Displaying overlaid calendars

• US 20080115088A1
• 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: Frankel, Glenn, Leukart, Richard Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Displaying calendars may be provided. In response to a first input initiated by a user, a first calendar may be displayed comprising a user'"'"'s calendar. Next, a second calendar may be overlaid over the first calendar. The second calendar may be displayed transparently with respect to the first calendar. Then, a third calendar may be displayed beside the first calendar. The second or third calendar may each comprise an event calendar, a project calendar, or a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar. In addition, a second user initiated input may be received selecting an entry on the second calendar. In response to the received second user initiated input, the second calendar may be redisplayed not transparently with respect to the first calendar. Moreover, in response to the received second user initiated input, the first calendar may be redisplayed transparently with respect to the redisplayed second calendar.

Claims

1. A method for displaying calendars, the method comprising:

displaying a first calendar;

overlaying a second calendar over the first calendar, wherein a background of the second calendar is displayed transparently wherein information from the first calendar and the second calendar is displayed simultaneously; and

displaying a third calendar beside the first calendar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first calendar comprises displaying the first calendar comprising a user'"'"'s calendar in response to an input initiated by a user associated with the user'"'"'s calendar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein overlaying the second calendar comprises overlaying the second calendar comprising one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the third calendar comprises displaying the third calendar comprising one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user initialed input selecting a first entry from one of the following;

the second calendar and the third calendar; and

entering the selected first entry into the first calendar.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user initiated input selecting an entry on the second calendar;

redisplaying, in response to the received user initiated input, the second calendar in a foreground and the first calendar in a background.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying a fourth calendar over the first calendar and the second calendar wherein a background of the fourth calendar is displayed transparently wherein information from the first calendar, the second calendar, and the fourth calendar is displayed simultaneously.

8. A system for displaying calendars, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a first set of inputs respectively identifying a first calendar, a second calendar, and a third calendar;

receive a second input indicating two of the following calendars to overlay;

the first calendar, the second calendar, and the third calendar;

display, overlaid in a first area, the two calendars indicated by the second input; and

display, in a second area, one of the following calendars not displayed in the first area;

the first calendar, the second calendar, and the third calendar.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first calendar comprises a user'"'"'s calendar.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second calendar comprises one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the third calendar comprises one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising the processing unit being operative to:

receive a user initialed input selecting a first entry from a one of the calendars in the first area; and

enter the selected first entry into another of the calendars in the first area.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising the processing unit being operative to overlay a forth calendar in the first area.

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

providing a first area on a display, the first area configured to provide a visual comparison of a first calendar to a second calendar by overlaying the first calendar with the second calendar, the second calendar being displayed transparently with respect to the first calendar;

providing a second area on the display, the second area configured to display a third calendar, the second area configured to provide a visual comparison of the overlaid first calendar and second calendar to the third calendar by providing a side-by-side comparison of the overlaid first calendar and second calendar to the third calendar.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing the first area on the display, the first area configured to provide the visual comparison of the first calendar to the second calendar comprises providing the first area on the display wherein the first calendar comprises a user'"'"'s calendar.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing the first area on the display, the first area configured to provide the visual comparison of the first calendar to the second calendar comprises providing the first area on the display wherein the second calendar comprising one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing the second area on the display, the second area configured to display the third calendar comprises providing the second area on the display, the second area configured to display the third calendar comprising one of the following:

an event calendar, a project calendar, and a calendar of another user not associated with the first calendar.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a user initialed input selecting a first entry from one of the following;

the second calendar and the third calendar; and

entering the selected first entry into the first calendar.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a user initiated input selecting an entry on the second calendar;

redisplaying, in response to the received user initiated input, the second calendar not transparently with respect to the first calendar; and

redisplaying, in response to the received user initiated input, the first calendar transparently with respect to the redisplayed second calendar.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising overlaying a forth calendar over the first calendar and the second calendar, the forth calendar being displayed transparently with respect to the first calendar and more transparently with respect to the second calendar.