Flagging, Capturing and Generating Task List Items

• US 20110314402A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kikin-Gil, Erez, Friend, Ned B., Kotler, Matthew J., Parker, Charles W., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Zaika, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Generation of a task or reminder in an electronic task list authoring surface from a variety of data or information locations or media without the need for launching a separate task or reminder application and without the need for moving focus away from an information location or media presently in use is provided. Generation of a task or task reminder may be accomplished from a variety of information locations or media. When an information item is flagged or captured and a task/reminder is generated, one or more pieces of metadata may be applied to the flagged information item for enhancing the subsequent use of the associated generated task or reminder.

Claims

1. A method for generating task items from captured content, comprising:

receiving an electronic content item;

selecting a portion of the electronic content item for generation of a task item;

applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item;

automatically exporting the selected portion of the electronic content item to a list authoring surface for generation of the task item from the exported selected portion of the electronic content item; and

generating a task item for the selected portion of the electronic content item and associating the applied one or more metadata items to the generated task item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a portion of the electronic content item for generation of a task item includes electronically flagging a portion of the electronic content item for capturing the flagged portion as a task item.

3. The method of claim 2, prior to flagging a portion of the electronic content item for capturing the flagged portion as a task item, launching a list authoring surface user interface for receiving the exported flagged portion the electronic content item as a generated task item.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the generated task item in the list authoring surface user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising saving the generated task item in a task item list associated with the list authoring surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item includes manually applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface, includes selecting one or more metadata items for application to the selected portion of the electronic content item via a metadata entry interface launched in association with the selected portion of the electronic content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item includes automatically applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface includes:

parsing the selected portion of the electronic content item;

determining whether one or more components of the selected portion of the electronic content item are associated with one or more metadata items; and

applying the one or more metadata items to the one or more components of the selected portion of the electronic content item that are associated with one or more metadata items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic content item is one of an electronic document, an electronic mail item, an electronic calendar item, an electronic contacts item, an electronic tasks item, an Internet site, an intranet site, a social networking site, an image, an audio file, a video file, and to one or more other electronic content item types.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein selecting a portion of the electronic content item for generation of a task item includes selecting a portion of the electronic content item while the electronic content item is displayed;

and

wherein generating a task item for the selected portion of the electronic content item includes generating the task item for the selected portion of the electronic content item without removing the electronic content item from display.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking the generated task item back to a source of the electronic content item such that selection of the generated task item from the list authoring surface causes a launching of the source of the electronic content item.

13. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for generating task items from captured content, comprising:

receiving an electronic content item;

electronically flagging a portion of the electronic content item for capturing the flagged portion as a task item;

automatically exporting the flagged portion of the electronic content item to a list authoring surface for generation of the task item from the exported flagged portion of the electronic content item;

applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item;

generating a task item for the selected portion of the electronic content item and associating the applied one or more metadata items to the generated task item;

displaying the generated task item in a list authoring surface user interface.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, prior to flagging a portion of the electronic content item for capturing the flagged portion as a task item, launching a list authoring surface user interface for receiving the exported flagged portion the electronic content item as a generated task item.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item includes manually applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface, includes selecting one or more metadata items for application to the selected portion of the electronic content item via a metadata entry interface launched in association with the selected portion of the electronic content item.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item includes automatically applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein automatically applying the one or more metadata items via the list authoring surface user interface includes:

parsing the selected portion of the electronic content item;

determining whether one or more components of the selected portion of the electronic content item are associated with one or more metadata items; and

applying the one or more metadata items to the one or more components of the selected portion of the electronic content item that are associated with one or more metadata items.

19. A system for generating task items from flagged and captured content, comprising:

a list authoring surface application operative

to receive an electronic content item;

to receive a selection of a portion of the electronic content item for generation of a task item;

to apply one or more metadata items to the selected portion of the electronic content item;

to generate a task item for the selected portion of the electronic content item and associating the applied one or more metadata items to the generated task item; and

to display the generated task item in a list authoring surface user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, the list authoring surface being further operative to receive an electronic content item from one of an electronic document, an electronic mail item, an electronic calendar item, an electronic contacts item, an electronic tasks item, and Internet site, an intranet site, a social networking site, an image, an audio file and a video file.