User interface for providing task management and calendar information

• US 20060069604A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Frankel, Glenn L., Jensen, Stephen D., Leukart, Richard H., Williams, Cheryl L., Savastano, Hernan
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An electronic “To-Do” bar is provided in which displayed upcoming tasks, meetings, appointments and the like. The electronic To-Do bar is displayed in a lightweight menu of tasks, meetings and appointments and is displayed persistently in addition to other software functionality or user interfaces displayed on a user'"'"'s computer display screen according to other software applications or other software functionality in use. A user is presented with an always-visible list of upcoming tasks, meetings and appointments without the need to launch a separate tasks application or calendar application to view upcoming tasks, meetings or appointments.

Claims

1. A method for providing task information and calendar information in a to-do user interface, comprising:

populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects;

populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects;

organizing one or more task objects contained in the task list into one or more logical groupings, where any of the one or more task objects included in a given logical grouping belongs to an arrangement type associated with the given logical grouping;

displaying the to-do user interface as a component of a larger user interface where an area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface may be used for displaying functionality and information associated with one or more software applications; and

persisting displaying of the to-do user interface as a component of the larger user interface if functionality and information associated with a first software application that is displayed in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is replaced by functionality and information associated with a second software application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving the one or more calendar objects from a memory of calendar objects; and

prior to populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects, retrieving the one or more task objects from a memory of task objects.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a task input panel for inputting a new task object into the task list.

4. The method of claim 1, after populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving one or more calendar objects from one or more calendar object storage sources;

and displaying the retrieved one or more calendar objects in the appointments view pane.

5. The method of claim 4, whereby retrieving one or more calendar objects from one or more calendar object storage sources includes retrieving one or more data objects that are marked for recognition by the to-do user interface as a calendar object.

6. The method of claim 1, prior to organizing one or more task objects contained in the task list into one or more logical groupings, retrieving one or more task objects from one or more task object sources for populating into the task list.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby retrieving one or more task objects from one or more task object sources for populating into the task list includes retrieving one or more data items that are marked for recognition by the to-do user interface as a task object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a date picker control for showing a selected calendar view.

9. The method of claim 8, in response to a selection of a date contained in the date picker control, launching a calendar user interface in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface, and setting the launched calendar user interface to the selected date.

10. The method of claim 9, upon receiving a task item applied to a date in the date picker control, populating the task list with the task item in a position in the task list associated with the date to which the task item is applied.

11. An improved user interface, comprising:

an appointments view pane disposed in an upper portion of the to-do user interface for containing one or more calendar objects;

a task list disposed in a lower portion of a to-do user interface for containing one or more task objects;

whereby the to-do user interface is displayed as a component of a larger user interface where an area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is available for displaying functionality and information associated with one or more software applications not related to the to-do user interface; and

whereby the display of the to-do user interface is persisted as a component of the larger user interface if functionality and information associated with a first software application displayed in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is replaced by functionality and information associated with a second software application.

12. The user interface of claim 11, further comprising a task input panel disposed above the task list for receiving an input of a new task object into the task list.

13. The user interface of claim 12, further comprising a date picker control disposed above the appointments view pane for showing a selected calendar view.

14. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing task information and calendar information in a to-do user interface, comprising:

populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects;

populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects;

organizing one or more task objects contained in the task list into one or more logical groupings, where any of the one or more task objects included in a given logical grouping belongs to an arrangement type associated with the given logical grouping;

displaying the to-do user interface as a component of a larger user interface where an area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface may be used for displaying functionality and information associated with one or more software applications; and

persisting displaying of the to-do user interface as a component of the larger user interface if functionality and information associated with a first software application that is displayed in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is replaced by functionality and information associated with a second software application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

prior to populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving the one or more calendar objects from a memory of calendar objects; and

prior to populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects, retrieving the one or more task objects from a memory of task objects.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, after populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving one or more calendar objects from one or more calendar object storage sources;

and displaying the retrieved one or more calendar objects in the appointments view pane.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, whereby retrieving one or more calendar objects from one or more calendar object storage sources includes retrieving one or more data objects that are marked for recognition by the to-do user interface as a calendar object.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, prior to organizing one or more task objects contained in the task list into one or more logical groupings, retrieving one or more task objects from one or more task object sources for populating into the task list.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, whereby retrieving one or more task objects from one or more task object sources for populating into the task list includes retrieving one or more data items that are marked for recognition by the to-do user interface as a task object.

