Calendar rule definition, ranking, and expansion

• US 20060149609A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chiknavaryan, Stanislav, Baimetov, Ilya, Stenerson, Derik B., Pardo, Ehud, Ott, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/026,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The method may include providing at least one primary calendar, providing a plurality of calendar rules, each of the plurality of rules comprising a rank and a rule-scope. The method may also include providing a representation of the primary calendar and the plurality of calendar rules, and allowing expansion of the representation of the plurality of calendar rules.

Claims

1. A method for calendaring, comprising:

providing at least one primary calendar;

providing a plurality of calendar rules, each of the plurality of rules comprising a rank and a rule-scope;

providing a representation of the primary calendar and the plurality of calendar rules; and

allowing expansion of the representation of the plurality of calendar rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of calendar rules defines at least one nested calendar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one nested calendar comprises calendar rules.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one nested calendar contains no calendar rules, and wherein the at least one nested calendar without calendar rules returns a block of time.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the plurality of calendar rules modifies the rule-scope of the calendar rules of the at least one nested calendar.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a transparency property to the plurality of calendar rules wherein a first transparency property indicates a calendar rule that modifies a runtime scope and a second transparency property that indicates a calendar rule that does not modify the runtime scope.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of one of the plurality of calendar rules returns a series of time blocks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the expansion of the plurality of calendar rules occurs in order of rank.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein expanding the representation of the plurality of calendar rules further comprises expansion of the calendar rule within at least one of its entire rule-scope and a user-defined rule-scope.

10. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for calendaring, comprising:

computer executable instructions for providing at least one primary calendar;

computer executable instructions for providing a plurality of calendar rules where the calendar rules comprise a rank and a rule-scope;

computer executable instructions for providing a representation of the primary calendar and the plurality of calendar rules; and

computer executable instructions for allowing expansion of the representation of the plurality of calendar rules.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of calendar rules defines at least one nested calendar.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one nested calendar comprises calendar rules.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one nested calendar contains no calendar rules, and wherein the at least one nested calendar without calendar rules returns a block of time.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the plurality of calendar rules modifies the rule-scope of the calendar rules of the at least one nested calendar.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing a transparency property to the plurality of calendar rules wherein a first transparency property indicates a calendar rule that modifies a runtime scope and a second transparency property that indicates a calendar rule that does not modify the runtime scope.

16. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a display unit that is capable of generating video images;

an input device;

a processing apparatus operatively coupled to said display unit and said input device, said processing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor;

a network interface connected to a network and to the processing apparatus;

said processing apparatus being programmed to provide at least one primary calendar;

said processing apparatus being programmed to provide a plurality of calendar rules, each of the plurality of calendar rules comprising a rank and a rule-scope;

said processing apparatus being programmed to provide a representation of the primary calendar and the plurality of calendar rules; and

said processing apparatus being programmed to allow expansion of the representation of the plurality of calendar rules.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of calendar rules defines at least one nested calendar.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one nested calendar comprises calendar rules.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one nested calendar contains no calendar rules, and wherein the at least one nested calendar without calendar rules returns a block of time.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one of the plurality of calendar rules modifies the rule-scope of the calendar rules of the at least one nested calendar.