METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR EFFICIENTLY DETERMINING PRIORITY OF DATA IN A DATABASE

• US 20110238671A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: ROSE, Scott Douglas, BELLS, Matthew, KLASSEN, Gerhard Dietrich, WALKER, David Ryan, FYKE, Steven Henry, GODFREY, James Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining priority of data in a database managed by a computing device are provided. The data comprises a list of events, the computing device comprising a processing unit interconnected with a memory device and a display device. Context data is processing at the processing unit to determine a priority ranking for each of the items, wherein processing the context data to determine a priority ranking comprises at least one of processing attendance data, location, event data, and telephone record data. Respective areas of the display device are controlled to provide visual representations of each of the events, each respective area controlled according to the priority ranking.

Claims

1. A method for determining priority of data in a database managed by a computing device, said data comprising a list of events, said computing device comprising a processing unit interconnected with a memory device and a display device, the method comprising:

processing context data at said processing unit to determine a priority ranking for each of said items; and

controlling respective areas of said display device to provide visual representations of each of said events in a calendar application, each respective area controlled according to said priority ranking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority ranking is further represented according to at least one of different icons, different fonts, different line widths, different colours, different transparencies and an absence of events below a threshold priority level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating reminder data based on said priority ranking and controlling said display device to provide said reminder data based on said priority ranking.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating reminder data includes an option for at least one of declining a calendar event invitation and moving an event associated with said data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling said display device to provide a calendar view of said data, wherein each of said events comprises a calendar event given a visual precedence in said calendar view based on said priority ranking.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating delete data events based on said priority ranking to cause an event that meets a predetermined threshold value to be deleted from said data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said predetermined threshold value is based on at least one of a period of time that a recurring calendar event has not been attended, a number of times that said recurring calendar event has been attended, and a threshold priority ranking.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a prompt indicative that said delete data events should be generated wherein said generating said delete data events occurs after receiving a positive response to said prompt.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is stored in at least one of said memory device and a remote database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said events corresponds to a work associated calendar event that occurs during a vacation period, said work associated calendar event automatically hidden during said vacation period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a show work appointments icon at said display device which, when selected, causes said work associated calendar event to be displayed, and providing a hide work appointments icon which, when selected, causes said work associated calendar events to be hidden.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said events corresponds to a travel-related calendar event that occurs during a travel period, said travel-related calendar event given a visual precedence during said travel period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least another of said events corresponds to a non-travel-related calendar event that occurs during said travel period, said non-travel-related calendar event given diminished visual precedence during said travel period.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein processing said context data to determine a priority ranking comprises at least one of:

processing said data to determine attendance data associated with each said event;

processing location data associated with each said event to determine said attendance data;

processing said attendance data associated with each said event to determine if recurring events have been attended, and assigning higher respective priority rankings to events having higher attendance;

processing said attendance data to determine which of at least two conflicting recurring events have been previously attended, and assigning higher respective priority rankings to an event having higher attendance;

processing event data to determine when each of said events have occurred, been cancelled or moved; and

processing telephone record data to determine said attendance data.

14. A computing device for determining priority of data in a database managed by the computing device, said data comprising a list of events, said computing device comprising:

a processing unit interconnected with a memory device and a display device, said processing unit enabled to;

process context data to determine a priority ranking for each of said items and

control respective areas of said display device to provide visual representations of each of said events in a calendar application, each respective area controlled according to said priority ranking.

15. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said priority ranking is further represented at said display device according to at least one of different icons, different fonts, different line widths, different colours, different transparencies and an absence of events below a threshold priority level.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to generate reminder data based on said priority ranking and control said display device to provide said reminder data based on said priority ranking.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to control said display device to provide a calendar view of said data, wherein each of said events comprises a calendar event given a visual precedence in said calendar view based on said priority ranking.

19. The computing device of claim 15 wherein said processing unit is further enabled to generate delete data events based on said priority ranking to cause an event that meets a predetermined threshold value to be deleted from said data.

22. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said database is stored in at least one of said memory device and a remote database.

23. The computing device of claim 15, wherein at least one of said events corresponds to a work associated calendar event that occurs during a vacation period, said work associated calendar event automatically hidden during said vacation period.

24. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to provide a show work appointments icon at said display device which, when selected, causes said work associated calendar event to be displayed, and provide a hide work appointments icon which, when selected, causes said work associated calendar events to be hidden.

25. The computing device of claim 15, wherein at least one of said events corresponds to a travel-related calendar event that occurs during a travel period, said travel-related calendar event given a visual precedence during said travel period.

29. The computing device of claim 15, wherein to process said context data to determine a priority ranking said processing unit is further enabled to at least one of:

process said data to determine attendance data associated with each said event;

process location data associated with each said event to determine said attendance data;

process said attendance data associated with each said event to determine if recurring events have been attended, and assign higher respective priority rankings to events having higher attendance;

process said attendance data to determine which of at least two conflicting recurring events have been previously attended, and assign higher respective priority rankings to an event having higher attendance;

process event data to determine when each of said events have occurred, been cancelled or moved; and

process telephone record data to determine said attendance data.

17. The computing device of claim 17, wherein said reminder data includes an option for at least one of declining a calendar event invitation and moving an event associated with said data.

20. The computing device of claim 20, wherein said predetermined threshold value is based on at least one of a period of time that a recurring calendar event has not been attended, a number of times that said recurring calendar event has been attended, and a threshold priority ranking.

21. The computing device of claim 21, wherein said processing unit is further enabled to generate a prompt indicative that said delete data events should be generated wherein said generate said delete data events occurs after receiving a positive response to said prompt.

26. The computing device of claim 26, wherein at least another of said events corresponds to a non-travel-related calendar event that occurs during said travel period, said non-travel-related calendar event given diminished visual precedence during said travel period.

27. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for determining priority of data in a database managed by a computing device, said data comprising a list of events, said computing device comprising a processing unit interconnected with a memory device and a display device, the method comprising:

processing context data at said processing unit to determine a priority ranking for each of said items; and

controlling respective areas of said display device to provide visual representations of each of said events in a calendar application, each respective area controlled according to said priority ranking.