AUTOMATED SCHEDULING OF TO-DO ITEMS WITHIN A CALENDAR

• US 20100169146A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Redican, Ronan, Joyce, Declan, Hoyne, Ronan, Zimmet, Carol S.
• Application Number:
  US12/346,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169146A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of task scheduling can include receiving an input from a user, wherein the input specifies a task comprising a due date and determining whether the task includes supplemental scheduling information. When the task does not include supplemental scheduling information, a first calendar event corresponding to the task can be created and stored within memory within a calendar of the user scheduled on the date. When the task does specify supplemental scheduling information, at least a first calendar event corresponding to the task can be created and stored, within memory, within a calendar of the user scheduled according to the date and the supplemental scheduling information. Calendar events created for a task that conflict with other calendar events can be dynamically rescheduled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of task scheduling, the method comprising:

receiving an input from a user, wherein the input specifies a task comprising a date;

determining whether the task comprises supplemental scheduling information;

when the task does not comprise supplemental scheduling information, creating and storing, within memory, a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled on the date; and

when the task does comprise supplemental scheduling information, creating and storing, within memory, at least a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled according to the date and the supplemental scheduling information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the task comprises supplemental scheduling information comprising a number of days and a number of hours assigned to the task, the method further comprising creating and storing a plurality of calendar events corresponding to the task within the calendar of the user scheduled according to the date, the number of days, and the number of hours assigned to the task.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to scheduling a second calendar event that is not associated with a task and that conflicts with the first calendar event, rescheduling at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein rescheduling at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event further comprises:

determining an alternative time slot to reschedule the first calendar event; and

rescheduling at least a portion of the first calendar event in the alternative time slot.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising visually distinguishing each calendar event that is generated from a task from calendar events that are not generated from a task upon a display.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input requesting a hold in scheduling any calendar event corresponding to the task; and

only scheduling a calendar event for the task responsive to a further user input releasing the hold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a priority level to each of a plurality of tasks; and

scheduling each of the plurality of task, within the calendar of the user, according to the priority level of the task, wherein higher priority tasks are scheduled before lower priority tasks.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising responsive to receiving an invitation to a second calendar event that conflicts with the first calendar event, wherein the first calendar event is a high priority event, notifying the user that at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event is being rescheduled by accepting the invitation.

9. A system for performing task scheduling comprising:

a memory comprising computer-usable program code;

a processor, executing the computer-usable program code, wherein the processor;

receives an input from a user, wherein the input specifies a task comprising a date;

determines whether the task comprises supplemental scheduling information;

when the task does not comprise supplemental scheduling information, creates and stores, within memory, a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled on the date within memory; and

when the task does comprise supplemental scheduling information, creates and stores, within memory, at least a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled according to the date and the supplemental scheduling information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the task comprises supplemental scheduling information comprising a number of days and a number of hours assigned to the task, wherein the processor creates and stores a plurality of calendar events corresponding to the task within the calendar of the user scheduled according to the date, the number of days, and the number of hours assigned to the task.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor, responsive to scheduling a second calendar event that is not associated with a task and that conflicts with the first calendar event, reschedules at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor visually distinguishes each calendar event that is generated from a task from calendar events that are not generated from a task upon a display.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor:

receives a user input requesting a hold in scheduling any calendar event corresponding to the task; and

only schedules a calendar event for the task responsive to a further user input releasing the hold.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor:

assigns a priority level to each of a plurality of tasks; and

schedules each of the plurality of task, within the calendar of the user, according to the priority level of the task, wherein higher priority tasks are scheduled before lower priority tasks.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that, when executed by a computer, schedules tasks, the computer-usable medium comprising;

computer-usable program code that receives an input from a user, wherein the input specifies a task comprising a date;

computer-usable program code that determines whether the task comprises supplemental scheduling information;

computer-usable program code that, when the task does not comprise supplemental scheduling information, creates and stores, within memory, a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled on the date; and

computer-usable program code that, when the task does comprise supplemental scheduling information, creates and stores, within memory, at least a first calendar event corresponding to the task within a calendar of the user scheduled according to the date and the supplemental scheduling information.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the task comprises supplemental scheduling information comprising a number of days and a number of hours assigned to the task, the computer-usable medium further comprising computer-usable program code that creates and stores a plurality of calendar events corresponding to the task within the calendar of the user scheduled according to the date, the number of days, and the number of hours assigned to the task.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer-usable medium further comprising computer-usable program code that, responsive to scheduling a second calendar event that is not associated with a task and that conflicts with the first calendar event, reschedules at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein computer-usable program code that reschedules at least a portion of the first calendar event that conflicts with the second calendar event further comprises:

computer-usable program code that determines an alternative time slot to reschedule the first calendar event; and

computer-usable program code that reschedules at least a portion of the first calendar event in the alternative time slot.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer-usable medium further comprising computer-usable program code that visually distinguishes each calendar event that is generated from a task from calendar events that are not generated from a task upon a display.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer-usable medium further comprising:

computer-usable program code that receives a user input requesting a hold in scheduling any calendar event corresponding to the task; and

computer-usable program code that only schedules a calendar event for the task responsive to a further user input releasing the hold.