Method for sorting and displaying a multiple user database

• US 20040125142A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayes, David Jeffery, Mock, Von Alan, Eaton, Eric Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

A method for organizing and displaying multiple calendars (200, 300, 400, and 500) from multiple devices (102, 104, 106, and 108) to give an appearance of a single user calendar (1100 and 1200) on a user'"'"'s device is disclosed. Each calendar event having associated user category such as time (210), self (204), family (206), and work (208), is organized based on a display preference selected by a user. Desired calendar events organized based on the display preference are displayed (1100, 1200) on a selected device. Calendar events displayed have different visual attributes based on the corresponding associated users.

Claims

1. A method for organizing a plurality of calendar events by providing an appearance of a single user calendar on an electronic device, the method comprising:

acquiring the plurality of calendar events;

synchronizing the plurality of calendar events;

selecting a display preference for the plurality of calendar events; and

displaying at least one calendar event of the plurality of calendar events on the electronic device based upon the display preference.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each calendar event of the plurality of calendar events comprises:

a message associated with the calendar event;

a user associated with the calendar event;

a category associated with the calendar event;

comments associated with the calendar event; and

a time period associated with the calendar event.

3. The method according to claim 1, selecting a display preference for the plurality of calendar events by:

assigning a priority level to each calendar event of the plurality of calendar events;

grouping calendar events having the same priority level; and

selecting a desired priority level as the display preference.

4. The method according to claim 3, assigning a priority level to each calendar event of the plurality of calendar events by assigning a priority level based upon at least one of:

the time period associated with the calendar event;

the user associated with the calendar event; and

the category associated with the calendar event.

5. The method according to claim 2, selecting a display preference for the plurality of calendar events by:

selecting a reference user;

selecting a reference category;

grouping calendar events that belong to the reference user and to the reference category; and

allowing to display a message associated with each of the grouped calendar events.

6. The method according to claim 5, allowing to display a comment associated with each of the grouped calendar events.

7. The method according to claim 5, selecting a display preference for the plurality of calendar events by:

grouping calendar events belonging to users other than the reference user; and

allowing to display categories of the grouped calendar events belonging to users other than the reference user.

8. The method according to claim 5, selecting a display preference for the plurality of calendar events by:

determining whether each of the plurality of calendar events belongs to the reference user;

determining whether each of the plurality of calendar events belongs to the reference category; and

determining whether a calendar event detail setting has been disabled.

9. The method according to claim 8, allowing to display only the category of the calendar event belonging to a user other than the reference user and belonging to the reference category upon determining that the calendar event detail setting has been disabled.

10. The method according to claim 8, allowing to display the message of the calendar event belonging to a user other than the reference user and belonging to the reference category upon determining that the calendar event detail setting has been enabled.

11. The method according to claim 4, displaying at least one of the plurality of calendar events on the electronic device based upon the display preference by:

determining whether there are duplicate calendar events in a time period; and

displaying one of the duplicate calendar events in the time period.

12. The method according to claim 11, displaying a symbol indicative of the duplicate calendar events.

13. The method according to claim 3, displaying at least one of the plurality of calendar events on the electronic device based upon the display preference by displaying a shortened form of the comment associated with the at least one of the plurality of calendar events upon reaching a predetermined time within the time period associated with the at least one of the plurality of calendar events.

14. The method according to claim 3, displaying at least one of the plurality of calendar events on the electronic device based upon the display preference by:

assigning a visual attribute to each user; and

displaying the at least one of the plurality of calendar events with the assigned visual attribute.

15. The method according to claim 14, the assigned visual attribute is a color.

16. The method according to claim 14, the assigned visual attribute is contrast.