Method and system for document draft reminder based on inactivity

• US 20060080619A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Herman, Carlson, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible system and method for notifying a user when the user has an open document which is inactive over a predetermined period of inactivity defined by the user. The user may be able to set a desirable period of inactivity for each application at the time of the system initialization and change the desirable period of inactivity for an inactive document after the user receives notification.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user, comprising steps of:

monitoring a document opened by a user;

detecting inactivity of a user input in said document via an external input device;

upon detection of inactivity, enabling a timer for said document based on a desired period of inactivity value and

notifying a user for inactivity of said document when the timer expires.

2. The method as described in claim 1, said notifying the user step further comprising steps of:

alarming the user about said document via an audible and visual alarm; and

receiving a user input,

wherein said user input includes a disable notification, a second notification and a resuming drafting.

3. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising a step of:

disabling a notification for said document upon reception of said disable notification input.

4. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising a step of:

resetting said timer for said document upon reception of said resuming drafting input.

5. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising steps of:

obtaining a desired period of inactivity value from said user upon reception of said second notification input; and

resetting said desired period of inactivity of said document to said document list.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said external input device includes a keyboard.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said external input device includes a mouse.

8. A method for notifying a user of an inactive document, comprising steps of:

adding information of a plurality of documents opened by a user to a document list;

monitoring said plurality of documents in said document list;

detecting an inactive document among said plurality of documents in said document list;

upon detection of inactivity, enabling a timer for said inactive document based on a desired period of inactivity value in said document list;

adjusting said period of inactivity value by an amount in proportion to new content in said inactive document; and

notifying a user for said inactive document when the timer expires.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein said inactivity is detected when there is no external input from said user via an input device.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said input device includes a keyboard.

11. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said input device includes a mouse.

12. The method as described in claim 8, further comprising steps of:

building a reference table based on a user input if the user chooses to have a customized mode; and

building a reference table based on a system default value if the user chooses to have a default mode.

13. The method as described in claim 12, said building a reference table based on a user input further comprising steps of:

displaying a plurality of applications operable in a computer system, said applications capable of supporting a document drafting;

obtaining a plurality of monitored applications which is desirable to be monitored;

obtaining a desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications; and

building said reference table with each of said plurality of monitored applications and said desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications.

14. The method as described in claim 12, further comprising steps of:

determining whether each of said plurality of documents is to be monitored;

adding a document name of each of said plurality of documents to said document list; and

adding a period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of documents to said document list, said period of inactivity value being obtained from said reference table.

15. The method as described in claim 8, said notifying the user step further comprising steps of:

alarming the user about said inactive document via an audible and visual alarm; and

receiving a user input,

wherein said user input includes a disable notification, a second notification and a resuming drafting.

16. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising a step of:

disabling a notification for said inactive document upon reception of said disable notification input.

17. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising a step of:

resetting said timer for said inactive document upon reception of said resuming drafting input.

18. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising steps of:

obtaining a desired period of inactivity value from said user upon reception of said second notification input; and

resetting said desired time out of said inactive document to said document list.

19. A notification system for notifying a user of an inactive document, comprising:

means for building a document list;

means for monitoring said plurality of documents in said document list;

means for detecting an inactive document among said plurality of documents in said document list;

means for setting a timer for said inactive document based on a desired period of inactivity value in said document list upon detection of inactivity; and

means for notifying a user for said inactive document when the timer expires.

20. The notification system as described in claim 19 wherein said inactive document is detected when there is no external input from said user via an input device.

21. The notification system as described in claim 20, wherein said input device includes a keyboard.

22. The notification system as described in claim 20, wherein said input device includes a mouse.

23. The notification system as described in claim 19, further comprising;

means for building a reference table based on a user input if the user chooses to have a customized mode; and

means for building a reference table based on a system default value if the user choose to have a default mode.

24. The notification system as described in claim 23, further comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of applications operable in a computer system, said applications capable of supporting a document drafting;

means for obtaining a plurality of monitored applications which is desirable to be monitored;

means for obtaining a desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications; and

means for building said reference table with each of said plurality of monitored applications and said desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications.

25. The notification system as described in claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining whether each of a plurality of open documents are supported by one of a plurality of monitored applications;

means for adding a document name of each of said plurality of open documents to said document list; and

means for adding a period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of open documents to said document list, said period of inactivity value being obtained from said reference table,

wherein said reference table provides information of said plurality of monitored applications.

26. The notification system as described in claim 19, said means for notifying said user further comprising:

means for alarming the user about said inactive document via a pop-up window with an audible alarm; and

means for receiving a user input,

wherein said pop-up window include a disable notification button, a second notification button and a resuming drafting button.

27. The notification system as described in claim 26, further comprising:

means for disabling a notification for said inactive document when said user presses said disable notification button.

28. The notification system as described in claim 26, further comprising:

means for disabling said timer for said inactive document when said user presses said resuming drafting button.

29. The notification system as described in claim 26, further comprising:

means for obtaining a desired period of inactivity value from said user when said user presses said second notification button;

means for resetting said desired period of inactivity of said inactive document to said document list.

30. A method for notifying a user of an inactive document, comprising steps of:

adding information of a plurality of documents opened by a user to a document list;

monitoring inactivity of said plurality of documents in said document list;

detecting an inactive document among said plurality of documents in said document list;

upon detection of inactivity, enabling a timer for said inactive document based on a desired period of inactivity value in said document list; and

notifying a user for said inactive document when the timer expires,

wherein a reference table is built based on user inputs if the user chooses to have a customized mode and includes a plurality of monitored applications, a period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications.

31. The method as described in claim 30, wherein said reference table is built based on a system default value if the user chooses to have a default mode.

32. The method as described in claim 30, further comprising steps of:

displaying a plurality of applications operable in a computer system, said applications capable of supporting a document drafting;

obtaining said plurality of monitored applications which is desirable to be monitored;

obtaining said desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications; and

building said reference table with each of said plurality of monitored applications and said desired period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of monitored applications.

33. The method as described in claim 30, said adding information step further comprising steps of:

determining whether each of said plurality of documents is supported by one of said plurality of monitored applications;

adding a document name of each of said plurality of documents to said document list; and

adding a period of inactivity value of each of said plurality of documents to said document list,

wherein said reference table is consulted for said information of said plurality of documents which includes said plurality of monitored applications and said period of inactivity value.

34. The method as described in claim 30, said notifying the user step further comprising steps of:

alarming said user about said inactive document via an audible and visual alarm; and

receiving a user input, said user input including a disable notification, a second notification and a resuming drafting.

35. The method as described in claim 34, further comprising a step of:

disabling a notification for said inactive document upon reception of said disable notification input.

36. The method as described in claim 34, further comprising a step of:

disabling said timer for said inactive document upon reception of said resuming drafting input.

37. The method as described in claim 34, further comprising steps of:

obtaining a desired period of inactivity value from said user upon reception of said second notification input; and

resetting said desired time out of said inactive document to said document list.