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US5680559A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Shell extensions for an operating system

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1995-06-07
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Granted: 1997-10-21
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Expires: 2015-06-07
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Abstract

Abstract An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space. The mechanism provided by the operating system to add such a name space is polymorphic and transparent to users.

Inventors

  • 👤 Chee H. Chew
  • 👤 Christopher J. Guzak

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 14:37
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/455; G06F9/45504; G06F9/45508; G06F9/45512; G06F16/00; G06F16/10; G06F8/00; G06F8/20; G06F8/24

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim 145 words
In a data processing system having a video display and an operating system that includes a file system for performing file system operations on file system objects, a method comprising the steps of: providing a copy-hook handier to be called when a request to perform a file system operation on a selected one of the file system objects is received by the operating system, said handler indicating whether the file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; in response to a request to perform a specified system operation on the selected file system object, calling the handler to receive an indication of whether the specified file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; and using the indication received from the handier to determine whether to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 145 words
In a data processing system having a video display and an operating system that includes a file system for performing file system operations on file system objects, a method comprising the steps of: providing a copy-hook handier to be called when a request to perform a file system operation on a selected one of the file system objects is received by the operating system, said handler indicating whether the file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; in response to a request to perform a specified system operation on the selected file system object, calling the handler to receive an indication of whether the specified file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; and using the indication received from the handier to determine whether to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of registering the handler in a database of configuration information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the handler is registered to be invoked when a file system operation is requested for a given class of file system objects.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the specified file system operation is a move operation to move the selected file system object to a new location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the specified file system operation is a delete operation for deleting the selected file system object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selected file system object has a name and the specified file system operation is a rename operation for assigning a new name to the selected file system object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the specified file system operation is a copy operation to generate a copy of the selected file system object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selected file system object is a printer object that holds information about a printer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selected file system object is a folder object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the using step comprises the step of using an indication received from the handler that the specified file system operation should not be performed to determine to not perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the using step comprises the step of using an indication received from the handler that the specified file system operation should be performed to determine to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 154 words
In a data processing system having a video display and an operating system that includes a file system for performing file system operations on file system objects, a computer-readable medium holding computer computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of: providing a copy-hook handler to be called when a request to perform a file system operation on a selected one of the file system objects is received by the operating system, said handler indicating whether the file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; in response to a request to perform a specified system operation on the selected file system object, calling the handier to receive an indication of whether the specified file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; and using the indication received from the handier to determine whether to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 154 words
In a data processing system having a video display and an operating system that includes a file system for performing file system operations on file system objects, a computer-readable medium holding computer computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of: providing a copy-hook handler to be called when a request to perform a file system operation on a selected one of the file system objects is received by the operating system, said handler indicating whether the file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; in response to a request to perform a specified system operation on the selected file system object, calling the handier to receive an indication of whether the specified file system operation should be performed on the selected file system object; and using the indication received from the handier to determine whether to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 23 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises the step of registering the handler in a database of configuration information.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 29 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the handler is registered to be invoked when a file system operation is requested for a given class of file system objects.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the specified file system operation is a move operation to move the selected file system object to a new location.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the specified file system operation is a delete operation for deleting the selected file system object.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 36 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the selected file system object has a name and the specified file system operation is a rename operation for assigning a new name to the selected file system object.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 26 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the specified file system operation is a copy operation to generate a copy of the selected file system object.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 22 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the selected file system object is a printer object that holds information about a printer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 16 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the selected file system object is a folder object.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 47 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the using step comprises the step of using an indication received from the handler that the specified file system operation should not be performed to determine to not perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 45 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the using step comprises the step of using an indication received from the handler that the specified file system operation should be performed to determine to perform the specified file system operation on the selected file system object.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5581760A Cited
US5572709A Cited
US5504892A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-10-20 2001-04-21 2001-10-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-10-20 2005-04-21 2005-10-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-10-20 2009-04-21 2009-10-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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