RECURRENCE DEFINITION IDENTIFICATION

• US 20070136119A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Record, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A solution for managing dates is provided, in which a recurrence definition that represents a list of dates using a recurrence rule is automatically identified. The recurrence definition may also include a set of exceptions, which account for variations from a recurring pattern in the list of dates. In one embodiment, an efficiency measure is obtained for each of various proposed recurrence definitions, and a recurrence definition that most efficiently represents the list of dates is identified. In one application, an event management (e.g., calendaring) program automatically identifies an efficient recurrence rule for a list of event occurrences.

Claims

1. A method of managing dates, the method comprising:

obtaining a list of dates; and

automatically identifying a recurrence definition that represents the list of dates using a recurrence rule.

2. The method of claim 1, the obtaining including receiving the list of dates during a synchronization operation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the recurrence definition for use by an event management system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the identified recurrence definition to an existing recurrence definition; and

replacing the existing recurrence definition with the identified recurrence definition when the identified recurrence definition is more efficient.

5. The method of claim 1, the automatically identifying including:

obtaining an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for each of a plurality of proposed recurrence definitions; and

selecting one of the plurality of proposed recurrence definitions for use as the recurrence definition based on the corresponding efficiency measures.

6. The method of claim 1, the automatically identifying including:

obtaining a set of proposed recurrence rules for the recurrence definition;

obtaining an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules and a proposed interval in a set of proposed intervals for the proposed recurrence rule; and

selecting the at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule and a proposed interval for the recurrence definition based on the efficiency measure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining a set of modifier groups for a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules, each modifier group corresponding to a unique internal modifier for the proposed recurrence rule and each modifier group including at least one of the list of dates; and

obtaining the set of proposed intervals based on at least one of the set of modifier groups.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining a likely interval;

obtaining a set of factors for the likely interval; and

including at least one of the set of factors in the set of proposed intervals.

9. A system for managing dates, the system comprising:

a system for obtaining a list of dates; and

a system for automatically identifying a recurrence definition that represents the list of dates using a recurrence rule.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a system for providing the recurrence definition for use by an event management system.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a system for comparing the identified recurrence definition to an existing recurrence definition and replacing the existing recurrence definition with the identified recurrence definition when the identified recurrence definition is more efficient.

12. The system of claim 9, the system for automatically identifying including:

a system for obtaining an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for each of a plurality of proposed recurrence definitions; and

a system for selecting one of the plurality of proposed recurrence definitions for use as the recurrence definition based on the corresponding efficiency measures.

13. The system of claim 9, the system for automatically identifying including:

a system for obtaining a set of proposed recurrence rules for the recurrence definition;

a system for obtaining an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules and a proposed interval in a set of proposed intervals for the proposed recurrence rule; and

a system for selecting the at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule and a proposed interval for the recurrence definition based on the efficiency measure.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a system for obtaining a set of modifier groups for a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules, each modifier group corresponding to a unique internal modifier for the proposed recurrence rule and each modifier group including at least one of the list of dates; and

a system for obtaining the set of proposed intervals for at least one of the set of modifier groups.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a system for obtaining a likely interval;

a system for obtaining a set of factors for the likely interval; and

a system for including at least one of the set of factors in the set of proposed intervals.

16. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to manage dates, the computer program comprising program code for enabling the computer system to:

obtain a list of dates; and

automatically identify a recurrence definition that represents the list of dates using a recurrence rule.

17. The computer program of claim 16, the program code for enabling the computer system to automatically identify enabling the computer system to:

obtain an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for each of a plurality of proposed recurrence definitions; and

select one of the plurality of proposed recurrence definitions for use as the recurrence definition based on the corresponding efficiency measure.

18. The computer program of claim 16, the program code for enabling the computer system to automatically identify enabling the computer system to:

obtain a set of proposed recurrence rules for the recurrence definition;

obtain an efficiency measure for representing the list of dates for at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules and a proposed interval in a set of proposed intervals for the proposed recurrence rule; and

select the at least one combination of a proposed recurrence rule and a proposed interval for the recurrence definition based on the efficiency measure.

19. The computer program of claim 18, further comprising program code for enabling the computer system to:

obtain a set of modifier groups for a proposed recurrence rule in the set of proposed recurrence rules, each modifier group corresponding to a unique internal modifier for the proposed recurrence rule and each modifier group including at least one of the list of dates; and

obtain the set of proposed intervals for at least one of the set of modifier groups.

20. The computer program of claim 18, further comprising program code for enabling the computer system to:

obtain a likely interval;

obtain a set of factors for the likely interval; and

include at least one of the set of factors in the set of proposed intervals.