Displaying information to indicate both the importance and the urgency of the information

• US 20050246658A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Uemura, Marcelo R., Rogers, Daniel Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,536,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute

Abstract

Data items contained in personal information are displayed in manner that is indicative of both the importance and the urgency of the data items. A first visual cue is assigned to the data item based on an importance of the data item. The first visual cue may cause more important items to be displayed with increased size and less important items to be displayed with decreased size. A second visual cue is assigned to the data item based on an urgency of the data item. The second visual cue may cause more urgent items to be displayed in a first color and less important items to be displayed in a second color. The data item is displayed using the first and second visual cue as to provide a visual indication as to both the importance and urgency of the data item.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a video display device, a method for presenting personal information so as to indicate the importance and urgency of the personal information, comprising the following:

an act of configuring different importance numeric values to represent data items of the personal information that have different levels of importance;

an act of an urgency calculator calculating an urgency numeric value for each data item of the personal information, wherein the urgency calculator automatically calculates the urgency numeric value based on available free time, and wherein said free time is determined, at least in part, based on a known deadline for each data item and whether any known scheduled events are scheduled prior to said deadline;

an act of a user assigning importance numeric values for each data item of the personal information; and

an act of displaying the personal information to indicate the urgency numeric value and importance numeric value for the data items of the personal information.