Presenting daily task lists

• US 20080114809A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Leukart, Richard Henry, MacBeth, Melissa, Leung, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 10,489,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A range of dates is selected. For each date of the range of dates, a daily task list is displayed listing at least a portion of tasks having a start date or a due date matching the date. A user selection determines whether the daily task list includes only tasks having the start date or the due date for each date in the range of dates, or includes any task completed on each date. Appointments for each date in the range of dates may be presented, and the daily task list for each date may be displayed beneath, above, or alongside the appointments, or as part of a to do list. The tasks each may be assigned a color code allowing a task to be visually associated with another task or other object to which the color code also has been assigned.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a range of dates including at least one selected date for which tasks are to be displayed; and

displaying a daily task list for each date in the range of dates, wherein the daily task list includes tasks having one of a start date and a due date matching each date in the range of dates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a user selection determines whether the daily task list includes only the tasks having the start date or the due date matching each date in the range of dates.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the user selection further comprises specifying display of completed tasks causing any task marked as having been completed on each date of the range of dates to be displayed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a schedule of appointments for the range of dates including the at least one selected date, wherein displaying the daily task list for each date of the range of dates includes displaying the daily task list one of:

beneath the schedule of appointments;

above the schedule of appointments; and

alongside the schedule of appointments.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the daily task list for each date of the range of dates includes displaying the daily task list as part of a to do list the range of dates wherein each of a plurality of daily task lists is presented under a heading associating each of the daily task lists with each date of the range of dates.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating the daily task, including at least one of:

modifying an existing task by selecting the existing task and entering information in the existing task; and

creating a new task by selecting a location in the daily task where no existing task appears and entering information in the location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the daily task list is included in a task bar allowing the user to at least one of:

size the task bar to adjust display room available to display the daily task list;

collapse the task bar to a bar displaying at least one of a number of completed tasks, a number of active tasks, and a total number of tasks;

when the task bar is collapsed, invoke a pop-up window showing contents of the daily task list allowing the user to manipulate the tasks; and

scroll the task bar to view one or more tasks included in the portion of the tasks not previously displayed in the daily task list.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising allowing each of the plurality of tasks to be assigned a color code, the color code allowing a task to be visually identifiable in association with at least one of:

a topic that is associated with the color code;

at least one other task to which the color code also has been assigned;

an appointment to which the color code also has been assigned; and

a contact identifying at least one of a person or organization to which the color code also has been assigned.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising allowing dragging of a chosen task appearing in the daily task list to a destination including at least one of:

a target daily task list for a target date, wherein the chosen task becomes associated with the target daily task for the target date; and

a target schedule of appointments for a target date, wherein a target appointment is created, and the chosen task and the target appointment are associated with each other.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising allowing flagging of a chosen object, wherein flagging the entry results in one of creating a new task to appear in a daily task list for a date on which the chosen entry was flagged and causing the flagged task to appear in the daily task list, wherein the chosen object includes one of

a contact entry identifying at least one of a person or an organization;

an e-mail;

a note;

a document; and

an appointment.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

maintaining a plurality of tasks entered by a user, each of the tasks being assigned at least one specified date;

responding to a command to display at least one selected date from a calendar of the user;

for the selected date, identifying any matching tasks within the plurality of tasks for which the assigned date matches the selected date; and

displaying at least a portion of any of the matching tasks in a daily task list correlated with the selected date.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the specified date includes including at least one of a start date and a due date.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising allowing the user to select a task view including at least one of:

a start date view that identifies any task for which the assigned date includes a start date matching the selected date for inclusion in the daily task list;

a due date view that identifies any task for which the assigned date includes a due date matching the selected date for inclusion in the daily task list; and

a completed tasks view that identifies any tasks marked as having been completed on the selected date for inclusion in the daily task list for the selected date.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein displaying the daily task list correlated with the selected date includes presenting the daily task list for the selected date adjacent to a schedule of appointments, including displaying the daily task list one of:

beneath the schedule of appointments;

above the schedule of appointments;

alongside the schedule of appointments; and

as part of a to do list for a plurality of selected dates wherein each of the daily task lists is presented under a heading identifying the selected date for each of the daily task lists.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the daily task list is included in a task bar allowing the user to at least one of:

size the task bar to adjust display room available to display the daily task list;

collapse the task bar to a bar displaying at least one of a number of completed tasks, a number of active tasks, and a total number of tasks;

when the task bar is collapsed, invoke a pop-up window showing contents of the daily task list allowing the user to manipulate the tasks; and

scroll the task bar to view one or more tasks not accommodated in the portion of the of the matching tasks already displayed in correlation with the selected date.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising allowing each of the plurality of tasks to be assigned a color code, the color code allowing a task to be visually identifiable in association with at least one of:

a topic that is associated with the color code;

at least one other tasks to which the color code also has been assigned;

an appointment to which the color code also has been assigned; and

a contact identifying at least one of a person or organization to which the color code also has been assigned.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising allowing dragging of a chosen task appearing in the daily task list for the selected date to a destination including at least one of:

a target daily task list for a target date, wherein the chosen task is associated with the target daily task for the target date; and

a target schedule of appointments for a target date, wherein a target appointment is created, and the chosen task and the target appointment are associated with each other.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising allowing flagging of a chosen entry, wherein flagging the entry results in one of creating a new task to appear in a daily task list for a date on which the chosen entry was flagged and causing the flagged task to appear in the daily task list, wherein the chosen object includes one of

a contact entry identifying at least one of a person or an organization;

an e-mail;

a note; and

a document.

19. A user interface for a computer system, comprising:

a calendar section listing a schedule of appointments for a range of dates including at least one selected date from a user'"'"'s calendar; and

a task section including a daily task list corresponding with each date of the range of dates, wherein for each date the daily task list;

includes at least a portion of tasks having one of a start date and a due date matching the selected date; and

is aligned with the schedule of appointments for the selected date.

20. The user interface of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of color codes assignable to a plurality of objects presented by the user interface, wherein assignment of a selected color code visually identifies the object as being related to at least one of:

a topic that is associated with the color code; and

at least one other object wherein the object includes one of;

an e-mail;

an appointment;

a task; and

a contact.