Electronic Calendar with Message Receiver

• US 20080215990A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sellen, Abigail, Harper, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

It is difficult to effectively manage an electronic calendar that is shared by a group of people such as family members. This is achieved by enabling users to send messages to an electronic calendar apparatus. The messages are received and stored at the apparatus and may be viewed by a user such as a mother of a family. A graphical user interface at the calendar apparatus provides a calendar and a message receiver region. A user is able to edit the calendar using information from the messages and in some examples may move or copy message indicators into the calendar from the message receiver region. In some examples, the calendar may only be edited by user input received directly at the calendar apparatus rather than from a remote location. The calendar apparatus may be provided in a protective housing to enable the apparatus to be used in a domestic kitchen.

Claims

1. A method at an electronic calendar apparatus the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a calendar and a message receiver graphical user interface both visible simultaneously in the same display;

receiving at least one message and storing that message;

displaying a message indicator at the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message;

receiving user input at the message receiver graphical user interface, that user input being associated with the displayed message indicator;

presenting content of the received message;

only allowing editing of the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus without having been communicated from an entity remote to the calendar apparatus.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein which comprises receiving the message from a location remote of the electronic calendar apparatus.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process of receiving and storing a message comprises receiving and storing a message of a type selected from any of:

email, voice message, short message service.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process of displaying a message indicator comprises displaying an icon of a type associated with a type of the received message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises receiving user input made locally at the graphical user interface, that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging that message indicator into the calendar.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises providing a subscriber identification module at the electronic calendar apparatus.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 which further comprises displaying a telephone number at the graphical user interface that telephone number being associated with the electronic calendar apparatus.

8. A method at an electronic calendar apparatus the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a calendar and a message receiver graphical user interface both visible simultaneously in the same display;

receiving at least one message;

storing the message;

displaying a message indicator at the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message;

receiving user input at the message receiver graphical user interface, that user input being associated with the displayed message indicator;

presenting content of the received message;

receiving user input at the graphical user interface, that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and moving that message indicator into the calendar; and

storing the message indicator in the calendar on the basis of that user input.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 which comprises only allowing storing of the message indicator in the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus without that user input having been communicated from an entity remote from the calendar apparatus.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the process of receiving a message comprises receiving any of an email, a voice message and a short message service message.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 which further comprises displaying a telephone number of the subscriber identification module at the graphical user interface.

12. An electronic calendar apparatus comprising:

a display arranged to display a graphical user interface comprising a calendar and a message receiver graphical user interface;

a processor arranged to provide the graphical user interface;

a message receiver arranged to receiving at least one message;

a memory arranged to store received messages;

the processor being arranged to display a message indicator at the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message;

the processor being arranged to provide the message receiver graphical user interface such that it is able to present content of a received message;

the processor being arranged to only allow editing of the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus without having been communicated from an entity remote of the calendar apparatus.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the processor is arranged to provide the graphical user interface such that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging of that message indicator into the calendar is enabled.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the memory is also arranged to store message indicators in the calendar and wherein the calendar is arranged to present content of messages associated with message indicators stored therein.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the message receiver is arranged to receive any one or more of email, short message service messages and voice messages.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises one or more loudspeakers arranged to play any sound recordings received as part of a message.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises one or more microphones arranged to record voice messages for adding to the calendar.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises a transmitter arranged to send reminders from the calendar to other entities.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which comprises a tablet personal computer having a subscriber identification module and a GPRS card.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which is provided in a protective housing suitable for enabling use of the apparatus in a domestic kitchen.