Method for graphical representation of a content collection

Abstract

A method use on a computer having a graphical operating environment is provided for displaying the content items of a container. The method includes enumerating the items that exist within the container or folder and determining whether a graphical preview can be generated for the item. If so, the item is added to a list of candidates as preview items for the container or folder. The items are then evaluated, and a desired number are chosen for display based upon a sort criteria. Prior to being displayed, the graphical preview for each item is sized and is located on the background image. The above method results in a container having graphical or pictorial indicia of the container contents on the outside thereof. These indicia allow a computer user to more readily determine the contents of the container or folder without having to open the container or folder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 providing a background region to an icon associated with a container;   determining a number of items in the container to be more informative to users than other items in the container regarding contents in the container;   obtaining respective graphical previews for the number of items in the container to graphically represent the number of items; and   causing at least one of the respective graphical previews to be displayed on the background region.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a folder including a collection of files, and the number of items are a number of files, the method further comprising:
 determining the respective graphical previews for the number of files can be generated to graphically represent the number of files.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises retrieving at least one of the respective graphical previews from a cache. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container is an album, and the at least one of the respective graphical previews is a representative item of the album. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises selecting a first four items in a current sort order of the container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining comprises computing a thumbnail image for an item of the number of items from an operating system function. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a size and a location of an item of the number of items on the background region based at least in part on the desired number and a size of the background region.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 resizing the respective graphical previews based on a size of the background region.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 obtaining a graphical preview of the item based at least in part on an interface that is used to obtain the graphical preview of the item according to the calculated size.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing the respective graphical previews to be displayed on the background region in an order based on respective most recently modified time of the number of files.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing the respective graphical previews to be displayed on the background region in an order based on respective most recently added time of the number of files.   
     
     
         12 . One or more computer-storage hardware storing computer usable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to:
 rank a plurality of items in the container based on their respective indicative values to a user for indicating the contents in the container;   select a desired number of items from the plurality of items;   obtain respective graphical previews for desired number of items; and   cause the graphical previews to be displayed on the background region based on the respective indicative values of the desired number of items.   
     
     
         13 . The hardware of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to:
 in response to an item of the desired number of items has a cached graphical preview in a cache, obtain the cached graphical preview of the item from the cache.   
     
     
         14 . The hardware of  claim 12 , wherein the graphical preview is a preview of an electronic picture contained within the container. 
     
     
         15 . The hardware of  claim 12 , wherein the container is an album, and the desired number of items is representative songs of the album. 
     
     
         16 . The hardware of  claim 12 , wherein the select comprises select a first four items in a current sort order of the container. 
     
     
         17 . A computer system, comprising:
 a processor;   an item collection manager, coupled to the processor, to generate a collection of items for which respective graphical previews can be generated for the collection of items within a container; and   a container display provider to select a number of items from the collection of items based on indicative values of the number of items to a user for indicating the contents in the container, and to cause graphical previews of the selected number of items to be displayed on a background region of the container.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the container display provider is to cause graphical previews of the selected number of items to be displayed in an order according to a sort criteria applied on the collection of items. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the sort criteria is a current sort order of the container previously selected by a user of the container. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the sort criteria is based on most recently modified time or time added to the container.