Integrating Rich Media Into A Web-Based Calendar

• US 20090100332A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Chinhao D., Kanjilal, Arup
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/235
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/06 with silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/284 Lexical analysis, e.g. tokenisation or collocates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Techniques are provided for integrating rich media into a scalable, multi-user, web-based calendar system having multiple interconnected web-based interfaces. Rich media refers to digital media that exhibit either, or a combination, of dynamic or interactive properties, including video content, audio content, graphical content, hyperlinks, or browser-based applications to such content, that are associated with a particular calendar event. Rich media events are created and stored in a central repository, and are accessible for adding to users'"'"' own calendar events. Rich media calendar events include display templates that define display characteristics for the rich media calendar event. Display templates also provide rich media applications for rendering and displaying the rich media content in the event. Delivery schedules are employed to automatically control the display of rich media calendar events.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method that performs machine-executed operations, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a calendar event in a calendar system, wherein said calendar event includes at least;

rich media content, wherein said rich media content comprises at least a rich media object that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a rich media object that is stored external to said calendar event; and

display template information, wherein said display template information comprises at least a display template that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a display template that is stored external to said calendar event;

receiving a request to add said calendar event to a first set of user data that is associated with a first user;

in response to said request to add said calendar event, adding said calendar event to said first set of user data;

after said calendar event is added to said set of user data, receiving a request to present said calendar event; and

in response to said request to present said calendar event, presenting said calendar event in a calendar display interface based at least in part on said display template information that is included in said calendar event.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said rich media object associated with said rich media content is one of:

video content;

audio content;

dynamic graphical content;

interactive graphical content;

or

an interactive application.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to add said calendar event to a second set of user data that is associated with a second user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to add a feed of calendar events to a particular set of user data;

determining a set of calendar events that are included in said feed of calendar events; and

adding said feed of calendar events to said set of user data.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said request to add said feed of calendar events was submitted as a response to an interactive message that was presented to a user to solicit said user to add said feed of calendar events.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

when modifications are made to said calendar event that is stored in said calendar system, automatically updating said calendar event that is added to said first set of user data with said modifications.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

automatically sending said user a message indicating that said calendar event that is added to said first set of user data is updated with said modifications.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said calendar system maintains a list of users who have added a particular calendar event, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to remove said particular calendar event from said calendar system; and

removing all copies of said particular calendar event from one or more sets of user data that is associated with each of said users included in said list of users.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said calendar system maintains a list of users who have added a particular calendar event, and further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a reminder schedule for said particular calendar event; and

sending a reminder message to each of said users included in said list of users, wherein said reminder message is associated with display template information, and said reminder message is presented to a user based in part on said display template information.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least data that defines physical display characteristics of said calendar event.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least a rich media display application.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least one or more of instructions in the form of HTML, Javascript, or CSS.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said calendar display interface is embedded within a different interface, and wherein said presenting said calendar event in said calendar display interface does not require reloading said different interface.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said display template information comprises a first display template and a second display template, and further comprising the steps of:

presenting said particular calendar event according to said first display template when said different interface is an electronic mail interface; and

presenting said particular calendar event according to said second display template when said different interface is a calendar view.

15. A computer-implemented method that performs machine-executed operations, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a calendar event in a calendar system, wherein said calendar event includes at least;

rich media content, wherein said rich media content comprises at least a rich media object that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a rich media object that is stored external to said calendar event; and

one or more delivery schedule information, wherein said delivery schedule information comprises at least a delivery schedule that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a delivery schedule that is stored external to said calendar event; and

determining, based on said delivery schedule information, whether one or more of said rich media content is currently active;

if said rich media content is currently active, then displaying said rich media content;

if said rich media content is currently inactive, then preventing displaying said rich media content.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining that one or more calendar events share said delivery schedule information;

determining, based on said delivery schedule, a set of active calendar events from said one or more calendar events, and adding said set of active calendar events to at least one set of user data; and

determining, based on said delivery schedule, a set of inactive calendar events from said one or more calendar events, and removing all copies of each of said set of inactive calendar events from at least one set of user data.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of preventing displaying said rich media content includes presenting said calendar event as a text calendar event.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said delivery schedule information indicates which of either a first rich media content or a second rich media content to display at a particular time, and based on said delivery schedule information, displaying either of said first rich media content or second rich media content.

