INTELLIGENT HYPERLINKING OF DATES IN TEXT

• US 20100228753A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Runstedler, Christopher, Hardy, Michael, Jain, Rohit
• Application Number:
  US12/392,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition

Abstract

A method, handheld electronic device and computer program product for allowing a user to view calendar data related to text the user is reading are provided. The method comprises: receiving an instruction to display a specified text; identifying at least one string in the specified text indicating date information; displaying the specified text with the date string presented as a hyperlink; and receiving user input activating the hyperlink and displaying calendar information related to the date indicated by the date string in response to the user input.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user of an electronic device to view calendar information while reading text, comprising:

receiving an instruction to display a specified text;

identifying at least one string in the specified text, wherein the at least one string comprises date information;

displaying the specified text with the at least one string presented as a hyperlink; and

receiving user input activating the hyperlink and displaying calendar information related to the date information in response to the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying comprises searching the specified text for date-related text, locating the at least one string containing the date information, and modifying the specified text to create the hyperlink.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying comprises inserting at least one markup language tag to create the hyperlink.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the hyperlink includes a link to a calendar module and a reference to a date specified by the date information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein searching includes applying a natural language date-recognition process to the specified text, and wherein locating includes determining a date specified by the at least one string.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar information is the calendar data for a single day indicated by the date information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the text again upon receiving a predetermined user input while the calendar information is being displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified text is one of the following:

an electronic message, a task, a chat dialogue, a chat transcript, or a memo.

9. The method of claim 1, further including storing event data in a calendar database, and wherein displaying calendar information includes retrieving selected event data from the calendar database, wherein the selected event data comprises event data for a date indicated by the date information.

10. An electronic device adapted to allow a user to view calendar information while reading text, comprising:

a processor for controlling the operation of the electronic device;

a display connected to the processor;

a user input device; and

a memory connected to the processor, the memory having data and instructions stored thereon, the data and instructions configuring the processor to;

receive an instruction to display a specified text;

identify at least one string in the specified text, wherein the at least one string comprises date information;

display the specified text with the at least one string presented as a hyperlink; and

receive user input activating the hyperlink and display calendar information related to the date information in response to the user input.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein identifying at least one string in the text comprises searching the specified text for date-related text, locating the at least one string containing the date information, and modifying the specified text to create the hyperlink.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein modifying comprises inserting at least one markup language tag to create the hyperlink.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the hyperlink includes a link to a calendar module and a reference to a date specified by the date information.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein searching includes applying a natural language date-recognition process to the specified text, and wherein locating includes determining a date specified by the at least one string.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the calendar information is the calendar data for a single day at the date indicated by the date information.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the data and instructions further configure the processor to display the text again upon receiving a predetermined input from the user while the calendar information is being displayed.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the text is one of the following:

an electronic message, a task, a chat dialogue, a chat transcript, or a memo.

18. The device of claim 10, the data and instructions further configuring the processor to store event data in a calendar database, and wherein displaying calendar information includes retrieving selected event data from the calendar database, wherein the selected event data comprises event data for a date indicated by the date information.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program instructions for implementing a method of allowing a user of an electronic device to view calendar information while reading text displayed on a display screen of an electronic device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving an instruction to display a specified text;

identifying at least one string in the specified text, wherein the at least one string comprises date information;

displaying the specified text with the at least one string presented as a hyperlink; and

receiving user input activating the hyperlink and displaying calendar information related to the date information in response to the user input.