User configurable quick groups

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9305027-B2
Application number	US-88896207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2007
Priority date	Aug 3, 2007
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

This invention is directed to defining quick groups for easily associating keywords with an object (e.g., a media objection) accessible using an electronic device. The user of an electronic device may define several keywords that identify attributes of an object accessible using the electronic device. The user may associate keywords with an object to link the attribute of the keyword with the object (e.g., associate a keyword entitled “vacation” to vacation pictures). The user may assign a shortcut key to each of a subset of the keywords, referred to as quick groups, by which the user may rapidly associate the keyword to an object. In some embodiments, the electronic device may select the shortcut key of a quick group from the letters of the quick group to help the user remember the shortcut key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving input to assign a shortcut key to a keyword including a plurality of characters so the keyword is assignable to a media file by a selection of the shortcut key;
identifying, by a processor, a first character of the plurality of characters to assign as the shortcut key;
determining, by the processor, that the first character of the plurality of characters has been previously assigned as the shortcut key of another keyword;
in response to the determining, identifying, by the processor, a subsequent character of the plurality of characters to assign as the shortcut key; and
assigning, by the processor, the subsequent character as the shortcut key to the keyword, wherein the keyword is assignable to the media file upon a selection of the subsequent character.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the first character of the plurality of characters has not been assigned as the shortcut key of any other keyword, assigning the first character of the plurality of characters as the shortcut key to the keyword, wherein the keyword is assignable to the media file upon a selection of the first character.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that each of the plurality of characters included in the keyword has been assigned as a shortcut key of a corresponding keyword, assigning an arbitrary character not included in the plurality of characters and not assigned to any other keyword as the shortcut key to the keyword.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of characters included in the keyword includes numbers, letters of the alphabet, or combinations of them.

Assignees

• Fagans Joshua
• Martin Timothy B
• Evans Matt
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fagans Joshua
• Martin Timothy B
• Evans Matt

Classifications

• G06F17/3028 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/51 Primary

  Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title