19. A machine-readable storage medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

storing a calendar event in a calendar system, wherein said calendar event includes at least;

rich media content, wherein said rich media content comprises at least a rich media object that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a rich media object that is stored external to said calendar event; and

display template information, wherein said display template information comprises at least a display template that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a display template that is stored external to said calendar event;

receiving a request to add said calendar event to a first set of user data that is associated with a first user;

in response to said request to add said calendar event, adding said calendar event to said first set of user data;

after said calendar event is added to said set of user data, receiving a request to present said calendar event; and

in response to said request to present said calendar event, presenting said calendar event in a calendar display interface based at least in part on said display template information that is included in said calendar event.

20. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said rich media object associated with said rich media content is one of:

video content;

audio content;

dynamic graphical content;

interactive graphical content;

or

an interactive application.

21. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, further causing receiving a request to add said calendar event to a second set of user data that is associated with a second user.

22. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, further causing:

receiving a request to add a feed of calendar events to a particular set of user data;

determining a set of calendar events that are included in said feed of calendar events; and

adding said feed of calendar events to said set of user data.

23. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, wherein said request to add said feed of calendar events was submitted as a response to an interactive message that was presented to a user to solicit said user to add said feed of calendar events.

24. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, further causing:

when modifications are made to said calendar event that is stored in said calendar system, automatically updating said calendar event that is added to said first set of user data with said modifications.

25. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, further causing:

automatically sending said user a message indicating that said calendar event that is added to said first set of user data is updated with said modifications.

26. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said calendar system maintains a list of users who have added a particular calendar event, and further causing:

receiving a request to remove said particular calendar event from said calendar system; and

removing all copies of said particular calendar event from one or more sets of user data that is associated with each of said users included in said list of users.

27. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said calendar system maintains a list of users who have added a particular calendar event, and further causing:

maintaining a reminder schedule for said particular calendar event; and

sending a reminder message to each of said users included in said list of users, wherein said reminder message is associated with display template information, and said reminder message is presented to a user based in part on said display template information.

28. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least data that defines physical display characteristics of said calendar event.

29. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least a rich media display application.

30. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein each of said one of more display templates that is associated with said display template information includes at least one or more of instructions in the form of HTML, Javascript, or CSS.

31. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said calendar display interface is embedded within a different interface, and wherein said presenting said calendar event in said calendar display interface does not require reloading said different interface.

32. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 31, wherein said display template information comprises a first display template and a second display template, and further causing:

presenting said particular calendar event according to said first display template when said different interface is an electronic mail interface; and

presenting said particular calendar event according to said second display template when said different interface is a calendar view.

33. A machine-readable storage medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

storing a calendar event in a calendar system, wherein said calendar event includes at least;

rich media content, wherein said rich media content comprises at least a rich media object that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a rich media object that is stored external to said calendar event; and

one or more delivery schedule information, wherein said delivery schedule information comprises at least a delivery schedule that is included within said calendar event, or a reference to a delivery schedule that is stored external to said calendar event; and

determining, based on said delivery schedule information, whether one or more of said rich media content is currently active;

if said rich media content is currently active, then displaying said rich media content;

if said rich media content is currently inactive, then preventing displaying said rich media content.

34. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, further causing:

determining that one or more calendar events share said delivery schedule information;

determining, based on said delivery schedule, a set of active calendar events from said one or more calendar events, and adding said set of active calendar events to at least one set of user data; and

determining, based on said delivery schedule, a set of inactive calendar events from said one or more calendar events, and removing all copies of each of said set of inactive calendar events from at least one set of user data.

35. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the step of preventing displaying said rich media content includes presenting said calendar event as a text calendar event.

36. The machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein said delivery schedule information indicates which of either a first rich media content or a second rich media content to display at a particular time, and further causing:

based on said delivery schedule information, displaying either of said first rich media content or second rich media content.