Method of managing a calendar and a computer system for implementing that method

• US 20040044646A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Guiheneuf, Bertrand, Noyau, Eric, Hullot, Jean-Marie, Cerveau, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

Methods, systems and machine readable media for operating a calendar in a data processing system. In one exemplary method of managing a calendar, which contains at least one event, said method comprises:

making available the calendar in an electronic format;

subscribing to said calendar;

downloading said calendar from a host electronic device to a subscriber electronic device; and

storing said calendar in said electronic format to form a local calendar.

Claims

1. A method of managing a calendar, said calendar containing at least one event, said method comprising:

making available the calendar in an electronic format;

subscribing to said calendar;

downloading said calendar from a host electronic device to a subscriber electronic device; and

storing said calendar in said electronic format to form a local calendar.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said making available said calendar comprises publishing said calendar over the Internet.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

making changes to the events in said calendar;

downloading said changes from the host electronic device to said subscriber device; and

updating the local calendar stored on said subscriber electronic device with said changes.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

notifying a user of the subscriber electronic device of said changes.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a user of one of the devices of a new event or change to one of the events;

replying to said notification to confirm said new event or change;

making said change to either said calendar or said local calendar;

downloading said change from the updated device to the other device; and

updating the other calendar stored on the other device.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, after said step of notifying a user, further comprising:

replying to said notification to disagree or amend said new event or change; and

re-notifying said user to confirm or amend said notification.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which there are a plurality of subscriber electronic devices.

8. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which said subscriber electronic device includes at least one subscriber calendar and said local calendar is stored with said subscriber calendar.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, in which said subscriber calendar and said local calendar share a user interface.

10. A computer system having a host electronic device and at least one subscriber device and a computer program arranged for implementing a method as claimed in claim 1.

11. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, in which the or each subscriber electronic device includes at least one subscriber calendar and said local calendar is stored with said subscriber calendar.

12. A computer system as claimed in claim 11, in which the or each said subscriber calendar and said local calendar share a user interface.

13. A computer system as claimed in claim 12, in which said user interface comprises more than one window.

14. A computer system as claimed in claim 13, in which one of said windows comprises a primary data range.

15. A computer system as claimed in claim 14, in which said primary date range contains a data field for each day of a month.

16. A computer system as claimed in claim 14, in which said primary date range contains a data field for each day of a week.

17. A computer system as claimed in claim 14, in which said primary data range contains a data field for each month of a year.

18. A computer system as claimed in claim 14, in which said primary date range contains a data field for each of a plurality of hours of a selected day.

19. A computer system as claimed in claim 18, in which another of said windows comprises a subsidiary date range comprising at least one month and including a marker for indicating the selected day.

20. A computer system as claimed in claim 18, in which another of said windows comprises a second subsidiary date range comprising at least one week and including a secondary marker for indicating the selected day.

21. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, in which one of said calendars is selected as a most important calendar.

22. A computer system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising an interrogator interface for adding, selecting, modifying and deleting an event in said most important calendar.

23. A computer system as claimed in claim 22, in which said interrogator interface also enables an event to be moved from one calendar to another.

24. A computer system as claimed in claim 22, in which said interrogator interface also enables a property to be assigned to an event or modified.

25. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, in which said property comprises the event appearing recurrently.

26. A computer system as claimed in claim 24, in which said property comprises an alarm.

27. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a toggle for each calendar, for enabling events of a toggled calendar to be displayed by the user interface.

28. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, in which said events are displayed as a 2-D shape at least approximately extending the duration specified.

29. A computer system as claimed in claim 28, in which events which overlap are distinguished from each other by a distinguishing feature.

30. A computer system as claimed in claim 29, in which said distinguishing feature comprises a different colour.

31. A computer system as claimed in claim 29, in which said distinguishing feature comprises a different 2-D shape only partially extending the specified duration.

32. A computer system as claimed in claim 29, in which said distinguishing feature comprises one event being translucent such that the other overlapping event can be displayed therebehind.

33. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a search interface for enabling a search across one or more calendars.

34. A computer system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a task interface for enabling tasks to be entered on said most important calendar.

35. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method of managing a calendar, said calendar containing at least one event, said method comprising:

making available the calendar in an electronic format;

subscribing to said calendar;

downloading said calendar from a host electronic device to a subscriber electronic device; and

storing said calendar in said electronic format to form a local calendar.

36. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 35, in which said making available said calendar comprises publishing said calendar over the Internet.

37. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 35, further comprising:

making changes to the events in said calendar;

downloading said changes from the host electronic device to said subscriber device; and

updating the local calendar stored on said subscriber electronic device with said changes.

38. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 37, further comprising:

notifying a user of the subscriber electronic device of said changes.

39. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 35, said method further comprising:

notifying a user of one of the devices of a new event or change to one of the events;

replying to said notification to confirm said new event or change;

making said change to either said calendar or said local calendar;

downloading said change from the updated device to the other device; and

updating the other calendar stored on the other device.

40. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 39, after said notifying a user, said method further comprising:

replying to said notification to disagree or amend said new event or change; and

re-notifying said user to confirm or amend said notification.

41. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 37, in which there are a plurality of subscriber electronic devices.

42. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 37, in which said subscriber electronic device includes at least one subscriber calendar and said local calendar is stored with said subscriber calendar.

43. A machine readable medium as claimed in claim 42, in which said subscriber calendar and said local calendar share a user interface.

44. A data processing apparatus for processing a calendar containing at least one event, said data processing apparatus comprising:

means for making available the calendar in an electronic format;

means for subscribing to said calendar;

means for downloading said calendar from a host electronic device to a subscriber electronic device; and

means for storing said calendar in said electronic format to form a local calendar.

45. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 44, in which said means for making available said calendar comprises means for publishing said calendar over the Internet.

46. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 44, further comprising:

means for making changes to the events in said calendar;

means for downloading said changes from the host electronic device to said subscriber device; and

means for updating the local calendar stored on said subscriber electronic device with said changes.

47. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 46, further comprising:

means for notifying a user of the subscriber electronic device of said changes.

48. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 44, further comprising:

means for notifying a user of one of the devices of a new event or change to one of the events;

means for replying to said notification to confirm said new event or change;

means for making said change to either said calendar or said local calendar;

means for downloading said change from the updated device to the other device; and

means for updating the other calendar stored on the other device.

49. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 48, after said notifying a user, further comprising:

means for replying to said notification to disagree or amend said new event or change; and

means for re-notifying said user to confirm or amend said notification.

50. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 46, in which there are a plurality of subscriber electronic devices.

51. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 46, in which said subscriber electronic device includes at least one subscriber calendar and said local calendar is stored with said subscriber calendar.

52. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 51, in which said subscriber calendar and said local calendar share a user interface.