user wishes to abort the moving process, s/he may select the cancel button  136  to close the user window interface  100 . The instruction control area 130 further comprises a small square frame  138  for determining whether the user window interface  100  will still be used. If the user chooses to use the user window interface  100  after data moving is finished, s/he may select the small square frame  138  to turn the default setting thereof from “selection” to “non-selection”. Otherwise, the user window interface  100  is closed when data moving is finished.  
         [0026]     Connection lines are drawn on the user window interface  100  between a plurality of data articles  117  and a plurality of target positions  127  intended to accommodate the data articles  117  being moved, so that the user may easily understand the relationships between them. Solid lines  141  are shown on the user window interface  100  to indicate that each of the data articles  117  are being moved to corresponding target positions  127  so that the user can know the status of data moving. Once the data articles  117  and their target positions  127  are selected, each of the selected data articles is connected on the user window interface  100  to the corresponding target position  127  by the respective connection line. If the user wishes to cancel a moving operation from one of the data articles  127  to one of the target positions  127 , s/he may click the corresponding solid line  141  with the mouse. Then, this moving operation is aborted and the solid line  141  becomes a dotted line with lighter color.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of connection lines connecting a plurality of data articles and a plurality of target positions intended to accommodate the plurality of data articles after they are moved. Once two target positions D: \peter and \\192.168.10.23\share  127  are selected in the target display frame  126 , data articles C:\windows and C:\windows\kk.dll  117  in the source display frame  116  are connected by solid lines to the target positions D: \peter and \\192.168.10.23\share  127 . Now, another case is described with reference to  FIG. 2B , where a data article C:\windows is intended to be cut and pasted into a target folder D:\peter and copied into a network folder \\192.168.10.23\share, and a source file C:\windows\kk.dll is intended to be copied into a network folder \\192.168.10.23\share. To cut the folder C:\windows, the small square canceling frame  119  is selected so that the data article C:\windows may be cut from its original position after being moved. Since the file C:\windows\kk.dll only has to be moved to the network folder \\192.168.10.23\share but not moved to the folder D:\peter, a solid line  141  connected between the folders C:\windows\kk.dll and D:\peter is clicked one time and then turned into a dotted line  142  with lighter color. As such, the data article C:\windows\kk.dll is not be moved to the folder D:\peter. If the solid line  142  and thus the data moving operation are to be resumed, the user may simply make a single click of the mouse on the dotted line  142 . The solid line  141  returns and the data moving is conducted upon being clicked with the mouse.  
         [0028]     Herein, each of the selected data articles are moved to one of the target positions  127  connected thereto by one of the connection lines  141 . The data articles  117  followed by the small square deleting frame  119  being selected are deleted only when all the selected data articles  117  are moved. As such, it never happens that the file kk.dll is not located in the folder C:\windows after the folder C:\windows is cut. That is, the paths of the to-be-moved data articles may not be lost during the moving operation thereof.  
         [0029]     The invention may have many other embodiments. The data moving operations may be conducted on the condition that the user window interface is not opened. In one embodiment, after the software of the user window interface is installed, two selection icons “positions of targets” and “positions of sources” are shown.  FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method of moving a single data article to a plurality of target positions according to another embodiment of the invention, and  FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method of moving a plurality of data articles to a single target position according to another embodiment of the invention. In  FIG. 3 , when a user window interface  100  is not opened, the user first makes a single left click with a mouse over data articles to be moved, and then makes a right click of the mouse to open a quick selection list (Step  302 ). Next, the user selects the icon “positions of targets” (Step  304 ). Then, the user window interface  100  is initialized and the selected data article is automatically added into a source display frame (Step  306 ). Target positions are selected in a target data area (Step  308 ). An instruction in an instruction control area is issued to conduct the data moving (Step  310 ). Finally, the data moving between the single data article and the plurality of target positions is finished (Step  312 ). Likewise, in  FIG. 4  target positions may be selected by a single left click of a mouse and a quick selection list may be opened by a single right click of the mouse (Step  402 ). An icon “positions of sources” in the quick selection list is selected (Step  404 ). The user window interface  100  is initialized and the selected data articles are automatically added into a target display frame (Step  406 ). The data articles to be moved are selected in a data source area (Step  408 ). An instruction for data moving is issued in an instruction control area (Step  410 ). Finally, the data moving operation between the plurality of data articles and the single target position is finished (Step  412 ).  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of the method of the invention. As shown, data articles to be moved are selected in a source directory frame of a data source area, pointers for the selected data articles in the source directory frame are stored in a memory position, and the data articles are displayed in a source display frame (Step  502 ). Target positions for accommodating the data articles  117  to be moved are selected in a target directory frame  122  of a data target area  120 , pointers of the target positions are stored in other memory positions, and the target positions are displayed in a target display frame  126  (Step  504 ). An instruction for moving the data articles is issued in an instruction control area and pointers of the data articles and target positions stored in the memory positions finish the moving of the data articles based on a predetermined sequence and correlation (Step  506 ). The pointers of the data articles and the target positions in the memory positions are cleared and data articles with their corresponding small square deleting frame selected are deleted from their original positions (Step  508 ).  
         [0031]     When the invention is applied to mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or other devices, the data article  117  is a message, a communication book, a calendar or the like and the target position is a storage area of a home computer, another handheld device or the like, which may be connected through cables, bluetooth devices or networks. With the user window interface and the method of data moving of the invention, data or files in the message, communication book and calendar folders may be easily moved to one or a plurality of target positions.  
         [0032]     While embodiments and applications of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims and their equivalents.