Providing schedulable calendars electronically

• US 20070143684A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tsang, Brian, Bjordahl, Hans, Frankel, Glenn, Stillion, Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing schedulable calendars electronically. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving schedulability data. The schedulability data may comprise data indicating a user'"'"'s desire to send a schedulable calendar. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include marking calendar data as schedulable based on the schedulability data and transmitting the calendar data. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving calendar data. Also, the disclosed systems and methods may include determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable and sending a meeting request in response to determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable.

Claims

1. A method for providing a schedulable calendar, the method comprising:

receiving schedulability data;

marking calendar data as schedulable based on the schedulability data; and

transmitting the calendar data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the calendar data as schedulable comprises adding an extension property to the calendar data annotating the calendar data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting the calendar data:

receiving control data, the control data configured to indicate a portion of the calendar data a user wishes to transmit; and

filtering the calendar data based on the control data to create filtered calendar data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data comprising a first calendar selected from a plurality of calendars.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data corresponds to a time period.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data corresponds to a time period that corresponds to the user'"'"'s working hours.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data that provides one of the following:

availability only, limited details, and full details.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the filtered calendar data comprises transmitting the filtered calendar data in a first format and in a second format.

9. A method for providing a schedulable calendar, the method comprising:

receiving calendar data;

determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable; and

sending a meeting request in response to determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable, providing a user interface configured to display, based on the calendar data, at least of the following:

free time, busy time, tentative time, and out-of-the-office time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the meeting request comprises sending the meeting request including a meeting time and duration provided by the user interface.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the calendar data is marked as schedulable further comprises determining a user to whom the calendar data schedulable.

13. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing schedulable calendars, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving schedulability data;

marking calendar data as schedulable based on the schedulability data; and

transmitting the calendar data.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein marking the calendar data as schedulable comprises adding an extension property to the calendar data annotating the calendar data.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising, prior to transmitting the calendar data:

receiving control data, the control data configured to indicate a portion of the calendar data a user wishes to transmit; and

filtering the calendar data based on the control data to create filtered calendar data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data comprising a first calendar selected from a plurality of calendars.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data corresponds to a time period.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data corresponds to a time period that corresponds to the user'"'"'s working hours.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving the control data comprises receiving the control data configured to indicate the portion of the calendar data the user wishes to transmit wherein the control data indicates the portion of the calendar data that provides one of the following:

availability only, limited details, and full details.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein transmitting the filtered calendar data comprises transmitting the filtered calendar data in a first format and in a second format.