System and method for managing data within a calendaring framework

• US 20070033085A1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Johnson
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Described are methods and mechanisms for managing data within a calendaring framework. The method includes receiving task data, which is distributed into one or more tasks associated with a category, and receiving time slot data, which defines one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associates each category with at least one time slot. The method additionally includes determining a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on a task prioritization value, and determining a location for each action item within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on the task location determination, an action item prioritization value, and an estimated completion time. The method further includes populating the time slots within the calendaring framework with the action items based on the action item location determination.

Claims

1. A method for managing data within a calendaring framework, comprising:

receiving task data including at least one category having a category priority, the category comprising at least one task having a task priority, the task comprising at least one action item having an action item priority;

receiving time slot data that defines a time slot within the calendaring framework;

associating the time slot with a corresponding category; and

automatically populating the time slot with each constituent action item of each constituent task of the corresponding category, the populating being performed based on the action item priority and the task priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the task data further comprises a plurality of categories, each category in the plurality having a relative category priority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each category in the plurality further comprises a plurality of tasks, each task for each category having a relative priority within the category.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each task in the plurality of tasks further comprises a plurality of action items, each action item for each task having a relative priority within the task.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving time slot data comprises receiving information via a user interface that defines a time span on a calendar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically populating the time slot is performed in response to a user-initiated operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein populating the time slot comprises scheduling each action item in forward temporal order in descending order of priority.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the populating is performed based further on an estimated completion time for the action item.

9. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program to manage data within a calendaring framework, comprising:

computer-readable code to receive task data, the task data distributed into one or more tasks associated with a category wherein each task includes a task prioritization value, the task data further including a listing of one or more action items wherein each action item includes an action item prioritization value;

computer-readable code to receive time slot data from a user interface, the time slot data defining one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associating each category with at least one time slot;

computer-readable code to determine a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, the location based on the task prioritization value;

computer-readable code to determine a location for each action item within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, the location based on the task location determination and the action item prioritization value assigned by the user interface; and

computer-readable code to populate the time slots within the calendaring framework with the action items based on the action item location determination.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein each action item includes as associated estimated completion time, and wherein the action item location determination is further based on the associated estimated completion time.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

computer-readable code to receive modified time slot data from the user interface; and

computer-readable code to modify the exclusive associations of a category with the time slots based on reception of the modified time slot data.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

computer-readable code to receive modified task data from the user interface;

computer-readable code to modify the task prioritization value associated with each task based on the modified task data; and

computer-readable code to modify the action item prioritization value associated with each action item based on the modified task data.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising computer-readable code to display the populated calendaring framework on a user interface.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable code to determine a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to determine time slot availability;

computer-readable code to determine from the available tasks the task having the highest priority based on the task prioritization value; and

computer-readable code to assign the task having the highest task prioritization value to the available time slot.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable code to determine a location for each action item within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to determine time slot availability;

computer-readable code to determine from the available action items the action item having the highest priority based on the action item prioritization value; and

computer-readable code to assign the action item having the highest action item prioritization value to the available time slot.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable code to determine a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to identify a time slot associated with a category; and

computer-readable code to assign the task having the highest task prioritization value to the identified time slot.

17. A method of providing a calendaring framework, comprising:

providing task data distributed into one or more tasks associated with a category wherein each task includes a task prioritization value, each task including a listing of one or more action items, each action item including an action item prioritization value and an estimated completion time;

providing time slot data, the time slot data defining one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associating each category with at least one time slot; and

receiving a populated calendaring framework that is populated with action items based on an action item location determination, the action item location determination determining a location for each action item within the one or more time slots associated with the same category based on the action item prioritization value and the estimated completion time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the estimated completion time comprises a default value associated with the task data.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing modified time slot data; and

receiving a modified populated calendaring framework based on the modified time slot data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing modified task data; and

receiving a modified populated calendaring framework based on the modified task data.