Method, computer program product and apparatus for capturing inexact date information

• US 20080183780A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Dawn Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mckesson Information Solutions Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Constantine, Larry, Strope, Jeannine Aloe, Amabile, Mimi
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, computer program product and apparatus are provided for capturing inexact date information. In particular, a sophisticated date entry mechanism is provided that is capable of receiving, as input, date information associated with not only exact dates, but also “fuzzy” (i.e., partial or approximate) dates including, for example, “August of 2006,” or “about the first of June in the year 1996.” This date information may be input via any combination of a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, or other input element, and in a plurality of different formats, including, for example, a plain language description of the exact or fuzzy date, and/or a relative description of the date. Once the date information has been received, the date entry mechanism is capable of determining in which format the date information was provided, and determining a date corresponding with the date information based on this format.

Claims

1. A method of capturing inexact date information, said method comprising:

receiving inexact date information;

determining a format associated with the inexact date information; and

determining a date corresponding to the inexact date information based at least in part on the format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the format comprises a combination of one or more of a partial date, an approximate date, a plain language date description, or a relative date description.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the format comprises a plain language date description, determining a date corresponding to the inexact date information comprises interpreting the plain language date description.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if the format comprises a relative date description, determining a date corresponding to the inexact date information comprises calculating the date based at least in part on the relative date description.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the date determined comprises a partial or an approximate date.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the date determined such that the date may be confirmed.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the date determined in a storage format that enables the date to be considered relative to at least one previous or subsequent date determined, wherein the at least one previous or subsequent date determined comprises an exact, partial or approximate date.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

creating a chronological history comprising the date and the at least one previous or subsequent date determined.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving inexact date information comprises receiving the inexact date information via at least one of a keyboard, a mouse or a microphone.

10. A computer program product for capturing inexact date information, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving inexact date information;

a second executable portion for determining a format associated with the inexact date information; and

a third executable portion for determining a date corresponding to the inexact date information based at least in part on the format.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the format comprises a combination of one or more of a partial date, an approximate date, a plain language date description, or a relative date description.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the format comprises a plain language date description, the third executable portion is configured to interpret the plain language date description.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the format comprises a relative date description, the third executable portion is configured to calculate the date based at least in part on the relative date description.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the date determined comprises a partial or an approximate date.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for displaying the date determined such that the date may be confirmed.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for storing the date determined in a storage format that enables the date to be considered relative to at least one previous or subsequent date determined, wherein the at least one previous or subsequent date determined comprises an exact, partial or approximate date.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fifth executable portion for creating a chronological history comprising the date and the at least one previous or subsequent date determined.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first executable portion is configured to receive the inexact date information via at least one of a keyboard, a mouse or a microphone.

19. An apparatus for capturing inexact date information, said apparatus comprising:

an input element for receiving inexact date information;

a processor in communication with the input element; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing an application executable by the processor, said application configured, upon execution, to determine a format associated with the inexact date information, and determine a date corresponding to the inexact date information based at least in part on the format.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the format comprises a combination of one or more of a partial date, an approximate date, a plain language date description, or a relative date description.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein if the format comprises a plain language date description, in order to determine a date corresponding to the inexact date information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to interpret the plain language date description.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein if the format comprises a relative date description, in order to determine a date corresponding to the inexact date information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to calculate the date based at least in part on the relative date description.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the date determined comprises a partial or an approximate date.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a display in communication with the processor and configured to display the date determined such that the date may be confirmed.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the memory further stores the date determined in a storage format that enables the date to be considered relative to at least one previous or subsequent date determined, wherein the at least one previous or subsequent date determined comprises an exact, partial or approximate date.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to create a chronological history comprising the date and the at least one previous or subsequent date determined.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the input element comprises at least one of a keyboard, a mouse or a microphone.