PERSONAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT WITH LOCATION FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20100287024A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, David, Ward, Bradley W., McNulty, Mark, Hall, Martin H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method is provided for prompting a user to perform PIM-related acts based on dynamic location data. The user'"'"'s current location is received and a PIM item is selected from the user'"'"'s PIM system. The user'"'"'s current location is compared to the location of the selected PIM item. Based on the comparison, a suggested user fulfillment action for the PIM item is suggested to the user.

Claims

1. A method of prompting a user to perform PIM-related acts based on dynamic location data, comprising:

receiving data indicative of a current location of the user;

selecting, from a PIM system of the user, a PIM item having an associated location;

comparing the current location of the user to the associated location of the PIM item; and

issuing, based on said comparing of the current location of the user to the associated location of the PIM item, a suggested user fulfillment action for the PIM item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data indicative of a current location of a user includes receiving such data in a vehicle of the user via a vehicle navigation system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM item is a calendar item having a scheduled time, and wherein issuing the suggested user fulfillment action includes suggesting the user send a message indicating the user will be late by an amount of time which is dependent upon said comparing of the current location of the user with the associated location of the calendar item.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically preparing and sending the message in response to receiving an assent of the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the message includes automatically sending the message to participants associated with the calendar item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM item is a calendar item having a scheduled time, and wherein issuing the suggested user fulfillment action includes suggesting the user send a message proposing an alternate location for the calendar item, in response to determining the current location of the user is outside a predetermined range of the associated location of the calendar item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM item is a calendar item having a scheduled time, and wherein issuing the suggested user fulfillment action includes suggesting the user send a message proposing that the calendar item be rescheduled, in response to determining the current location of the user is outside a predetermined range of the associated location of the calendar item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the PIM item is a task item specifying a task, and wherein issuing the suggested user fulfillment action includes suggesting the user perform the task in response to determining that the current location of the user is within a predetermined range of the associated location.

9. A method of identifying location-relevant information in a PIM system of a user, comprising:

receiving a selection of a calendar item in the PIM system, wherein the calendar item has calendar item properties including a date/time property, a location property, a participant property and a description property; and

automatically identifying location-relevant information for the calendar item in the PIM system, said automatically identifying being performed by the PIM system and including;

applying a search filter to the PIM system using at least one of the calendar item properties;

identifying, based on output from the search filter, a PIM item in the PIM system; and

providing notification to the user of the PIM item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection of the calendar item is made in response to the calendar item being set to occur within a predetermined time, the method further comprising providing a high-priority notification to the user if the PIM item is an incoming message to the user from a participant associated with the calendar item.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the search filter to generate a list of messages from the PIM system containing potential location information for the calendar item.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting the potential location information from the list of messages.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting to the user one or more candidate locations for the calendar item based on the potential location information.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of applying a search filter and identifying a PIM item include identifying a past calendar item of the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the past calendar item includes associated GPS data, the method further comprising presenting to the user a candidate location for the calendar item based on the associated GPS data.

16. A method of scheduling calendar items based on locations of existing PIM items of a user, comprising:

initiating scheduling of a calendar item in a PIM system of the user;

determining a location associated with the calendar item;

searching the PIM system and identifying an existing PIM item that has a location within a predetermined proximal range of the location associated with the calendar item being scheduled;

determining a date/time of the existing PIM item; and

proposing to the user a proposed date/time for the calendar item being scheduled, the proposed date/time being selected and proposed based on it being conflict-free and within a date/time range of the date/time of the existing PIM item.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the existing PIM item is an existing calendar item in the PIM system of the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the existing PIM item is an existing task item in the PIM system of the user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein searching the PIM system and identifying an existing PIM item includes identifying multiple existing PIM items having locations within a predetermined proximal range of the location associated with the calendar item being scheduled, and wherein the method includes proposing to the user multiple proposed date/times for the calendar item being scheduled.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising prioritizing the multiple proposed date/times for the calendar item being scheduled.