AN ELECTRONIC CALENDAR

• US 20060041460A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

An electronic calendar is provided to a user that receives a request to schedule an event from the user. Additional information related to the user and/or the event is obtained by prompting the user for the additional information and/or obtaining the additional information from a database communicatively coupled to the electronic calendar. A plurality of events are scheduled based on the request to schedule an event and the obtained additional information.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic calendar to a user, comprising:

receiving a request to schedule an event from the user;

obtaining additional information related to the user and/or the event by prompting the user for the additional information and/or obtaining the additional information from a database communicatively coupled to the electronic calendar; and

scheduling a plurality of events based on the request to schedule an event and the obtained additional information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one of the scheduled plurality of events requires further input at a subsequent time;

prompting the user for the further-input at the subsequent time; and

updating the electronic calendar to revise scheduled events for the user based on the further input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a plurality of calendar rules are associated with the user and wherein prompting the user for the further input comprises prompting the user based on the calendar rules associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the calendar rules include a predetermined escalation rule for the user and wherein prompting the user for further input comprises:

prompting the user a first time for the further input; and

prompting the user for the input a second time in a manner specified by the escalation rule when the further input is not received responsive to prompting the user the first time.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a context for the electronic calendar; and

updating the context based on the received request; and

wherein prompting the user for the input a second time further comprises modifying the manner specified by the escalation rule based on the determined context of the electronic calendar.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining additional information is preceded by associating one of a plurality of available personalities with the electronic calendar and wherein obtaining additional information comprises obtaining additional information based on the associated one of the available personalities.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the associated one of the available personalities defines at least one of an accent, a communication syntax, a vocabulary, a sense of urgency, a speed of communication, a timing pattern of communication, a level of detail of communication and/or a preciseness of communication by the electronic calendar to the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein scheduling a plurality of events comprises:

scheduling the plurality of events on an individual calendar of the user; and

adding selected ones of the plurality of events to a group calendar for a group in which the user is a member based on a sharing rule associated with the user and/or the group calendar.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sharing rules are based on a type of a scheduled event and a user associated with the event.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising;

incorporating events scheduled for other users that are members of the group into the group calendar based on sharing rules associated with the other users and/or with the group calendar; and

displaying the group calendar with the incorporated events scheduled for the other users to the user responsive to a request from the user.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

defining rules allowing other users that are not members of the group access to the group calendar; and

displaying the group calendar to the other users that are not members of the group based on the defined rules allowing the other users that are not members of the group access.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the defined rules allowing the other users that are not members of the group limited access to specified event types.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

defining rules allowing the user access to a group calendar for a group in which the user is not a member; and

displaying the group calendar for a group in which the user is not a member to the user based on the defined rules allowing the user access.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the defined rules allowing the user limited access to specified event types.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein scheduling a plurality of event further comprises:

determining an event type for the event requested to be scheduled by the user;

obtaining preferences associated with the user and/or information regarding prior requests for scheduling of events of the determined event type by the user; and

scheduling the plurality of events based on the obtained preferences and/or information regarding prior requests.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a context for the electronic calendar; and

updating the context based on the received request; and

wherein scheduling the plurality of events further comprises;

determining a plurality of options for the plurality of events based on the context;

prioritizing the plurality of options;

requesting dynamic context information from application service providing modules operatively coupled to the electronic calendar; and

selecting one of the plurality of options as the plurality of events for scheduling based on the requested dynamic context information.

17. A method for providing an electronic calendar application service providing module in a framework for providing computing device executed application services to a user using a plurality of application service providing modules, each of which provides a subset of the application services to the user, the method comprising:

receiving a request to schedule an event;

translating the received request to at least one need to be satisfied;

identifying at least one of the plurality of application service providing modules other than the electronic calendar required for satisfying the at least one need;

requesting execution of actions by the identified at least one of the plurality of application service providing modules to satisfy the at least one need; and

scheduling a plurality of events based on the request to schedule an event from the user and on the execution of action by the identified at least one of the plurality of application service providing modules.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of preference/policies are associated with the user and wherein translating the received input to at least one need to be satisfied comprises translating the received input to at least one need to be satisfied based on the preference/policies associated with the user.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein a security module is communicatively coupled to the electronic calendar application service providing module and wherein requesting execution of actions by the identified at least one of the plurality of application service providing modules to satisfy the at least one need comprises:

obtaining security context information from the security module; and

requesting execution of actions by the identified at least one of the plurality of application service providing modules to satisfy the at least one need based on the obtained security context information from the security module.

20. A computer program product configured to carry out the method of claim 17.

21. An electronic calendar application service providing module comprising:

means for receiving a request to schedule an event from the user;

means for obtaining additional information related to the user and/or the event by prompting the user for the additional information and/or obtaining the additional information from a database communicatively coupled to the electronic calendar; and

means for scheduling a plurality of events based on the request to schedule an event and the obtained additional information.