METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING ACTIVITIES

• US 20100138788A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbins, William Stanley, WALLIS, R. TYLER
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller adapted to present a task toolbar by way of a display of the communication device, create an entry in the task toolbar, identify a party responsible for one or more tasks associated with the entry, associate the party with the entry and update the task toolbar to show by way of the display the association of the party to the entry, create one or more tasks, associate the one or more tasks with the entry of the party in the task toolbar, and synchronize one or more communication resources of the party according to the entry associated with the party and the associated one or more tasks. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising a controller adapted to:

present a task toolbar by way of a display of the communication device;

create an entry in the task toolbar;

identify a party responsible for one or more tasks associated with the entry;

associate the party with the entry and update the task toolbar to show by way of the display the association of the party to the entry;

create one or more tasks;

associate the one or more tasks with the entry of the party in the task toolbar; and

synchronize one or more communication resources of the party according to the entry associated with the party and the associated one or more tasks, the communication resources operating in one or more independently operated devices.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication resources of the party comprise at least one of a communication device and a portal.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a cordless phone providing voice and data communications by way of a base unit, and wherein the cordless phone and the base unit are communicatively coupled by way of a cordless phone protocol and a wireless data communications protocol

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein cordless phone protocol corresponds to a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) protocol, and wherein the data communications protocol corresponds to a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) protocol.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to retrieve information to identify the communication resources of the party from one of an address book or profile of the party.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

present by way of the display a user interface (UI) depicting the one or more tasks of the party;

detect a manipulation of the UI indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed or that one or more completed tasks are reinstated as pending tasks;

update the entry of the party in the task toolbar to reflect the UI manipulation; and

synchronize the one or more communication resources of the party according to the updated entry of the party.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive a signal from one of the one or more communication resources of the party indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed; and

update the entry of the party in the task toolbar to reflect the completion of the at least one task.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to associate the one or more tasks created with one or more calendar events.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a trigger of one of the one or more calendar events;

retrieve presence information associated with the party;

identify from the presence information one of the one or more communication resources; and

signal the identified communication resource of the triggered calendar event and one or more tasks associated therewith.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the signal causes the identified communication resource to assert an audible alert that informs the party of the triggered calendar event and the one or more tasks associated therewith.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the signal causes the identified communication resource to assert a visual alert that informs the party of the triggered calendar event and the one or more tasks associated therewith.

12. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to synchronize the one or more tasks and associated with the one or more calendar events with the one or more communication resources of the party.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is adapted to utilize a web-based distributed authoring and versioning protocol (WebDAV) to synchronize the one or more tasks associated with the one or more calendar events with a task or calendar system of the one or more communication resources of the party.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the portion of synchronization involving calendaring events is synchronized according to calendaring extensions to WebDAV (CalDAV).

15. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to utilize a web-based distributed authoring and versioning protocol (WebDAV) to synchronize the one or more communication resources of the party with the entry of the party in the task toolbar.

16. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device operates in at least one of an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, and an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system.

17. A method, comprising:

presenting a multiparty task toolbar;

creating in the multiparty task toolbar an entry associated with a party;

creating one or more tasks for the party;

assigning the one or more tasks to the entry of the party; and

synchronizing one or more communication resources of the party with the entry in the multiparty task toolbar associated with the party.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method operates in of a communication device or a base unit from which the communication device receives communication services, and wherein the one or more communication resources of the party comprise at least one of a wireline communication device, a wireless communication device, and a portal.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) depicting the one or more tasks of the party;

detecting a manipulation of the UI indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed or that one or more completed tasks are reinstated as pending tasks;

updating the entry of the party in the task toolbar to reflect the UI manipulation; and

synchronizing the one or more communication resources of the party according to the updated entry of the party.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving a signal from one of the one or more communication resources of the party indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed; and

updating the entry of the party in the multiparty task toolbar to reflect the completion of the at least one task.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising:

associating the one or more tasks created with one or more calendar events;

detecting a trigger of one of the one or more calendar events;

retrieving presence information associated with the party;

identifying from the presence information one of the one or more communication resources; and

signaling the identified communication resource of the triggered calendar event and one or more tasks associated therewith, wherein the signal causes the identified communication resource to assert an audible or visual alert that informs the party of the triggered calendar event and the one or more tasks associated therewith.

22. A web server operating as a portal, comprising a controller to:

present a user interface (UI) for entering tasks and calendar events;

create one or more tasks;

assign the one or more tasks to a party;

record the one or more tasks and their association to the party; and

synchronize one or more communication devices of the party with the recorded tasks.

23. The portal of claim 22, wherein the controller is adapted to:

present the UI depicting the one or more tasks of the party;

detect a manipulation of the UI indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed;

update the recorded tasks of the party to reflect the completion of the at least one task; and

synchronize the one or more communication devices of the party according to the updated tasks.

24. The portal of claim 22, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive a signal from one of the one or more communication devices of the party indicating that at least one of the one or more tasks has been completed; and

update the recorded tasks to reflect the completion of the at least one task.

25. The portal of claim 22, wherein the controller is adapted to:

associating the one or more tasks created with one or more calendar events;

detecting a trigger of one of the one or more calendar events;

retrieving presence information associated with the party;

identifying from the presence information one of the one or more communication resources; and

signaling the identified communication resource of the triggered calendar event and one or more tasks associated therewith, wherein the signal causes the identified communication resource to assert an audible or visual alert that informs the party of the triggered calendar event and the one or more tasks associated therewith.