16. The computer-readable medium of 14, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a task input panel for inputting a new task object into the task list.

17. The computer-readable medium of 14, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a date picker control for showing a selected calendar view.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, in response to a selection of a date contained in the date picker control, launching a calendar user interface in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface, and setting the launched calendar user interface to the selected date.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, upon receiving a task item applied to a date in the date picker control, populating the task list with the task item in a position in the task list associated with the date to which the task item is applied.

24. A method for providing task information and calendar information in a to-do user interface, comprising:

populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects;

populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects;

displaying the to-do user interface as a component of a larger user interface where an area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface may be used for displaying functionality and information associated with one or more software applications; and

persisting displaying of the to-do user interface as a component of the larger user interface if functionality and information associated with a first software application that is displayed in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is replaced by functionality and information associated with a second software application.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

prior to populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving the one or more calendar objects from a memory of calendar objects; and

prior to populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects, retrieving the one or more task objects from a memory of task objects.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising organizing the one or more task objects into one or more logical groupings, where any of the one or more task objects included in a given logical grouping belongs to an arrangement type associated with the given logical grouping.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a selection of an arrangement type from a group of arrangement types consisting of task category, task start date, task due date, task assigned to, task created by, task type, and custom task arrangement.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a task input panel for inputting a new task object into the task list.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a date picker control for showing a selected calendar view.

30. The method of claim 29, in response to a selection of a date contained in the date picker control, launching a calendar user interface in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface, and setting the launched calendar user interface to the selected date.

31. The method of claim 29, upon receiving a task item applied to a date in the date picker control, populating the task list with the task item in a position in the task list associated with the date to which the task item is applied.

32. The method of claim 25, whereby populating an appointments view pane of the to-do user interface with one or more calendar objects includes populating the appointments view pane of the to-do user interface with one or more appointments objects.

33. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing task information and calendar information in a to-do user interface, comprising:

populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects;

populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects;

displaying the to-do user interface as a component of a larger user interface where an area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface may be used for displaying functionality and information associated with one or more software applications; and

persisting displaying of the to-do user interface as a component of the larger user interface if functionality and information associated with a first software application that is displayed in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface is replaced by functionality and information associated with a second software application.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

prior to populating the to-do user interface with an appointments view pane for containing one or more calendar objects, retrieving the one or more calendar objects from a memory of calendar objects; and

prior to populating the to-do user interface with a task list for containing one or more task objects, retrieving the one or more task objects from a memory of task objects.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising organizing the one or more task objects into one or more logical groupings, where any of the one or more task objects included in a given logical grouping belongs to an arrangement type associated with the given logical grouping.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, further comprising receiving a selection of an arrangement type from a group of arrangement types consisting of task category, task start date, task due date, task assigned to, task created by, task type, and custom task arrangement.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a task input panel for inputting a new task object into the task list.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising populating the to-do user interface with a date picker control for showing a selected calendar view.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, in response to a selection of a date contained in the date picker control, launching a calendar user interface in the area of the larger user interface not consumed by the to-do user interface, and setting the launched calendar user interface to the selected date.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, upon receiving a task item applied to a date in the date picker control, populating the task list with the task item in a position in the task list associated with the date to which the task item is applied.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, whereby populating an appointments view pane of the to-do user interface with one or more calendar objects includes populating the appointments view pane of the to-do user interface with one or more appointments objects.