ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT OF CROSS-PLATFORM CALENDARS

• US 20100162105A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kier, Tom, Dellinger, Rich, Duarte, Matias, Beebe, Matthew Earl
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A system is disclosed for users to manage calendars in mobile computing devices. The system retrieves calendar entries from multiple calendars of distinct calendar platforms, extracts event information from the retrieved calendar entries, and aggregates extracted event information. The system can simultaneously display calendar entries extracted from multiple calendars of distinct platforms. The system provides various features for users to operate the calendars, such as (1) hiding calendar entries from some calendars and visually distinguishing the time scheduled for the hidden entries from free time; (2) compressing the display of extended free time periods; and enabling users to (3) navigate time as a scrolling list not subject to the limitations of arbitrary calendar units (e.g., month, week).

Claims

1. A method, executed by a computing device, for displaying calendar entries on a screen of the computing device, the method comprising:

identifying a first calendar entry from a first calendar of a first calendar platform, the first calendar entry being scheduled at a first time period;

identifying a second calendar entry from a second calendar of a second calendar platform, the second calendar platform distinct from the first calendar platform, the second calendar entry being scheduled at a second time period;

displaying a calendar grid on the screen for user viewing, wherein a section of the calendar grid corresponding to the first time period is displayed in a pattern that is visually distinctive from a pattern of another section of the calendar grid; and

displaying the second calendar entry on a section of the calendar grid corresponding to the second time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the first calendar entry from the first calendar of the first calendar platform and the second calendar entry from the second calendar of the second calendar platform; and

extracting event information from the first calendar entry and the second calendar entry, the event information including the first time period and the second time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user attempt to schedule an event at a third time period, the third time period at least partially overlaps with the first time period; and

responsive to the user attempt, display information about the first calendar entry.

4. A method, executed by a computing device, for displaying calendar entries on a screen of the computing device, the method comprising:

identifying a first time period within which no calendar entry is scheduled in a calendar;

identifying a calendar entry in the calendar, the calendar entry being scheduled at a second time period;

displaying a calendar grid on the screen for user viewing, wherein a first section of the calendar grid corresponding to the first time period is displayed in a pattern that is visually distinctive from a pattern of another section of the calendar grid; and

displaying the calendar entry on a second section of the calendar grid corresponding to the second time period, wherein a ratio of a dimension of the second section to a duration of the second time period is larger than a ratio of the dimension of the first section to a duration of the first time period.

5. The method of 4, wherein displaying the calendar grid further comprises:

displaying the calendar grid on the screen for user viewing, wherein responsive to the first time period exceeding a threshold, the first section of the calendar grid corresponding to the first time period is displayed in the pattern that is visually distinctive from the pattern of another section of the calendar grid.

6. The method of 4, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a user input, displaying the calendar grid for user viewing, wherein the ratio of the dimension of the second section to the duration of the second time period equals the ratio of the dimension of the first section to the duration of the first time period.

7. A method, executed by a computing device, for displaying calendar entries on a screen of the computing device, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of calendar units for display based on a user preference;

displaying calendar entries scheduled during the plurality of calendar units on the screen for user viewing;

receiving a user input for viewing undisplayed calendar units; and

responsive to the user input, modifying the displayed calendar entries, comprising;

identifying an undisplayed neighboring calendar unit adjacent to one of the plurality of calendar units,

updating the plurality of calendar units by using the undisplayed neighboring calendar unit to replace a calendar unit not adjacent to the undisplayed neighboring calendar unit, and

displaying calendar entries scheduled during the updated plurality of calendar units on the screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the calendar units comprise weeks, wherein displaying the calendar entries comprises displaying the calendar entries in a monthly view, and wherein the undisplayed neighboring calendar unit and the replaced calendar unit are two weeks in different months.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the calendar units comprise days, wherein displaying the calendar entries comprises displaying the calendar entries in a weekly view, and wherein the undisplayed neighboring calendar unit and the replaced calendar unit are two days in neighboring weeks.